Quilt No.500RB - Rosemary Brazelis

Rosemary Brazelis
Owner: 
Rosemary Brazelis
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Ellen Malkin
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Square log cabin quilt of 16 blocks (4 x 4 rows) constructed mainly from cotton dress materials, flannels and woollens printed and plain. Machine construction (treadle sewing machine) with the pieces sewn on to cream cotton material. Later addition of polyester padding and cotton backing and the quilt tied off in each square with Perle cotton.
1030 x 1030mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Ellen Malkin between 1939 and 1945 at Underbool in the Mallee. It was then owned by Fay Bennett (born Robinson) grand-daughter of the maker and then passed on to Rosemary Lynne Brazelis (born Robinson) great grand-daughter of the maker who completed the quilt by adding a backing, padding and tying it off. It is not used.

Story: 

"Ellen Malkin nee Roe was born on the 1st August 1867 at "Bolindavale" station, Donnybrook, Victoria. She married Fredrick Malkin. They were the first settlers to select land at Underbool, North West Victoria, and grow wheat in 1910-1911.
They cleared the land of mallee scrub and lived in a tent, until they built a 4 roomed, unlined weatherboard house, with a corrugated iron roof, a kitchen and a fly-wired room at the back.
The railway line was just being laid out from Ouyen, but a camel train would bring supplies from Ouyen and carry back salt from the salt lakes (Pink lakes) out from Linga. The local store was in a tent." [Rosemary Brazelis 18.11.1999]
Ellen Malkin used dressmaking scraps, pieces given to her by friends and also materials she received by mail order from The Weekly Times. She enjoyed various crafts including sewing, tatting, knitting, crochet and mending. "She was never idle." [RB]

Ellen Malkin
Ellen Malkin

Related Quilts:

Annette Gero
Utilitarian quilt made from large pieces of wool, flannel and cotton. Machine construction and the padding is wool.
1570 x 152Omm
Margery Creek
Cotton quilt made in the USA. Pattern is the 'Evening Star' and each star has a frame. It is hand pieced and hand quilted and uses shirting material. It has been modified along two sides where the block extension is visible, having been turned to make a hem. The backing is calico and the padding is cotton.
1829 x 1575mm
Jillian Towers
Hand pieced patchwork quilt with 10 diamonds consisting of hexagons with white and black rows as edging. Materials include furnishing and dress materials and a type of linen. It is not quilted or tied. The backing is a small floral print in flannelette.
2180 x 1830mm
Joyce Lannin
Hand sewn patchwork quilt with a pattern of blue stars. Each star consists of hexagons in the centre with part diamonds forming the star shape. The quilt is made from scraps. It is not padded and the backing is cotton and has a hexagon star border. 2660 x 2470 mm
National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame
Patchwork top made in the Log Cabin pattern in cotton fabrics, 10 x 10 squares. Hand sewn. Most fabrics are patterned, colours in darks and lights include blues, red and pink, greys, browns. The wide border is made from 3 rows of blunt ended triangles (tumbler), the edge is bound with a narrow strip of patterned grey and white fabric. Each corner of the border has 3 chequered squares set on the diagonal. Hand sewn, the binding is machine sewn. No padding or backing.
2360 x 2340mm
Yass & District Historical Society
Patchwork quilt made from diamond patches in the 'Cotton Box' pattern, in a wide variety of cotton fabrics, including plains, checks, stripes and florals. The patches have blotting paper templates. The quilt is edged with diamond shapes in a red floral cotton. The backing is of the same red floral pattern, featuring yellow, turquoise and white flowers and leaves. Hand sewn.
2135 x 2033mm