Quilt No.164MC - Marion Coleman

1626 x 1271mm
Made by the owner Marion Coleman in 1956 -1957, in Maffra (VIC). Used as a car rug, picnic rug, camp rug, bed blanket and knee rug.
"I made it about 1956-7 when I was only a new wife and mother, living in Maffra away from my family & friends who we had left in Melb. In those years housing was impossible to obtain in Melb. & my new husband liked working in the country, so we made our move (have never regretted it) but money was tight.
This Wagga quilt is still used but now more appreciated than it has been over the years. One of the first 'Time Payment' purchases we made was a PHOENIX sewing machine which did zigzag, had cams for fancy stitches, was a portable model semi industrial.
As money was tight, time was available and pure wool sample books had been given to me by my tailor maternal grand-father. I sewed them together, some smaller than other larger samples so making a sort of pattern - prob. so they would 'fit' together.
My g'father, a Scot, had his Tailor's shop in Glenfeerie Rd, Malvern, Vic. for many years. He made suits - jacket & trousers or jacket & skirts as ordered & fitted personally. I went to his shop on Sat. mornings to 'help' - probably my company was the only 'help'."
[Marion Coleman]
Related Quilts:
1730 x 1430mm
1740 x 1300 mm.
2109 x 1702mm
2591 x 2566mm
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm