Quilt No.1006JC - Josephine Curtis

Josephine Curtis
Owner: 
Josephine Curtis
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Valencia Venn
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Taylor's sample quilt made from men's suit swatches, mainly greys and blues. Edging is 6cms wide, of blue flannelette. Padding is an old grey blanket, and the backing is of printed pattern corduroy. 1680 x 920 mm.
History: 

Quilt was made by Mrs Valencia Venn in Glenbrook, in 1960. It was then owned by Mrs M Rowe (born Curtis), and is now owned by Mrs Josephine Curtis, daughter of the maker.

Story: 

"The quilt shown in the enclosed photograph was originally made by my mother Mrs Valencia Venn (born 1892 died 1985) from the material pieces of men's suit swatches in 1960. The swatches came from her nephew's menswear shop which was situated in Liverpool NSW.
Mrs Venn was handicrafts officer of the Glenbrook branch of the CWA for many years.
Mrs Venn was a busy seamstress whose main work was making ballet tutu's for the Sydney Royal Academy of Dancing, and also stage costumes. She also started the CWA Handcraft classes in Glenbrook NSW.
Apart from this quilt two others were made for her grandchildren. All of these quilts were well used over the ensuing years." [Josephine Curtis]
The swatches came from Ingall's Men's Centre, 51 Scott Street, Liverpool NSW.

Mrs Valencia Venn, maker of quilt
Mrs Valencia Venn, maker of quilt
House in which quilt was made.<br />4 Lagoon Drive (previously Mark Street) Glenbrook NSW
House in which quilt was made.
4 Lagoon Drive (previously Mark Street) Glenbrook NSW
R.A.D regulation tu-tu, 1974. Worn by Jospehine Curtis (born Venn).
R.A.D regulation tu-tu, 1974. Worn by Jospehine Curtis (born Venn).
R.A.D regulation tu-tu, 1974. Worn by Michelle Rowe (born Curtis).
R.A.D regulation tu-tu, 1974. Worn by Michelle Rowe (born Curtis).

Related Quilts:

Mrs M Batts
Quilt No.667MB - Mrs M Batts
This quilt is allover crazy patchwork not done in squares. Many pieces are awkward shapes. In the centre is a 150 x 150mm square of squares each 25mm repeating some of the materials in the quilt. Most of the materials are velvets, satins and silks. There is a border of red and green patterned wool and all seams are feather stitched in a thick gold thread. The padding is thought to be flannelette and the backing is polished cotton in faded red and green.
2560 x 2160mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Annette Gero
Quilt No.859AG - Annette Gero
Hand pieced log cabin quilt in silks, satins and velvets. There is a silk backing machined on, possiby a later addition. The quilt has over 5000 pieced.
1820 x 1680mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random
Joyce Lannin
Quilt No.1028JL - Joyce Lannin
Machine stitched quilt made from tailors' samples cut into squares. The colours are mainly greys, browns and fawns. There is no padding and the backing is a grey herringbone heavy woollen material with a white fleck. This is folded back to the front to make a 75mm border and finished with a dark grey braid where it meets the patchwork top. 1525 x 1225mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Elsie Roberts
Quilt No.340ER - Elsie Roberts
Patchwork quilt has a centre of a square within a square, with rows of scraps added around it. The scraps are mainly cotton shirting fabrics and are cut in different sizes and shapes. The two long sides have a narrow red edging folded from the back. The other two sides have been 'bagged'. Filling is an unusual weave thought to be wool. Backing is a pink, red and beige floral cotton.
2080 x 1650mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Powerhouse Museum
Quilt No.758PHM - Powerhouse Museum
"A tied patchwork wagga quilt made from swatches of men's wool suiting fabrics in blue/grey and pink/brown tonings. Rectangular swatches have been cut in half diagonally, and the resulting right-angled triangles paired to form larger equilateral triangles which alternate dark with light across the field. The quilt has been machine and hand pieced, then machined in vertical stripes.
The centre field is bounded by two strip-pieced borders at top and bottom, and three down each side. These are sewn from rectangles, using light pink/brown tones for the inner border and darker colours for the outer borders. The quilt is padded and backed and the side seams are secured with black herringbone stitch. The three layers are tied together invisibly with lazy daisy stitches in black cotton from the back." [PHM] The padding is a wool blanket and the backing is two pieces of cream twill cotton.
2030 x 1440mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Billie Briggs
Quilt No.1057BB - Billie Briggs
Hand pieced hexagon quilt in pattern known as 'Grandmother's Flower Garden". 12 hexagons, in patterned cottons, form the outer border of each flower with an inner border of 6 matching plain coloured hexagons and all flowers have a yellow hexagon centre. There is no padding, a cotton backing and it is hand quilted.
2400 x 1780mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block