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:

Beryl Warne
The quilt's construction is cotton patches about 170mm square joined in strips and then the strips joined. The border and backing are pale lemon coloured cotton lawn. The padding is an old woollen blanket. There is ric-rac braid around the border of the top.
2180 x 1420mm
National Trust of Australia (QLD)
Crazy patchwork quilt with mainly patterned pieces in a wide variety of designs and colours. Backing is wholecloth patterned cotton. The quilt is edged with a checked bias binding. Machine construction.
2299 x 1449mm
Mrs. L. M. Chick
Hexagon quilt made by hand from a wide variety of cotton materials. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2286 x 915mm
Wendy McPhail
Repeat block in Ohio star pattern. Wide border of triangles, pieced blocks and stripes. Stars are in greens, pinks, mauves (all now very faded) and white. Wreath quilting in squares with smaller wreath quilting in triangles. There is padding and the backing is a poly/cotton sheet. 2500 x 2450mm
National Gallery of Australia
"A medallion or framed quilt in design. There is a central field of small patchwork diamonds, and from this radiates plain stripes of fabric bordering areas of patchwork panels. The edge of the quilt carries bands of red cotton, which are slightly larger at the top and bottom edges, and here the band is additionally decorated with appliqué diamonds. The fabric of the patchwork is cotton in fine plain weave of pale coloured florals and small geometric designs. The framing and border stripes are of bright red twill weave cotton. The small diamonds of the central field are hand sewn, with more use of machine stitching around the outer edge of the quilt.
The quilt is not padded. The patchwork is fully lined with a printed plain weave cotton fabric with a design commemorating Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The design is based on a repeated grid of circles. In the centre of each circle is a cameo of Queen Victoria, surrounded by images of the national flowers of England, Scotland and Ireland: the rose, the thistle and the shamrock. The edge of the front face of the quilt is trimmed with a red and white cotton braid." [NGA] 2380 x 2220mm
Catherine Ringwood
The top of this quilt is 6 x 5 alternating squares and rectangles of check woollen material in 12 or more colour ways. Herringbone stitch in yellow stranded cotton is worked along each join and border.The border is plain grey wool. There is no padding and the backing is light blue crepe.
1118 x 814mm