Quilt No.252HS - Helen Sparkman

Helen Sparkman
Owner: 
Helen Sparkman
Location: 
SA Adelaide
Maker
Maker: 
Clara Pitt
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Patchwork quilt made of Suffolk Puffs mainly in cottons. It has a light green wholecloth backing.
2100 x 950mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Clara Pitt, daughter of Matilda Pitt, probably during the 1950s. It has always been in the family and Clara was the great aunt of the present owner, Helen Sparkman. It is not used now.

Story: 

"Clara May Pitt 1892-1985 (Daughter of Matilda Pitt)
Clara made many quilts mainly during the 1950s and 1960s, not out of need but because of her love of patchwork. Her quilts were mainly Hexagons and Suffolk Puffs. Clara was a single lady who had five neices and a nephew, and quite a number of great neices and nephews. As each quilt was completed it was presented to a family member. These family members now cherish her gifts, even though all have often smiled and queried her fabric selection, placement, neatness and her continual use of white thread over the years. Clara was over 80 years of age when she made her last quilt (Hexagons of course) for a private museum."
[Helen Sparkman Dec.2000]

Clara Pitt c.1960
Clara Pitt c.1960

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (WA)
Frame quilt in cottons with a centre motif of pieced 8 point star surrounded by borders, 2 from red/white material printed to represent Tumbling Block patchwork. The remaining borders are, one plain, one of pieced squares, one of pieced large triangles with squares in the corner. The outer border is plain. The padding is wool and the backing is cream cotton. It is elaborately quilted.
2400 x 2260mm
Helen Cornish
Patchwork quilt in the Log Cabin pattern, each square 14cm x 14cm, made of used cotton fabrics with a fine wool fabric as the centre square of each. Colours are mainly reds, blues, greens and maroon, and pastels, in prints and plains. Quilt has a wide border of dark blue cotton with mitred corners. The padding is black and white mattress ticking, and the backing is the same dark blue cotton as the border. Machine stitched.
1770 x 1170mm
Billie Briggs
Hand pieced crazy quilt in a variety of plain coloured velvets. All seams are over embroidered in a variety of stitches. There is no padding and the backing is heavy black cotton. 1900 x 1630mm.
Val Ireland
Utilitarian quilt. The top and backing are machine pieced scraps of curtain material and clothing pieces. The centre is an old blanket and possibly clothing pieces.
2033 x 1525mm
Joyce Lannin
The centre of the quilt is a small blue 6 pointed star surrounded by a larger blue star. Blue stars also form a border to the quilt. The background material is a multicoloured small floral pattern on white cotton. The quilt is all hand worked over templates. The padding is cotton and the backing is polyester sheeting with a border of stars.
2650 x 2475 mm
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Large hexagon rosettes in a variety of plain colours. 6 form a flower and each hexagon has a contrasting colour for the centre. Machined smaller hexagons give a ruffled effect. Colours of flowers include teal, burnt orange, pink, lime and mauve. The material is nylon and the backing is a single piece of pink bubble nylon. The padding is a single piece of calico.
2050 x 1530mm