Quilt No.391CC - Cressida Mary Webb Challis

Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Owner: 
Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Isabel and Jean Portus
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt of machine pieced squares and rectangles using a wide variety of materials in plain colours and patterns. It is one of a pair. There is no padding and the backing is 90cm strips of calico.
2500 x 2130mm
History: 

One of a pair made by twin sisters Isabel and Jean Portus about 1961 and on their deaths passed to the present owner, Cressida Challis, a family member.

Story: 

One of a pair of quilts made for the makers' own beds. "These were made c.1961 - my mother remembers staying with them at the time they were made, when I was a baby and my brother was about 3. They were made very quickly, machine sewn, because the twins needed new bedspreads and didn't have much money. They both cut out the fabric and pinned pieces together, and Jean sewed them on the machine. They have been repaired and some bits of fabric have been sewn over worn patches, because they were in constant use until 1994. After they were made , two curtains were made in similar style and fabrics. I still use these curtains, though I had to patch and replace the calico lining on the one in the kitchen in 1997. Previous repairs had been made by Jean. I used material from Jean's collection������.Patchwork was done in the evenings , a little before dinner, and more after dinner. Jean's great love was gardening, so in the daytime she was always in the garden when she wasn't working. Isa did some gardening too - she grew tomatoes. She usually cooked dinner and did a lot of the housework." [Cressida Challis 1.8.98]

Related Quilts:

Gladys V. Williams
Grandmother's Flower Garden, also known as French Bouquet. The quilt comprises 181 flowers. No padding is used. Each flower has seven hexagonal patches, cut from a metal template pattern. Floral and plain silk materials are used and mounted on pale blue moire taffeta.
3050 x 2031mm
Julie Pearce
Rectangular quilt of print and plain
cottons pieced in squares and rectangles within 2 frames, the inner border or frame of blue/green check material, then 2 rows of squares and rectangles, the outer frame of a grey and red geometric pattern and 2 rows of squares or rectangles. Backing of plain fabric. Machine stitched on a treadle machine.
Albury Regional Museum
Patchwork cot quilt, machine pieced, rectangular, 5 x 4 squares. Assorted fabrics including seersucker, corduroy, printed and plain cottons. White ric-rac braid and zigzag machine stitching accentuate rows. Edge of white cotton tape. Backing is single flour bag, calico, with maker's printing visible through patchwork: 'Tiger. Best Australian Roller Flour. Mala Foot. Sole Supply. Part of Kuala Lumper' and Chinese characters.
674 x 540mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Machine constructed log cabin quilt using a wide variety of strips of used clothing including cottons, men's suitings and wools. Each square is about 250mm and arranged in the 'light and dark of the fire' variation of log cabin. There is no padding. The backing is brown twill with an orange pattern and is probably a replacement backing.
2180 x 1710mm
Margery Creek
Cotton quilt in 'Pyramid Charm' pattern. Made in the USA and thought to have come from Louisiana. Hand pieced and hand quilted with the quilting following the triangular shapes. The quilting is quite coarse. The backing is black printed material and there is cotton padding.
1931 x 1855mm
Helen Sparkman
Hexagon quilt made from dressmaking scraps from one neice. The quilt top only is complete and a few papers are still attached.
2250 x 2000mm