Quilts

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
The top is mainly squares of flannel machined together with patches of dress materials stitched randomly on top. There is no padding and the backing is calico. The top and backing are held together by a binding only. It is one of a pair.
2010 x 1680mm
Utilitarian wholecloth quilt made from red flecked furnishing material. The padding is army blankets. It is machine sewn and quilted.
2100 x 2100mm
Patterned cover for a 'night and day' type bed or lounge. White background with a pattern of swirling stripes, squares and leaf motifs in orange, pale blue, pale green and fawn.There is a deep ruffle on 2 sides. The backing is cotton.
2400 x 2000mm
" This quilt is in the Suffolk puff tradition. The quilt consists of 1,518 white plain weave 'puffs'. Unlike some quilts where the puffs have been made from blue bags, here they are from circles of fabric with the edge turned with a gather stitch, which has been pulled and secured. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. The edge of the quilt is decorated with a 35cm band of crochet; producing a net with scalloped edge. The crochet is executed in a thick cotton thread." [NGA] There is no padding or lining. 3230 x 2120mm
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
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
Machine sewn quilt made from 125mm squares of scraps left over from dressmaking joined in strips and then the strips joined. There is a border of fawn cotton and the backing is the same material. The padding is an old blanket and the border is padded with sheep's wool.
1400 x 925mm
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
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Cotton quilt of hexagonal pieces joined to form rosettes or 'flowers' in a pattern often called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. Hand pieced. Colours are mainly pink, brown, amethyst and cream. There is no padding and the backing has been added recently.
2140 x 1550mm
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.
Quilt of pieced printed cottons in the 'Le Moyne Star' pattern with the blocks set on point with sashing in a turkey red cotton print. Patchwork prints for the diamond shapes include spots, small prints, plaids, florals. The backing is another turkey red print and it is folded over to the front to form a border. The padding is cotton. The quilting outlines patches with some additional diagonal lines.
2595 x 2565mm
"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
Patchwork quilt made of fine pieces of silk from ballgowns and cut into small triangular pieces, sewn together to form a pinwheel pattern. Quilt has a wide border with a quilted feather motif and is edged with red silk.
No padding, backing is of cotton.
2500 x 2500mm
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.
Patchwork quilt made of hexagonal patches of variously patterned cottion chintz. The fabrics are printed with floral, geometric and striped designs in brown, blue, pink and cream stitched together by hand in no fixed pattern. There is a cream cotton backing.
1940 x 1410mm
Rug made from rabbit skins of a uniform grey-brown colour. The rug is pieced by joining 6 rows of 9 skins each with the rows going across the width of the rug. The backing of dark maroon wool extends beyond the fur and has a scalloped edge. 1700 x 1390mm
Log cabin quilt with 90mm squares in cotton materials, white (or cream), faded blacks, dark blues, reds and browns. All the strips are very narrow. No actual padding as such but the quilt is fairly thick because with such narrow strips, there is so much seam allownace. The backing is a light calico.
1715 x 1575mm
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

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