Quilt No.559NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service

N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Owner: 
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Sarah Marshall?
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Frame
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
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
History: 

At this time it is impossible to make a definite attribution to Sarah Marshall but this quilt was almost certainly made by Sarah Marshall and/or one of her daughters, Hannah, Jean or Agnes at Hill End NSW and probably at 'Craigmoor' their family home. The exact date is unknown. It is now part of the 'Craigmoor' collection owned by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and displayed at 'Craigmoor'.

Story: 

James Marshall (1828-1905) from Scotland via the Californian gold rush and Sarah Langslow Adams (1836-1926) born Herefordshire England, were married in 1858 at Hill End. Reef mining in the 1860s brought fame and fortune to this mining settlement, north of Sofala and Bathurst in NSW.
In 1875 James Marshall had 'Craigmoor' built and he and Sarah lived there with their family of 9 children, 2 having died in infancy.
The textile collection at 'Craigmoor', including the quilts, reflects the Marshall women, Sarah and her daughters Hannah (1859-1950), Jean (1867-1948) and Agnes (1871-1950) and gives a glimpse of the daily lives of the women. Needlework, including crochet, in various forms was important and some of the women made their own hats. At least in the later years it appears to have been a thrify household with many quilts made over and patched.
Hannah, a spinster, lived at 'Craigmoor' from the time it was built until her death aged 91. She taught Sunday school in Hill End and was well know locally for her bottling, preserving and jam making. She also made elderberry wine. The 3 sisters were fond of playing the piano.

[Sources: N.S.W National Parks and Wildlife Service brochure on Hill End, Sue Stephens daughter of Charles Marshall, Christine Karlsen, informal conversations with the locals at 'The Royal'. Wendy Hucker for NQR]

Related Quilts:

Margery Creek
Quilt No.404MC - 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
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Queenscliffe Historical Society Inc
Quilt No.178QHS - 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
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Mrs M Batts
Quilt No.667MB - 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
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.564NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided quilt with both sides based on a central frame. One side has centre panel of darks surrounding 4 patch of the same print in different colourways. This is surrounded by borders of rectanglesis small prints, checks and stripes. The outer border is men's suitings. The other side has a centre frame similar to the 'Broken Dushes' pattern surrounded by wide borders in solid colours, paisley and fine checks. There is a dark strip across the top and bottom. It is roughly machine quilted.
1770 x 1380mm
Patchwork, Frame
Old Government House
Quilt No.296OGH - Old Government House
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern made from silks, velvet, cottons and taffetas, in prints and plain, around a centre squares of black velvet. Colours are, in the dark sections, blues, greens, browns, yellow and pinks. The base of the blocks is blue and white ticking. The padding is probably cotton. Backing is of green cotton. There is an attached frill on all sides of green cotton, faded to dull light brown.
1630 x 1350mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random
Gillian Albers
Quilt No.192BC - Gillian Albers
Patchwork quilt made from hexagons in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' design, in blue and aqua cottons, polyester and flannelette. Quilt is backed. No padding or quilting.
2380 x 2320mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon