Quilt No.98MM - Muriel Mackenzie

Muriel Mackenzie
Owner: 
Muriel Mackenzie
Location: 
QLD South East
Maker
Maker: 
Ella Constance Mackenzie
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLDt
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Wholecloth utilitarian quilt with velour type material top and cottage weave curtain material on the back. The padding is a 'bush blanket'. Machine sewn and quilted.
1677 x 1144mm
History: 

Made by Ella Constance Mackenzie (born Canning) during the late 30s or early 40s, at Killarney Queensland. Ella was the mother-in-law of the present owner.
The quilt is stored in a tin trunk and not used.

Story: 

"These quilts were made out of necessity to help keep a family warm during very cold winters in Killarney. When I was first engaged and used to go to Killarney I used to hope that these quilts would not be put on my bed as they were very heavy. Within the family they were referred to as 'hug me tights'."
[Muriel Mackenzie 3.10.96]
"My Mother had 4 sons,( no daughters) born in Killarney. Her father built the first hotel in Killarney after migrating form Bath at the turn of the century. My Mother was about 5' 2" always sewing, mending and crocheting. My Father was a commercial traveller representing Thomas Brown, D. & W.Murray, A.M.Hartzberg, general wholesalers. A room in the hotel was used for commercial travellers to lay out their merchandise for the shop keeper to order from."
[Bill Mackenzie 3.10.96]
Bill's mother was not a sewer of clothing for herself or her sons.

Bill and Muriel with the quilt
Bill and Muriel with the quilt

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.
 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
Ruth Flett
Quilt is made of wool tailors' samples, each measuring 6 x 3 1/2 inches. The colours are predominantly navy and grey. Most pieces are striped but some more distinctly than others. Both sides are mad eof smaples, one side being mainly grey and the other almost exclusively navy. There doesn't seem to be another layer of material as padding. There is no added decoration. Made on a treadle sewing machine.
1703 x 1423mm
Annette Gero
Double sided cretonne quilt, red floral one side, green floral the other. The padding is layers of blanket pieces and pieces of woollen clothes tacked flat. It is machine quilted in squares from the centre outwards.
1270 x 1060mm
Effie Katianos
Wholecloth quilt of golden brown cotton sateen, the backing of a lighter yellow cotton sateen. Hand quilted with an allover repeatingr pattern of a cross within a square. The border is quilted with 4 parallel rows of stitching at the sides, and 5 at the top and bottom. Padding is cotton wadding. 1920 x 1440 mm.
1920 x 1440mm