Quilt No.1116YG - Yiota Grigorakis

Yiota Grigorakis
Owner: 
Yiota Grigorakis
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown
Made in
GREECE
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Wholecloth quilt. Top is gold sateen and the backing is gold cotton. Hand quilted in an overall large shell pattern within a border of three parallel lines spaced at 1000, 800, 700mms respectively. The padding is cotton wadding. 2000 x 1800mm
History: 

The quilt was made in the village of Smerna or in nearby Pirgos, on the western side of the Peloponnesus by an unknown maker. It was made for Giorgia Nikolakopoulou as part of her dowry. The quilt is now owned by her daughter Yiota Grigorakis. It is not used.

Story: 

"Yiota's Paploma. Yiota's beautiful paploma (quilt) made in 1932, was handed down to her from her mother. It was part of Georgia's prika, the dowry which every Greek girl has when she marries. Georgia's mother, Vasiliki Pantazopoulou would have ordered the paploma to be made by someone in their village of Smerna, or in nearby Pirgos, on the western side of the Peloponnesus, Greece's southern mainland.
Yiota was born in 1952, the third child after Vasiliki and Costa. Her parents, Grigori and Georgia Nikolakopoulou owned fields, horafiaa, and grew their own grapes, sultanas, citrus fruit, cotton and staple olives. But, the post- war decades in Greece were very difficult economically, and many families moved to Athens to try to find work. So, at the age of twelve, Yiota joined various members of her family in Athens, where she worked until migrating to Australia in 1970.
After working in Botany for two years, Yiota married Kyriako Grigorakis who, for forty years, ran his own fitter-and-turner business. They have two daughters, Aristea and Georgia.
Iota speaks with gratitude about the life they have made in Australia. Her house, with its vine covered veranda and palm trees, is a reminder of what she left behind, as is her paploma, which is still in excellent condition."
[Written by Lula Saunders, adapted from interview 15.2.02 for the National Quilt Register.]

Yiota with her quilt
Yiota with her quilt
Yiota in front of her house 2002
Yiota in front of her house 2002

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
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.
John Tomkin
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.
Stavroula Ioannou
Rose pink satin wholecloth quilt with lighter pink cotton backing. Hand quilting forms large diamond pattern in the centre with a border of parallel lines.
2000 x 1800mm
Alexandra Magloveris
Wholecloth quilt in satin, crimson one side and yellow on the other. Hand quilted in an all over pattern. The padding is wool.
2300 x 1700mm
Muriel Hartmann
Domestic Wagga made from sugar bags joined together and covered with army blankets. Machine construction. Patching evident. Sugar miller's brand visible on one bag: " M--AQUIN, 70lbs, --- SUGAR, BUNDABERG"
1753 X 1347mm
 Hilary Williams
Wholecloth quilt of fine cream homespun embroidered with stranded cotton in 2 shades, brown and buff, with gold highlights. It is a cross stitch floral pattern which was stamped on the homespun. The self coloured quilting is mostly in straight lines with a fern design border. The quilt has a bound edge.
2460 x 1670mm