Pieced Random Quilts

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Machine constructed log cabin quilt using a wide variety of strips of used clothing including cottons, men's suitings and wools. Each square is about 250mm and arranged in the 'light and dark of the fire' variation of log cabin. There is no padding. The backing is brown twill with an orange pattern and is probably a replacement backing.
2180 x 1710mm
Jeanette McGeoch
Crazy patchwork quilt made from pieces of silk, velvet, silk ribbon and brocade in a variety of patterns and plains, in a range of colours. All patches are edged with embroidery, in blanket, feather, herringbone and other stitch variations. Many patches are embroidered with flowers, butterflies, leaves and initials of family members, and there is some beading. 1901 is embroidered in one corner. Quilt has a wide border of gold velvet. Patches are stitched to a base fabric. Backing is dark green sateen.
1470 x 1060mm
National Gallery of Australia
"The quilt consists of 12 blocks of crazy patchwork with an embroidered border. The quilt is made of 167 different fabrics; most of these are silk. These velvets, printed silks and satins are beautifully embroidered with flowers, household items and Kate Greenway images of children at play. Many of the motifs have a strong influence from the Aesthetic Movement. The edge of the quilt carries a border in maroon silk decorated with tendrils and daisies in very fine embroidery.
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm
Gloria Martin
Double sided quilt machine made from clothing scraps. Shapes are mainly rectangles in corduroy and wool blend. The padding is an old grey blanket.
1524 x 1372mm
National Trust of Australia (VIC))
Patchwork quilt, log cabin pattern. Made of strips of dark and light material arranged to produce strongly contrasting bands running diagonally across the quilt. Colours are mainly pinks and blues in small floral and paisley cotton prints. There is no padding.
1310 x 1140mm
National Trust of Australia (SA)
Randomly patched quilt in many different colours and fabrics. There are appliquéd shapes over many pieces including Suffolk Puffs, hearts, hexagons and other shapes. There is an embroidered inscription "A11 to S11 1829" which is thought to mean AN to SN 1829. There is no padding and the backing is white cotton.
2000 x 2200mm
Eileen Dinning
Double sided silk quilt. One side is paisley designs and the reverse plain silk . Machine pieced. There is a thin padding possibly sheeting.
2694 x 2287mm
Diana Garder
Grey woollen army blanket backing with multi-coloured pieces sewn in a random way; includes pieces of jumpers, socks, rugs with crochet flowers added etc. Quilt is a rectangular shape, the colours are mainly blues, pinks and maroon. Bottom third of quilt and part of one side are made from a striped rug, the remaining two-thirds are made from pieces of recycled clothing and decorated with crocheted flowers.
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt pieced in silks and velvets in Log Cabin pattern, the blocks set side by side. There is a dark blue cotton velvet binding. The backing is machine quilted dark blue cotton, the machine quilting in diagonal and straight lines.
2080 x 1090mm
Annette Gero
Hand pieced and embroidered crazy quilt in silks, satins, velvets and ribbons. It is signed 'L.Dawdrey, Melbourne' and dated 1889. The embroidered motifs include, a spray of wattle worked in wool, two naval badges, a kettle, fans, beetles, a shamrock, roses, hearts.There is also one log cabin block.
1900 x 1700mm
Annette Gero
Log Cabin quilt in silk, velvet, satins, ribbons, hand pieced and tied. 238 blocks and 6000 strips of material. There is a ruffle all around that is possibly a later addition.
1720 x 1520mm
Annette Gero
"This crazy quilt is unusual in that it contains diamond shaped blocks. It is signed 'L.A.D. 1883' in the centre and contains a myriad of Victorian images. There are several embroideries of children copied from Kate Greenway's children's book 'Under the Window' (1878). There are also butterflies, Japanese fans, some of which are hand painted, elaborately embroidered flowers, a tea cup, spiderwebs, and a dragonfly. The quilt may have been made as a present as it contains a horse shoe, a symbol of good luck." [Annette Gero] The materials used in the quilt include silks, satins, brocade, grosgrain ribbons and it is hand pieced and embroidered and appliqued.
1600 x 1190mm
Powerhouse Museum
"Crazy patchwork principally pieced from cotton, silk, velvet, damask, brocade and felt with a printed cotton back. The edges of the pieces have been embroidered with a range of stitches including herringbone, feather and blanket stitches. The quilt is edged with red cotton with a machine made lace flounce all around."
The backing is a "cotton patchwork print with an asymmetrical design of playing cards, paisley, checks and geometric patterns in green, red and blue on a white background." [PHM]
The quilt is padded with a wool and cotton blanket.
2275 x 1935mm
Annette Gero
Domestic Wagga made from wheat bags sewn together and covered with large pieces of material.
1400 x 1230mm
Annette Gero
Log cabin quilt made from wool pieces including some from army uniforms from World War 2. It is hand pieced and tied but not quilted. The padding is an army blanket.
2800 x 2400mm
Annette Gero
Hand pieced silk log cabin quilt. "The centre of this log cabin contains three ribbons, each with a crown, Queen Victoria and the date 1887. The four surrounding blocks contain the rose, the shamrock, the thistle and the leek, representing England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales." [Annette Gero]
2250 x 1680mm
Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Quilt of 50mm hexagons in random pattern. Hexagons are made from scraps of old materials with many variations of colours and patterns. One red print hexagon has "J.P." on it. The padding is an old eiderdown and the backing is calico.
1660 x 1220mm
 Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Cotton crazy patchwork quilt. Plain and printed fabrics including tartans. Fringe of gold knitting wool. Machine zig zag stitching over seams. Backing is grey wool.
1449 x 1449mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Crazy patchwork quilt in velvets with cotton backing. "Possibly the maker intended to have a final backing layer." [Q.W.H.A.] Herringbone stitch in a silk thread is embroidered over the joins of the velvet pieces.
1372 x 864mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork crazy quilt in silks, cotton and velvet has an appliquéd golden brown velvet star with black points in the centre. All seams have embroidery, mainly herringbone or feather stitch. The outer border is a light tan velvet. Quilt has a variety of appliquéd and embroidered motifs, including horseshoes, tennis rackets, kettle, cross tombstone, butterflies, hearts and an emu. Backing unknown. Handsewn.
2025 x 2680mm

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