Typically Australian Quilts

Dorothy Stevens
Utilitarian quilt made for a child's bed. Padding is hand and machine knitted pieces of clothing. Top and backing is wholecloth of the same cotton fabric. Machine quilted in a simple pattern.
1728 x 864mm
Australian War Memorial
"Quilt made up of 66 embroidered squares, each 'signed' in embroidery with the maker(s) name. All the squares are edged with turkey red chain-stitch. The squares are bounded by a broad white cotton border, and the same material has been used as a backing. The back of the quilt has red embroidery stating 'Presented by the women of Changi internment camp 1942 to the wounded Australian soldiers with our sympathy for their suffering. It is our wish that on the cessation of hostilities that this quilt be presented to the Australian Red Cross Society. It is advisable to dry clean this quilt." [Australian War Memorial]
2000 x 1300mm
Patchwork rug made from tailors' samples, each sample 340 x 200mm. Each piece is edged in green wool blanket stitch, and then each piece is crocheted together using the same green wool. No padding or backing.
2130 x 1280mm
"This unusual quilt is comprised of bands of horticultural show ribbons machined onto a blue lining. The ribbons are royal blue in colour and printed in gold/bronze with two inscriptions.
KYOGLE P.A & H SOCIETY and TWEED RIVER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
The quilt has been formed so the two inscriptions alternate down the face of the quilt. The ribbons appear to be of rayon. White cotton machine thread was used in the construction. Accompanying the quilt is a carry bag; a rectangular bag made of the same show ribbons as the quilt with a single drawstring at the top." [NGA] The quilt is not padded. 1833 x 1410mm
Mary-O Roberts
This domestic Wagga is made from an opened out jute wool bale as the padding with a woollen blanket as the backing. The top was originally curtains (brown cotton printed with daisies and dull yellow tulips) and the material has been folded over to the back for 60mm and stitched with 'Barbour's Linen Wax Thread' using running stitches about 50mm long. The whole domestic Wagga is then stitched in a large square grid.
1980 x 1730mm
National Trust of Australia (SA)
Patchwork quilt of hexagons in silks and velvet, the velvet in plain colours, the silk in plains, stripes, checks and brocades. Centre is made from red brocade hexagons with black silk patches embroided with a variety of flowers and leaves. Stitched to a red velvet border, then top and bottom have Australian motif of crossed wattle branches embroidered in bobble stitch, and on the sides embroidered red flowers. The rest of the quilt is made of hexagons, the edge stitched to a brown silk border, then a border of triangles and a striped edging. Surface embroidery. Crepe backing. Some newspaper templates remain.
2260 x 1720mm
Quilt made from suitings and cloth patchwork, hand stitched with blanket insert and pieces of knitting from garments.
1900 x 1190mm
Marcella quilt filled with old blanket. Large diagonal quilting stitches. Running Stitch group suggests it is possibly a wagga filler which would have been covered with a cretonne sleeve.
1880 x 1180mm
Helen Sparkman
Patchwork quilt. An old sheet was used as the base for the quilt then garments no longer suitable for wearing were stitched to the sheet. Then pieces of old tablecloths, curtains and dressmaking scraps were used to make the quilt top and back. Hand stitched and quilted with long stitches. It is a heavy quilt.
1600 x 1120mm
Utilitarian wholecloth quilt made from red flecked furnishing material. The padding is army blankets. It is machine sewn and quilted.
2100 x 2100mm
Machine pieced patchwork top of Tailor's samples with a backing of patches of furnishing materials. There is no padding.
1930 x 1530mm
Wholecloth utilitarian quilt with velour type material top and cottage weave curtain material on the back. The padding is a 'bush blanket'. The quilt has been tufted with green wool. Machine sewn.
1626 x 1093mm
Domestic Wagga, floral patterned rayon cover with jute lining.
2000 x 1000mm
The top of this quilt is made from men's suiting samples and the backing is cream cotton. It is machine stitched. There is no padding and no quilting.
2160 x 1550mm
Wholecloth quilt of white linen with signatures embroidered in satin and stem stitch. Approximately 400 signatures as well as the names of district servicemen are arranged in flower shapes and geometric grids. Embroidered title on the quilt reads: 'Rylstone Autograph Quilt. For our Australian wounded, Dardanelles, 1915.' There is no backing.
2580 x 1730mm
Wholecloth quilt of red and green striped cotton cretonne. Top and backing are the same material. The padding is old blankets. It is machine stitched. 1580 x 1130mm
Ladies samples coverlet. Machine stitching. Multicoloured patching on the back.
1730 x 1220mm
Patricia Galbraith
Fur fabric quilt made from scraps cut into squares and put together randomly. Colous are black, several greys, browns and some blacks and dark greys are astrakhan. There is no padding and the backing is a grey cotton bush blanket. The quilt is tied with buttons and wool.
1753 x 1251mm
The Wilmington Wagga' 1934. Wool and cotton. Hand and machine pieced. Machine quilted. The wagga is made of parts of several worn coats, carefully pieced together so that the linings are visible in places. One coat sleeve has a fur fabric trim and worn areas are patched.
1600 x 1200mm
Quilt made of squares of calico joined together. These have embroidered signatures of army personnel and names of battles zones, from World War I. It is lined with muslin.
2000 x 1500mm

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