Quilts

Utilitarian quilt with the top made from machine pieced different shaped patches of floral cottons. The backing is machine pieced patches of navy blue and grey serge, some darned, probably from men's/boy's pants. The padding is not visible but is very lumpy and very thick making the quilt very heavy.
1460 x 1300mm
Cot quilt. Single piece of floral cotton material top and back (cream background with coloured flowers). The padding is a single layer, twill weave, heavy bag, probably jute. The layers are fixed with a different coloured button in each corner. Machine quilting across the centre
1320 x 1140mm
Traditional Aboriginal fur cloak called a 'Buka' or 'Boka', made with three pieces of pelt. Fastened at the front with a piece of fur inserted into the other side. 1500 from back of neck to hem 1600 measuring around to just below the shoulders
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
Kangaroo skin cloak of seven gores is made from the skins of eight grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). The skins vary in size and shape, the inner five are roughly triangular. The extra skin has been used to make a collar.The two skins on the edge of the cloak are roughly rectangular. The cloak edges are untrimmed. The skins are sewn together by means of a small hem which was turned back on to the fur, so stitches went through two layers of skin on each gore. The skins have been sewn together with thread, the older thread is natural coloured linen, then the resewn areas have been stitched with black thread. The skins are a creamy yellow in colour. Longest part: 750mm approx. [From S. Meagher MA Thesis 1973 'A Reconstruction of the Traditional Life of the Aborigines in the SW of Western Australia']
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
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
"A double bedspread composed of Suffolk puffs of fine white cotton, each puff measuring 50mm in diameter. The puffs are hand stitched together, with crochet worked in the spaces in between. A deep frill of white cotton has been added to three sides of the quilt. Two matching pillow shams have been made from 30mm puffs; each sham is edged with a generous bias cut cotton frill on all four sides." [PHM]
2770 x 2560mm
Wholecloth quilt with both sides made from heavy, woven, striped cotton in brown and fawn, blue grey and orange. The filling is a grey blanket.
1271 x 1067mm
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
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
Patchwork quilt (one of a pair) made from hexagons in cottons, rayon, and taffeta, to fit a single bed. The quilt has a pleated ruffle or flounce of pale green fabric. Patchwork machine sewn onto backing, flounce sewn by machine.
Double bed size quilt, which the owner calls 'Devon Puffs', with main pattern in centre. 2100 x 1800mm.
Cotton material, pink one side and orange the other. Hand quilting is in a geometric pattern in parallel lines. Padding is raw cotton. 2000 x 1460 mm
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 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 in silks and cottons, handsewn from very small fabric pieces, has 2 pieced repeat pattern blocks. The quilt centre groups 9 blocks made of squares. Surrounding them are pieced blocks featuring a star. The strips in between all blocks are made from 2 rows of squares with a diamond pattern making a lattice effect. The first border has hexagons with appliqued and embroidered cats. The second border of cream cotton has harnessed horses embroidered and appliqued. Binding is of green cotton. No padding. Backed with red cotton paisley print. Signed and dated: 'Mrs E. Keen, Junction Hotel, Fyansford, 1879'.
2660 x 2330mm
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.
"A wagga quilt machine-pieced from old woollen suiting fabrics; some hand stitching is visible along a few of the joins. The quilt has 3 layers: the top layer has a rectangular centre composed of randomly-pieced woollen patches in grey tonings with a border composed of irregular navy rectangles; the lining is made from corn bags, and the backing is a striped cotton fabric. The three layers are machined together at the edges, thus holding the filling in place. There is no quilting."
1660 x 1610mm

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