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:

Val Ireland
Utilitarian quilt. The top and backing are machine pieced scraps of curtain material and clothing pieces. The centre is an old blanket and possibly clothing pieces.
2033 x 1525mm
Margery Creek
Cotton quilt made in the USA. The pattern is called 'Turkey Tracks'. It has a cotton backing and a bottle green binding. The red patches have faded to pink. The quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. Two names are written on tape sewn on the back viz: Cora Phelps and M.Hoover.
2135 x 1727mm
Narelle Grieve
Folded log cabin, foundation pieced. Machine constructed. Materials are cotton, wool, rayon, flannelette, silk and twill. There is no padding and the backing is cretonne. 2700 x 2100 mm
Queenscliffe Historical Society Inc
Patchwork quilt made of 1 inch hand paper pieced hexagonal patches (English technique), with plain and floral patterned blue fabrics in clusters at regular intervals throughout the taupe coloured patches. Centre of quilt has a cluster or 'flower' of 4 rings of patches, the centre group embroidered in blue satin stitch: 'MW 1938'. Border consists of 3 rows of medium, light and dark blue hexagons. No padding. Backing is of blue cotton sateen.
2185 x 1372mm
Mrs M Batts
This quilt is allover crazy patchwork not done in squares. Many pieces are awkward shapes. In the centre is a 150 x 150mm square of squares each 25mm repeating some of the materials in the quilt. Most of the materials are velvets, satins and silks. There is a border of red and green patterned wool and all seams are feather stitched in a thick gold thread. The padding is thought to be flannelette and the backing is polished cotton in faded red and green.
2560 x 2160mm
Shirley Maywald
Patchwork crazy quilt in velvets and silks, no pieces over 4" long. Colours are black, maroon, pinks, blues and pastels, and all seams embroidered with coloured silks in herringbone stitch. Backing is green, there is no padding. Quilt is bound with black velvet 1/2" wide. A patch near the centre is embroidered: '1909' and '1948'.
940 x 915mm