Quilt No.1043WAQ - West Australian Quilters' Assn

West Australian Quilters' Assn
Owner: 
West Australian Quilters' Assn
Location: 
WA Perth
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown
Made in
GREECE Rhodes
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Hand sewn cotton Greek whole cloth quilt. One side is deep blue and one side is bright yellow. The 32cm border is quilted in straight lines approximately 4cm apart except for a wide zigzag pattern half way inside the border. The centre section has 4 large semi circles and is quilted like the sun's rays towards a central diamond about 45cms tall. The padding is hand scoured wool. 2020 x 1860mm.
History: 

The name of the maker is unknown but the quilt was made on the island of Rhodes, Greece, in the mid 1940s. Mrs Katerino Marino purchased the quilt in 1948 and brought it to Australia in 1952. She donated it to the West Australian Quilters' Assoc in 1997.

Story: 

"It has been, and still is in 2000, a tradition in Greece that parents should provide a quilt for the marriage of each of their daughters. In Australia this tradition has changed to Greek parents giving a bedroom suite and bed linen to daughters getting married. The quilts were made in varying thicknesses depending on the degree of warmth required. Sometimes the thicker quilts would be put on the floor as mattresses as many people did not have beds or perhaps they would be used as extra bedding for guests. Some of the quilts were quite large and could be used for up to 6 people as occasions arose when whole families would sleep together." [Joy Hill WAQA]

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.
National Gallery of Australia
"The coverlet is of cream cheesecloth, highly decorated with applied figures and pieced fabric bands. The appliqué bands follow the edge of the coverlet for some time and then become circles radiating from the centre. The bands form two framed circular areas that carry appliquéd images. A smaller area lower centre of the cloth depicts birds and insects. In the centre of the work is a bordered oval with two aboriginal figures, an angel, kangaroo, emu and kookaburra, with the words 'Advance Australia Fair' embroidered in black thread. The stitching and construction of the coverlet is quite crude." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1640 x 1550mm
Christina Kazaglis
Wholecloth quilt with one side blue satin with a red satin border and the reverse side wholecloth floral cotton. The quilting is parallel lines and squares. It is all hand stitched. The padding is raw cotton.
1740 x 1240mm
Dorothy Stevens
Utilitarian quilt. Padding consists of recycled hand knitted jumper pieces (mainly 3 ply crepe and 8 ply) tacked to a layer of cotton material with strong buttonhole twist thread. The top is a piece of cotton fabric. Machine quilted in rows approximately 70mm apart.
1827 x 1423mm
Efthimia Toubakaris
Wholecloth quilt of golden brown cotton satin, the reverse side of pink cotton satin. Central quilting pattern of interlaced curves, within 3 rows of parallel stitching, then a border pattern of an interlaced knot design, the edge finished with 2 rows of parallel quilting. Filling of cotton. 2010 x 1920 mm.
2010 x 1920mm