Quilt No.786CN - Charlotte Nattey

Charlotte Nattey
Owner: 
Charlotte Nattey
Location: 
ACT
Maker
Maker: 
Mildred Millington
Made in
ENGLAND London
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton quilt of pieced hexagons and some diamonds made for a baby's basket. Colours are mainly blue and pink and two 'Punch and Judy's' are appliqued in the centre. There is no padding and the backing is a cotton floral in blues and greens.
760 x 660mm
History: 

The quilt was made in London by Miss Mildred Millington in 1966 for the birth of the first child of her niece Charlotte Nattey who still owns it. It is stored for the next generation.

Story: 

" To tell you of the quilt is to tell you of the person.
My aunt joined the ATS in 1938. She felt war was inevitable and wanted to do something practical. She became an officer in charge of an 'Ack Ack' battery that fired the first shots in the defence of London. In 1944 she was one of a very small detachment of women (all part of the 'Ack Ack') who were stationed in Belgium with the aim of shooting down V1 and V2 bombers. I believe these were the only women on active duty for the allies in Europe.
After the war ended she remained in the army - now the WRAC rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1956.
She then held a position with the army benevolent fund. This quilt went with her to 'keep her busy' on many postings.
Finally I should tell you that although right handed she had an accident when she was about 10 and had to always use her left hand. She also had poor eyesight due to childhood cataracts so the fact that she always knitted and did tapestries and quilts was quite remarkable."
[Charlotte Nattey 6.4.97]

Mildred Millington
Mildred Millington

Related Quilts:

Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt of pieced repeat blocks in cotton in white, blue, green, orange and red prints, plains and checks. Blocks are set between green sashes with white corner blocks. The pattern is 'Saw Tooth Star' or 'Jacob's Ladder' variation. Backing is of cotton, padding of cotton. Hand sewn and hand quilted.
2058 x 1296mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Hexagon quilt in dress and shirting cottons constructed in frame style with a centre rosette of 7 patches surrounded by 4 borders of patterned hexagons alternating with cream patches. The quilt has an inner border of triangles then rows of rosettes alternating with cream patches. The outer border is triangles. There is no padding. The backing is cream linen and has had a 20th century white cotton sateen slipstitched to it.
2045 x 1940mm
Julie Pearce
Rectangular quilt of print and plain cottons pieced in squares and rectangles, the centre group of pieces surround a larger piece of pale blue fabric, within a frame or border, of bright pink material, then 3 rows of squares and rectangles. Backing of plain fabric. Machine stitched on a treadle machine.
Celia Dolley
Cotton scrap quilt with shapes of diamonds, strip and squares. The quilt has been repaired using machine zig zag in white cotton. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2175 x 1625mm
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
National Musuem of Australia
Patchwork quilt with alternate squares of green and fawn cotton headcloth. Various Australian wild flowers are embroidered in coloured threads in the green squares. In the fawn squares there is a stylised flower and leaf pattern outlined in embroidery. The border, front and back is green headcloth. The backing is printed cotton with a floral design. There is some padding.
1610 x 1610mm