Stitch in time

Every Friday morning, seven retired women make their way from homes across Winnipeg to a nondescript warehouse in the city's downtown area. Together, they tend to the vast collection of the Costume Museum of Canada, which has been meticulously preserved over the past eight years. Led by Helen Leeds, the museum's manager of collections, the group diligently documents, restores, and catalogues vintage fashion pieces dating back over a century.

Diane Zakala, one of the volunteers, carefully unfurls delicate silk blouses and tailored Chanel suit sets, explaining the intricate details of each garment. Margaret Mills, an original volunteer with 40 years of experience, is an expert in acquisitions, possessing a wealth of knowledge about the museum's collection. Therese Leneveu, a six-year volunteer and fundraiser, manages the museum's mobile hat exhibition and sale, which has recently resumed after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team works tirelessly to ensure the collection is accurately documented and preserved, with each item carefully photographed, labeled, and stored in its designated box. When needed for upcoming exhibitions or community events, the volunteers can quickly locate and retrieve the required pieces using the museum's computerized database. Meanwhile, newly donated items are thoroughly inspected and, if necessary, frozen for a week to prevent the introduction of pests before being carefully added to the collection.