Quilts

"The quilt is of plain weave white cotton, quilted with white cotton thread. The design is 288 squares following the log cabin design. The lining is a fine white cotton.
The edges of the front face and the lining have been turned, and positioned within this seam is a ruffle. This ruffle is of very fine muslin with 2 rows of pin tucks along the edge. The ruffle runs along all edges of the quilt." [NGA] The quilt is not padded and is lined with white cotton fabric. 2400 x 2140mm
Quilt, Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern, has hexagon flowers with plain centres and floral material for 'petals', and paths of mid to dark blue. Cotton fabric. No padding. Backing is of unbleached calico.
Cotton appliqué quilt in green and pink 'Rose of Sharon' design, against a white background. Finely quilted with feathers between flowers and feathers on the border, with some cross hatching. Padding is cotton, and backing is white cotton. 2250 x 1700 mm.
The quilt is made from dark coloured tailors' samples. There is no padding and the backing is pieced scraps of cotton.
1950 x 1650 mm
Machine made wholecloth quilt in gold satin cotton. "�...perhaps a new cover over the blue japara cotton base. Vaguely oval central medallion with floral tulip pattern in trapunto with ruching. Outside this is another trapunto pattern." [Edith Young]
The backing is gold satin cotton and the padding is quite thick, possibly down. 1720 x 1420 mm.
Machine pieced patchwork top of Tailor's samples with a backing of patches of furnishing materials. There is no padding.
1930 x 1530mm
Cotton quilt in green, red and white paisley print. It is sewn with 4 bands and 2 irregular centre shapes. The reverse side is identical to the top side. The padding is feathers.
1660 x 1400mm
Val Bensen
A scrap quilt constructed in blocks, each block pieced differently and all linked by the same printed cotton. Machine pieced and hand quilted with thread saved from 'feed sacks'. The padding is cotton and the backing is brown checked cotton twill.
2033 x 1677mm
Wholecloth quilt made of two layers, the top in white cotton sheeting and the backing in a heavier white cotton twill. The layers are joined by quilting, handstitched in a chevron pattern using a coarse white cotton thread. The edges of the quilt are bound with strips of white cotton sheeting. Three edges of the quilt have a scalloped sedge with the top edge of the quilt straight.
Pencil marks are still visible, marking out the chevron pattern.
2630mm x 1920mm
"A rectangular patchwork quilt made in the 'tumbling blocks' pattern using dark and lighter patterned silks. In 'tumbling blocks', one light, one medium and one dark toned diamond piece are joined to form a hexagonal shape. The hexagons are pieced with the different tones regularly oriented so that they create a three dimensional illusion of rows of cubes or blocks. The quilt is hand pieced throughout and bordered with a tobacco-coloured glazed chintz. The backing papers have been removed." [PHM]
There is no padding or backing.
3012 x 2002mm
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
Hand sewn frame quilt featuring appliqué. There is a centre square surrounded by two wide borders. The design consists of a large basket in each corner of the square with leaves and buds scattered at random. The 2 borders have flowers and leaves and the outer wide border has a small basket in each side. Colours are pale and strong pinks, blues shading to indigo, browns-beiges and dusty red. The centres of the flowers are all reverse appliqué. There are signs that there has been a backing but it is now one layer. 2700 x 2700 mm.
Julie Bos
All over pattern of cotton rectangles mainly in borders with the outer border grey cotton. There is no padding. The backing is wholecloth of pink and red printed cotton.
1200 x 1290mm
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
Possum skin cloak. The possum skins are sewn together with vegetable fibre or kangaroo sinew. Designs are incised into the skins, some of which are decorated with ochres. 2720 x 2100mm
Quilt of pieced repeat blocks in Art Deco Fan pattern, using 1930s fabrics, prints and solid. Blocks have a muslin background and quilt has a muslin backing. There has been some restoration done by previous owners.
1398 x 1016mm
Norma Gilchrist
Cotton cot quilt in checkerboard pattern. 30 squares each 180mm machined together. Alternate squares have Australian birds fancyworked in stem stitch and chain stitch using 2 threads of coloured stranded cotton. Alternate squares are plain royal blue and there is a royal blue border 120mm wide. The backing is the same royal blue cotton.
1340 x 1070mm
This is an Adelaide Chronicle pattern reprinted in 'The Weekly Times'.
Child's coverlet, made from suiting samples sewn in a patchwork effect.
1000 x 1000mm
Helen Sparkman
Patchwork quilt made of hexagon patches from satin scraps. Hexagons are in solid colours and joined to make rosettes. Hand sewn.
1800 x 1025mm
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.

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