Quilt No.650NG - Norma Gilchrist

Norma Gilchrist
Owner: 
Norma Gilchrist
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Norma Gilchrist
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton quilt made entirely of hexagons joined to form 'flowers'. Flowers are not formed into a pattern. All hexagons are hand stitched including on to the blue headcloth border which is then machined on to the same backing material. The quilt is made from dressmaking scraps, mainly offcuts from the children's clothes including from pyjamas, dresses and uniforms. It is not quilted.
2180 x 1710mm
History: 

This is the third hexagon 'flower' quilt made by Norma Gilchrist in the Temora district of NSW. This one was made in the 1960s. It has always been used on beds at the family farm 'Spring Valley' and is still used now.

Story: 

Norma was married in 1953 and she and her husband then took over the running of the farm 'Spring Valley' and her parents retired to Temora to live. Norma and her husband had a family of 4, 3 boys and a girl. Life was very busy on the farm, shearing, milking cows, rearing lambs, calves etc as well as cropping but Norma still retained her interests in sewing, gardening and painting, all of which she continues to do.

Norma at 'Spring Valley' 1960s
Norma at 'Spring Valley' 1960s

Related Quilts:

Fiona Gavens
Hexagon quilt constructed over papers; all seams oversewn with featherstitch embroidery. Materials are vyella and clydella scraps from childhood dresses of the maker's first four children, augmented with scraps from a dressmaker and a book of samples. There is no padding; backing is plain, pale blue, brushed cotton.
2200 x 1720 mm.
Phyllis Dowling
Hand pieced cot quilt made from small rectangular shapes of a great variety of materials including cottons, silks, wools and velvets. The backing is cotton sateen in 3 colours and is brought to the front to form a border of pink, cream and yellow.
1170 x 920mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Hand sewn quilt (possibly child's or table top) of crazy patchwork in silk, silk ribbon and cotton velvet. The top has surface decoration of embroidery on all seams, feather stitch and blanket stitch variations. Many of the crazy patches are also embroidered. The centre patch has a rooster embroidered in lame thread. Embroidered motifs are hearts, butterflies, guitar, cow, Little Red Riding Hood, horseshoes, crown, clover leaf. Stitches are feather, stem, satin and blanket. Embroidered initials are 'B', 'R', and 'S'. The backing is dark grey silk.
840 x 840mm
Gillian Sullivan
Quilt made of 9120 very small Suffolk Puffs, each one about the size of a 20 cent piece. "Each piece backed and the front of it drawn up like a reticule. It was not backed and was rather fragile, so I backed it on to a sheet, as it was heavy and in danger of tearing when lifted." [Gillian Sullivan]
2360 x 2230 mm
Ruth Hansen
Cotton patchwork quilt in an all over pattern of diamonds in a wide variety of patterned and plain materials. Many seams are oversewn in feather stitch which goes through to the backing of calico.
1625 x 925mm
The Pyramid Hill Historical Society Inc.
This unfinished cover has a centre frame of a simple block. There are alternating plain and patterned borders including sword tooth, flying geese and squares on point. It is hand pieced with plain and twill weave cottons, variety of stripes, checks, florals and plains. There is no backing.
1800 x 1800mm