Quilt No.694YR - Yvonne Renfree

Yvonne Renfree
Owner: 
Yvonne Renfree
Location: 
VIC Gippsland
Maker
Maker: 
Mary Studholme ?
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
One side of this wholcloth quilt is a single piece of cretonne or similar with a pattern of autumn leaves. The other side is patched pieces of curtaining. The padding is old clothing, mainly knits, tacked to random pieces of curtain material. The quilt is tacked together to hold all the padding in and machine stitched to the backing.
1850 x 1100mm
History: 

This utilitarian quilt was probably made by Mary Studholme in Bendigo in the early 1930s and later owned by Victoria May Francis who was an aunt of the maker. The present owner, Yvonne Renfree, is Victoria May Francis's daughter. The quilt is not used and is kept in a display cupboard with other quilts.

Story: 

"My mother Victoria May Francis (nee Hosking) was orphaned at 18 months of age. Her mother's sister, Mary Studholme took her and three brothers and reared them She herself was a widow / deserted wife? And so they were hard times. She cleaned and ironed for other people to raise money for her 'adopted' children and her own two daughters who were about 10 and 12 years older than my mother. She also was a good seamstress and made many of the children's clothes."
[Yvonne Renfree 5.7.2000]

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National Gallery of Australia
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