Quilt No.289TH - Thelma Harris

Owner: 
Thelma Harris
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Alice McLean
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Wholecloth quilt with both sides made from heavy, woven, striped cotton in brown and fawn, blue grey and orange. The filling is a grey blanket.
1271 x 1067mm
History: 

Made in the 1930s by Alice McLean for her son Doug when he was working out on sheep stations in the Olary area. It was called a 'wagga'. Owned by Mrs McLean's daughter, Mrs Thelma Harris. Previously it had been kept in her father's house.

Story: 

"I have a Wagga made by Mother during her time on the North East Railway early in the 1930s. It is very heavy the inner looks like an old grey blanket & both sides are covered with a woven cotton material which has a few signs of wear. We still have the hand machine (Singer) which sews perfectly. I also have a velvet (crazy patchwork) cushion which she made when she was a young woman."
"Our Mother died in 1934 when I was 10 years and the youngest of four children. I am 75 years now. I have the block in the Jamestown cemetery made over to myself and my two daughters know I want to be buried there beside my Mother."
[Thelma Harris 21.3.1999]

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Garland with berries appliqued on wholecloth quilt of off white cotton. The backing is whole cloth in soft green. The garland (ribbon appearance) is in floral patterned green. The red berries are padded. It is machine quilted. Dacron type padding.
1820 x 1500mm
Sharon Stacy
Wholecloth quilt of white cotton with hand appliqued flowers in 3 shades of red. The centre of the quilt has 6 separate flowers radiating from a circle and each corner has a separate arrangement of flowers. The white cotton quilting is in diagonal lines and a daisy pattern. There is a narrow red border widely scalloped. The backing is white cotton. There is no padding.
2236 x 1905mm
Mary and Max Robertson
Traditional Wagga rug made from 3 wheat bags joined along the long side by sewing with bag needle and twine. Machined twill cover was put on later in the 1960s. Originally no padding but now the bags are the padding. One of a pair(identical).
1790 x 1160mm
Nancy Stinson
The padding consists of layers of pieced used clothing including; part of machine knitted child's wool dress (Nancy had this when she was 3 or 4); part of father's cardigan; parts of 'neck to knee' bathers in light green and dark green wool. The padding is all hand pieced and machined around the edge. There have been 2 wholecloth cotton covers to this quilt. It is one of a pair.
1870 x 1020mm