Quilt No.552ST - Sharon Stacy
2338 x1981mm
This quilt was one of 8 made in Ohio by Amanda Graham (1889-1978) during her lifetime. They were put in the care of her daughter-in-law Catherine Graham until 1978 when the 8 quilts were divided amongst the grandchildren. This one was brought to Australia by Amanda Graham's youngest grand-daughter Sharon Graham. Sharon arrived in Australia in 1972, completed her University study at A.N.U. and married 6th generation Australian Thomas Llewellyn Stacy of 'Camelot' Tumut NSW. They have 2 children, Joanna and Marcus and Joanna, the great grand-daughter of Amanda, will inherit this quilt at an appropriate time. It is still used occasionally.
"The maker of the quilt was Amanda Goehring (1889-1978), daughter of German immigrants to Pennsylvania, U.S.A. She and her family were commonly referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch due to the unpopularity of her german descent of the time. She married Stanley P. Graham, a Scot by ancestry and a veterinarian by training at Ohio State University. Stanley was sent to France during the Great War, leaving Amanda with one son. Stanley returned to Amanda after the war with an illness he never recovered from and died eight years later. Amanda raised her only son, Laverne Pershing Graham, through work as a seamstress and minding a dry goods store with her sister in Ohio. Her son married and had four children and followed in his fathers footsteps graduating from Ohio State University as a veterinarian.
Amanda made 2 quilts for each grandchild (a total of 8) over her lifetime. The quilts are her legacy divided between the four children."
[Sharon Stacy, Tumut, 20.10.98]
Related Quilts:
The coverlet is decorated with rows of pieced work surrounding appliquéd and embroidered scenes. A panel down the LHS of the quilt and a smaller panel lower RHS depict animals and floral images. In the centre RHS an elderly couple sit beneath a tree. In the upper left a bride and groom accompanied by three flower girls are showered with petals from a wicker basket carried by a very large angel. Glass beads, sequins and a button have been used to highlight the appliqué and embroidery.
As with all of Mary Jane Hannaford's quilts, the work is stitched by hand and quite crudely, but the naivety of the images is overwhelming with their charm." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1950 x 1690mm
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2000 x 1820mm
1580 x 1200mm