Quilt No.483RF - Rita Fiddian

Rita Fiddian
Owner: 
Rita Fiddian
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Rita Fiddian
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. Hexagons are from cotton and polyester material mostly from 'Reverse Garbage' Melbourne. Hand pieced by Rita Fiddian, the owner. Hand quilted. The padding is wool and the backing cotton.
3049 x 2109mm
History: 

"Rita made this quilt over a 15 year period starting in the early 70s. She did not know how to back and quilt it and put it away until 1998. Through the shop The Patchwork Gallery Heidelberg Vic then owned by Robyn Huntington, a *group of women worked for about 6 months together to hand quilt this quilt (no fee was charged). Rita was presented with the finished quilt in March 1999. She is now in her middle 80s." [Catherine Ringwood 10.3.1999]
*The women were Robyn Huntington, Jan Hird, Lee White, Pat McClelland, Vicki Fletcher, Faye Eddy and Cath Ringwood.

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
" Reversible patchwork quilt of woollen suiting in grey, blue, navy, maroon and brown. The fabrics appear to be new tailor's sample pieces (the sizing is still present on the fabric, signifying it has never been washed). The patches are rectangular and vary in size. Both sides have different designs. The front of the quilt has 4 rows of 12 vertical rectangles then below this are 4 rows of 7 horizontal rectangles followed below by 4 rows of 11 vertical rectangles. The reverse of the quilt has a section at the top and bottom composed of 5 rows of 9 horizontal rectangles. The central area is made up of a centre section of 6 rows of 5 vertical rectangles; flanked on either side by a column of 10 horizontal rectangles and two columns of 8 smaller vertical rectangles.
The patchwork layers are joined at the edges with machine stitching. The patchwork layers and padding are machine quilted on the front down 2 vertical lines following joins in the patchwork; therefore not being totally straight. The lines are more noticeable on the reverse as the 2 sides do not match. The front face is displayed at the NGA.
Between the patchwork layers is a striped cotton blanket in black, sky blue, white and cream." [NGA]
2082 x 1386mm
Narelle Grieve
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National Trust of Australia (NSW)
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The Pioneer Women's Hut
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