Patchwork Quilts

Charlotte Nattey
Quilt in cottons and linens with the centre frame featuring an eight pointed star surrounded by borders of pieced diamonds, squares, stars and long sashing pieces. The entire quilt has been overstitched in a chevron running stitch 15mm apart. If there is padding it has flattened completely. The backing is heavy twill weave linen.
2020 x 1830mm
Diane Kern Hamilton
Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern constructed from hexagons with sides approx 2cms. Repeats of three concentric circles of hexagons outside a centre yellow hexagon. Each of the first two circles is made from the same fabric and the outer circle is always pale yellow. The 'pathway' is solid green. It is quilted in concentric circles 5mm in on all hexagons. There is a fine padding and the backing is yellow polished cotton. It is known as Great Aunt Elva's quilt.
2480 x 1980mm.
Patchwork quilt consisting of 40 squares, with 8 rectangles along one side. Each square is covered with a random number of diagonal strips sewn one over the other onto a backing. Number of strips varies from 15 to 19. Variety of coloured materials, plain and patterned. Strips are hand sewn on to mainly white backing. Top edge is bound with self patterned pink satin, added at a later date by machine.
2090 x 1400mm
Patchwork quilt with centre frame of 4 pointed starwith radiating borders of pieced squares and rectangles. Materials are cottons and some linen and it is constructed using the English hand piecing method. There is no padding and it is backed with cotton sheeting joined by machine so it is a later addition.
1400 x 1050mm
Crazy quilt with one large panel. Materials include wools, velvets, silks and crepes. Each piece embroidered in herrigbone stitch to the adjoining piece. 25mm blue border chain stitched on, then 75mm border of black wool crepe with a crocheted edge. The padding is an old blanket and the backing is red/brown printed cotton.
1730 x 1040mm
Jenny Loder and Rosemary Hart
Log cabin quilt with logs made from silks (including moire), velvets, brocades and tartan ribbons. Each square is separately backed. There is no padding.
2020 x 1460mm
Patchwork quilt made in Log Cabin blocks from silk velvet and grosgrain. The pattern variation is known as 'straight furrow'. No padding. The backing is made from cream silk with a floral monogram embroidered in satin and stem stitch, featuring the letter 'M'.
1620 x 1620mm
Norma Gilchrist
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
"This is a pieced patchwork quilt comprised of 216 squares. Each square is comprised of 10 diagonal strips that have been joined by being attached to a backing. White cotton plain weave fabric has been used in all the pieces. The quilt is not lined, but the edge is decorated with a fine cotton frill, 15cm deep. The frill carries two 4mm tucks and is edged with 2 cm lace trim. All sewing on the quilt is by machine. The quilt is not padded." [NGA]
2420 x 1690mm
"All handsewn. Quilt in fragile condition. Hexagonal patches in blocks of 19 patches & joined together with diamond and triangle patches. All patches recycled cotton material. The centre patch is one material, the 6 patches around are another material and the surrounding 12 are white sheeting. The diamonds and triangles are pale blue. No padding. Cotton sheeting backing. Patches sewn onto a ? old cotton ? damask weave tablecloth or bedspread. This is woven in strips. The backing sewn on."
[K.D.H.S.1997] 2500 x 2450mm
Quilt top of patches of tailors' samples and men's suiting pieces in dark colours, mainly black and grey. Machine construction. It has a border of rose coloured velveteen and the backing is a single piece of cream patterned flannelette.
Double sided quilt, machine pieced from large rectangles of used clothing in various materials including wools and suitings. The sides are turned in and machined to make a firm edge. It is machine quilted. The padding is 3 old sheets and a blanket.
1370 x 1040mm
The quilt is made from pure silk scraps from Queen Victoria's dresses. The owner estimates there are about 4000 diamond shapes. There is a square of yellow silk as a centrepiece with the initial 'W' on it.
2033 x 1829mm
Hand sewn quilt in red and white cotton and some linen in a nine-patch variation, the pieced squares set edge to edge. The quilt is bound in red cotton, the binding approximately 2 cm deep. It is closely quilted in a wave pattern. The backing is white twill cotton and the padding is thin wool.
2193 x 1960mm
Quilt, hand pieced and quilted and cut in half and made into two curtains. It consists of hexagons in the pattern known as 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' and is in cotton prints and white cotton 'paths'. Some hexagons are joined. The quilt is quilted allover in a variety of patterns in fine close stitching, chevron, single cable, palm leaves, hearts. The backing is cream linen and the padding is wool.
2430 x 1200mm
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern in print and plain [cottons], each patchwork square divided on the diagonal into two colours. When pieced together 4 half blocks form a large square in one colour. The log cabin blocks are sewn onto calico. The quilt is edged with a pleated frill in a pink and blue patterned fabric, and backed with a pink floral cretonne. The padding is blankets.
Ruth Wallace
A hand stitched top in randomly placed diamond shapes in mixed materials, mainly cottons. These are stitched to a flannelette backing. There is herringbone stitching around the border.
1250 x 930mm
Migration Museum
Crazy patchwork quilt of silk and cotton fabrics in velvets and brocades, with surface embroidery and appliqued motifs, and many seams embroidered, in a variety of stitches. Some metal thread embroidery. Centre patch has embroidered initials "F B". Quilt has been constructed from 30cm squares of crazy patwork which have been joined in bands and then stitched together in rows. Quilt has a border 12cm wide of red velvet. Backing (replaced backing) is of deep pink cotton, machine quilted. Hand and machine sewing.
1700 x 1430mm
"This patchwork is pieced from twelve contained panels of Crazy Patchwork. Each panel is formed of rich silks of various weaves and textures couched on to a calico ground, each patch overlaid to create interesting 'artistic' shapes and contrasts. The rug is backed with gold polished cotton and bordered in blue and green cotton to three edges, maroon to the fourth. Embroidery in several colours, but predominantly gold, is used to advantage in the variety of stitches which define the edges of the pieces, and occasionally on the patches themselves."
[Historic Houses Trust ' Sydney Quilt Stories' catalogue]
1880 x 1500mm
Patchwork quilt made of hexagon patches in a variety of materials, including velvets, corduroy, cotton, underwearmaterial. No padding. The backing is made from scraps in squares and rectangles, including voile, cotton and probably old curtain material.
2134 x 1777mm

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