Quilt No.291PC - Patricia Cmielewski

Patricia Cmielewski
Owner: 
Patricia Cmielewski
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Mary Ann Sly
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Crazy patchwork quilt made from silk and cotton fabrics, in patterns and plains, in bright colours. Patches are arranged around a central diamond shaped patch in yellow which is bordered with light blue. All seams are covered with featherstitch and herringbone stitch. Patches were stitched onto a calico backing. A recent calico backing ahs been added and dark blue binding attached to the edge. No padding.
1555 x 910mm
History: 

Made by Mrs Mary Ann Sly of Rendelsham, near Millicent (SA), probably in the 1930s. It was given to Mrs Cecilia Polkinghorne in the late 1930s. Now owned by Cecilia's daughter Mrs Patricia Cmielewski.

Story: 

"� For some years it was used on a grand-daughter's bed. I would think it would probably be called a Depression quilt as this was the period in which it was made and the materials are very varied. �
It was in generally good condition but had some damage to three silk fabrics which were replaced by new fabrics in October 1988 by a professional textile conservator � The quilt was lined with calico at this time also and the outer edges were bound. Velcro has been stitched to the lining so it can be hung up. ����..

Unfortunately there is not much recorded about Mrs Sly. She was Mary Ann Sly, wife of Henry Richard Sly and died at Millicent South Australia on 29/7/1959 aged 85 years. Her place of birth is unknown. Her husband, Henry, was employed by the South Australian Railways in the Far North of the State, and they came to Rendelsham in the South East of South Australia when he was transferred there by the Railways in 1914. Mr & Mrs Sly had three sons - Harold, who farmed in the Rendelsham district, Roy, who served in the RAAF in World War II, and Ernest, who was a painter.
Roy was a friend of our family and during his time in the RAAF in World War II he invented a potato-digger which the Army Inventions Directorate was developing to help the war effort. The war finished before it was in production and plans for its development were dropped."
[Patricia Cmielewski September 1999]

Related Quilts:

Margery Smith
Patchwork cot quilt made from hexagons 63mm across in a variety of cotton prints and plains. The bright coloured patches came from children's clothes and dressmaking scraps. No padding. Backing of unbleached calico. Hand sewn.
1524 x 1169mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Cotton quilt , octagons of printed floral joined with squares of printed and plain. Yellow floral border. Cotton backing with very intrictae pattern in machine stitching.
2540 x 2490mm
Ella Jarvis
Quilt made with a rectangular centre panel of cotton fabric printed with red poppies and black flowers in a japanese style. The panel is surrounded by a wide black satin border. The backing is of black cotton, covering a previous backing of green floral cotton fabric. The padding is feathers.
1700 x 1370mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
The top has a segmented circle in the centre surrounded by a border of small rectangles. The circle is featherstitched on to the background. Materials are wools and cottons and it is hand pieced. The other side appears to have been originally men's suiting materials strip pieced. It is now covered with a children's print in light cotton joined in long rectangles. The padding is coarse heavyweight cotton.
1410 x 1080mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Patchwork top with a centre frame of a mauve cross outlined in black within a square bordered with pink. The rest of the top is rectangles and squares in a wide variety of materials. There is no padding. The backing is brown, possibly curtain material.
1910 x 1480mm
Marjorie Treasy
Machine sewn quilt made from 125mm squares of scraps left over from dressmaking joined in strips and then the strips joined. There is a border of fawn cotton and the backing is the same material. The padding is an old blanket and the border is padded with sheep's wool.
1400 x 925mm