Virtual Valley Talk: French-Canadian Quilts

Due to the temporary closure of the Museum of Work and Culture, this presentation will be held entirely virtually through Zoom.

Join University of Rhode Island Professor Linda Welters for a talk exploring the quilting culture of French-Canadians who left Canada to live and work in Rhode Island. The presentation will be drawn from a book co-edited with Margaret Ordoñez, Down by the Old Mill Stream: Quilts in Rhode Island, and exhibitions of French-Canadian quilts Welters and Ordoñez co-curated. Quilts made by French-Canadians in Rhode Island will be featured.

Linda Welters is Professor of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design at the University of Rhode Island where she teaches courses in the history of fashion. She also is Director of the University’s Historic Textile and Costume Collection. Her research interests encompass Greek folk dress, archaeological textiles, American quilts, American fashion, and decolonizing fashion history. Recent book-length publications include Fashion History: A Global View (2018) with Abby Lillethun and The Fashion Reader 3rd edition (2022) with Abby Lillethun. She is editor for the series Textiles that Changed the World (Bloomsbury). She is a graduate of St. Catherine University (BA), Colorado State University (MA), and the University of Minnesota (PhD).

The Museum’s 2025 Valley Talks series is presented by the Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation and the RI AFL-CIO.