Quilts

Patchwork quilt made from rectangles and squares of wool fabric, sewn into strips and then sewn together. Both sides are pieced using family clothing, cut up and reused.
1449 x 1017mm
National Trust of Australia (SA)
Patchwork frame quilt in various cotton print fabrics, main colours are red, grey, pink, blue, light brown. Centre panel (104cm x 99cm) made of stars constructed from diamond shapes, in a grey stripe frame (2cm). Wide border (25cm) of hexagon 'flowers' with a grey stripe frame (3 1/2cm), then a border (17cm) of randomly placed diamond patches with a frame of grey stripe fabric. Two sides have a border of pastel stars with bright colour diamonds in between, then a narrow frame of red and grey stripe fabric. Quilt has a border of triangle squares. No padding. Cotton backing.
2810 x 2340mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Fine linen wholecloth quilt with all over cord quilting using back stitch and running stitch. The quilting is an elaborate pattern of flowers and leaves. It is a cradle or cot quilt. There is a cotton backing.
1030 x 840mm
Crazy patchwork quilt constructed from a wide range of floral, check and plain materials, mainly cottons. The backing is white cotton whole cloth.
2280 x 1380mm
Wagga, made from 2 jute bags split and hand-bound along the seams.
1870 x 1130mm
Helen Sparkman
Suffolk Puff quilt in a wide variety of cotton materials patterned and plain. There is no backing.
11900 x 1350mm
Patchwork quilt made from darned cardigan sleeves in green, grey, cream and black [wool] stitched to a top layer with a blue wool running stitch. No padding. Backing is a green and cream bedspread.
"The quilt is made entirely from over 7300 hexagons cut from scrap materials, and is hand stitched throughout using the 'English' method of quilting. Scraps of plain unbleached calico were used for the background with the pattern pieces cut from plain and floral fabrics in shades of blue. The design is medallion style, with a large central diamond surrounded by two concentric diamond borders beyond which are scattered different sized hexagonal rosettes, all made from hexagon patches in the same size. The pattern patches were cut from the offcuts of dresses and dressing gowns made at a friend's factory and from another friend's dress material scraps." [PHM] There is no padding. The backing is 'Actil' unbleached sheeting dyed pale blue and attached with a blind stitch to the quilt top. A central rosette set within a large diamond of hexagons decorates the back and is stitched through to hold the 2 layers together.
2720 x 1880mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Hand appliqued and quilted white cotton quilt with Hawaiian type design in pink. There is a scalloped border also in pink and the backing is fine pink cotton. The padding is 'Mountain Mist'.
2300 x 1600mm
"This is a hard quilt to date. Quilting design has been (I would say) pre stamped. Heavily quilted. Some applique stars - I think polished cotton. Seersucker backing, quilting not quilted on back (seersucker). Padding is some kind of cotton perhaps cotton wool that has disintegrated to the corners. This quilt has been well made but a little bit worse for wear now." [Lyn Cross]
1500 x 1200 mm.
Quilt in crazy patchwork, in velvet, silk and cotton, decorated on seams and patches with embroidery. Padded with flannelette, and backed with damask. Quilt has an olive green frill around the edge.
190 x 1500mm
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
Patchwork quilt top in Tumbling Block or Robbing Peter to pay Paul pattern, in printed cottons. No lining or backing.
2690 x 2640mm
Quilt, machine construction using rectangles of mainly woollen materials with some corduroy and mohair. Initially 14 rows and then 2 rows added for extra warmth. 25mm bias cut yellow poplin binding. The padding is an old army blanket and the backing is printed cotton.
1500 x 1093mm
Wholecloth quilt made from dusty pink brocade with an all-over large leaf pattern. It is all hand stitched with quilting of parallel lines forming the border. Both sides are the same material. The padding is cotton wool.
2060 x 1770mm
Joyce Lloyd
Hand pieced quilt of mainly cotton hexagons with 7 forming a 'flower' in a pattern often called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. The backing is glazed chintz and the padding is American polyester.
3000 x 1430mm
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
"Welsh wholecloth quilt - red on top and cream on back. Combination of traditional Welsh patterns including circles and diamonds. Quite large quilting stitches (due to thickness of quilt I think). Top (red cotton) just about worn away, and was cut in half by my grandfather in the 1950s to make it fit 2 single beds." [Anita Phillips]
The padding includes pieces of wool suiting, jumpers and a piece of mohair and the backing is cream cotton.
Each piece measures approx. 2000mm x 1000mm.
Josie Pappalardo
Wholecloth quilt of cotton sateen. Pink one side and red the other. Elaborate all over quilting pattern with the quilting thread tightly twisted thickish cotton and quilted at 3 stitches to the inch. A piece of the quilt has been cut off at some stage. The padding is kapok.
2337 x 1499mm

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