Quilt No.177EQ - Janette McInnes

Janette McInnes
Owner: 
Janette McInnes
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Elizabeth Perry
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Pieced and appliqued quilt of pink, blue and brown wool. Centre motif is an applique whirligig or flower in pink and blue on tan, with two pink side borders topped by smaller appliqued whirligigs or flowers in the same colours. The outer frame is made of strips of pink, blue,and brown, with a border of brown. Some silk embroidery on the applique edges. No padding. Backing is of cretonne.
1423 x 1144mm
History: 

Made by Elizabeth Perry, at Brunswick (VIC), probably during the Depression. Given to an Op Shop by Elizabeth's niece, Mrs Beryl Chalmers. Now owned by Essendon Quilters Inc.

Story: 

"The quilt was donated to Essendon Quilters. It had been bought at an op shop for $2.00. I had become very interested in the quilt and after a bit of research found the person who gave it to the op shop. That was Mrs Chalmers. Beryl Chalmers remembers the quilts (there was another) when the family lived in Brunswick (Vic) and feels they were made for a move the family made to Hampton.
Later on the quilts were used at a beach house at Lorne and withstood a lot of hard work. Although the quilt is quite small by our standards today it was made for a single bed.
Elizabeth Perry was born around 1895 and died in 1975. Her niece remembers her as a remarkable lady being able to produce fine hand work or turn to heavy work such as crocheting etc. She was a great seamstress and also did fancy work and made baby clothes as well."

Letter from Janette McInnes, 1997:
"Elizabeth Perry never married and lived with her parents until they died. The qult was made in Brunswick where the family lived at 8 Barrow St, brunswick. The family moved to Hampton about this time - 60 years ago. Mrs Chalmers feels that the quilt was made to be used in their new home.
Elizabeth Perry worked at the Commonwealth Clothing Factory during World War I and Mrs Chalmers thinks she continued working after that but doesn't know where. She seems to have worked as a machinist or perhaps hand tailoring? Mrs Chalmers remembers her as a very talented sewer, who also crocheted, made beautiful baby clothes and did fine hand work.
She doesn't remember her grandmother sewing and her own mother did sew but didn't have the skills that Elizabeth had. �"

Elizabeth Perry, 1975
Elizabeth Perry, 1975

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (WA)
Quilt of pale yellow cotton sateen with a centre star motif with 8 points in pink cotton sateen. A border of pink cotton sateen has pink triangles on each side. The quilt is machine sewn and elaborately hand quilted with designs including fleur-de-lys shape, feathers, vine pattern, clam shells, 8 petalled flower and cable pattern with the main ground cross hatched. The backing is pale yellow cotton sateen.
2235 x 2065mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Frame cot quilt in cotton fabrics, the centre square in a paisley print surrounded by two plain borders or frames, then two frames pieced in alternate light and dark triangles, then a frame in a floral print. Outer border is of red fabric, longer at top and bottom to make a rectangle. No quilting. Machine sewn.
1050 x 770mm
Margaret-Anne M Thomas
Cotton quilt hand pieced and hand quilted. Eigth pointed star on a white background. 7 rows of 7 stars with a 70mm border. There is a padding or interlining. The backing is plain off white cotton twill.
2040 x 2030mm
Catherine Ringwood
The top of this quilt is 6 x 5 alternating squares and rectangles of check woollen material in 12 or more colour ways. Herringbone stitch in yellow stranded cotton is worked along each join and border.The border is plain grey wool. There is no padding and the backing is light blue crepe.
1118 x 814mm
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Crazy patchwork quilt pieced from velvets, satins, braids, taffetas, cottons with some decorative stitching. A ruffle and the backing are in ruby red satin. There is a dacron type padding.
1620 x 1200mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork quilt in Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern consisting of groups of 7 rosettes and single rosettes with white filler hexagons and a border of rosettes alternating with 'bow tie' shapes of 5 patches in the middle of the quilt. Hand sewn in cotton dress and shirting materials , the colours mostly blues, pinks, reds, brown and white. The quilt top is covered in netting. There is no padding and the backing is cream cotton twill.
2270 x 2080mm