Quilt No.645ME - Margaret Eisenhauer

Owner:
Margaret Eisenhauer
Location:
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker:
Isabella Donaldson ?
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Date:
1901 - 1920
Description:
Wholecloth quilt covered with floral cretonne both sides, deep pink and yellow flowers on cream background. Padding is hessian/jute type bags joined.
One of a pair but the other one is smaller.
1800 x 1325mm
One of a pair but the other one is smaller.
1800 x 1325mm
History:
The quilt was probably made by Isabella Donaldson in Temora NSW or Girgarry Vic after 1908. It then passed to Olive Donaldson and is now owned by Isabella's grand daughter, Margaret Eisenhauer. It is not used.
Story:
Isabella Donaldson lived at Girgarry (Goulburn Valley Vic) and was Margaret Eisenhauer's paternal grandmother. Margaret feels the sewing on the quilt, in part quite rough, indicates the 2 quilts were not made by Olive (Isabella's daughter-in-law, Margaret's mother) who was a beautiful seamstress.
Margaret, born 1925, recalls this quilt was always on her parents' bed.
Related Quilts:
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Machine sewn reversible quilt. Side 1 is rectangles of men's suiting samples in mainly grey, navy and black, stripes and self patterns. Side 2 is men's suiting samples but also includes woollen rectangular pieces in plain blue and deep pink. There is a hand sewn binding of fine orange-brown wool. The padding is hessian and cotton.
1460 x 1100mm
1460 x 1100mm
"The coverlet is of cream cheesecloth, highly decorated with applied figures and pieced fabric bands. The appliqué bands follow the edge of the coverlet for some time and then become circles radiating from the centre. The bands form two framed circular areas that carry appliquéd images. A smaller area lower centre of the cloth depicts birds and insects. In the centre of the work is a bordered oval with two aboriginal figures, an angel, kangaroo, emu and kookaburra, with the words 'Advance Australia Fair' embroidered in black thread. The stitching and construction of the coverlet is quite crude." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1640 x 1550mm
Wholecloth quilt, yellow sateen both sides. Hand quilted, geometric designs; centre square cross hatch, corner spaces filled with diagonal lines, border of 4 lines of parallel quilting. Flock padding visible in holes - said to be wool. 5 cms thick.
2290 x 1950mm
2290 x 1950mm
The padding consists of layers of pieced used clothing including; part of machine knitted child's wool dress (Nancy had this when she was 3 or 4); part of father's cardigan; parts of 'neck to knee' bathers in light green and dark green wool. The padding is all hand pieced and machined around the edge. There have been 2 wholecloth cotton covers to this quilt. It is one of a pair.
1870 x 1020mm
1870 x 1020mm