Quilt No.89DS - Dorothy Stevens

Dorothy Stevens
Owner: 
Dorothy Stevens
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Emmiline Marsland
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLD
Date: 
1940 - 1970
Description: 
Utilitarian quilt made for a child's bed. Padding is hand and machine knitted pieces of clothing. Top and backing is wholecloth of the same cotton fabric. Machine quilted in a simple pattern.
1728 x 864mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Emmiline Marsland in 1964 in Brisbane for Andrew, the 4 year old son of Dorothy Stevens,the present owner. "I have used it now and then as a floor rug for visiting babies and as an underlay on a camp stretcher."
[Dorothy Stevens 18.3.96]

Story: 

Emmeline was a steward at the ECCA (RASQ Show) before moving to Roma to care for 2 motherless children. She remained unmarried but adored children, stitching children's clothes for the various adopted families over a 30 year period.
"Emmiline Marsland was my very dear friend. I boarded with her when teaching in Roma in 1952-53. She was born 30th July 1901 and died 18 December 1986. A dressmaker by trade , she was skilled in many crafts, fine embroidery to woodwork and had a great love for children. I remember sleeping under the green quilt in Roma and it was probably used for packing precious furniture when moving form Roma to Maryborough to Brisbane."
[Dorothy Stevens 18.3.1996]

Emmiline Marsland
Emmiline Marsland
Andrew Stevens
Andrew Stevens

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.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Cot quilt of mixed textiles and techniques. Made in sections and stitched together possibly with some padding. It features embroidered and appliqued animals (cats, donkey, elephant, squirrel, birds, kangaroo, emu) and nursery rhyme characters. Materials are cotton, silk, wool, imitation fur. There is a black velvet patch with a cross stitch parrot and embroidered date and initials 'May 1925 AE'. The backing is woven self patterned curtain material. There is a ruffle around the edge in the same material.
1400 x 930mm
Christine Taylor
Autograph quilt consisting of 372 x 100mm calico squares with signatures worked in green thread. There is a scalloped border. The backing is green paisley flannelette and the padding is an old twill sheet.
2200 x 1840mm
Ann Kyranis
Traditional Greek quilt. The top is a piece of deep red and gold brocade (in Greek a 'stoffa'). The border and the backing are made from gold brocade woven with a daisy pattern. It is hand quilted in parallel lines.
2150 x 1720mm
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Unfinished small quilt top of pale blue linen with squares of embroidery and silk patches appliqued and embroidered. The centre has embroidered coat of arms of the Baillie (or Bayley)family. Embroidered motifs are flowers, domestic items, anchor, butterfly, fan, basket, gardening implements. Total of 99 patches in silk, linen and cotton.
873 x 845mm