Quilt No.1033NG - Narelle Grieve

Narelle Grieve
Owner: 
Narelle Grieve
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown sailor
Made in
SHIPBOARD
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Diamond, Tumbling Block
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
Silk quilt in diamonds with hexagon border. "Toward the edge of the quilt, the design of diamonds made into blocks offers an optical illusion, where the diamonds can be seen to form stars. The border is made up of these stars and half-diamonds, and the entire quilt is trimmed with lace and triangular flaps made of tiny hexagons." [extract unidentified magazine article supplied by quilt owner.]
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.
History: 

The quilt was made by an unidentified sailor c.1846. It was given to Jane Williams of Somerset, England who backed it and sent it to Australia to Annie Smith, her sister-in-law in Sydney. It then passed by family descent to Annie's grandson, John Henderson of Middle Cove, Sydney from whom the present owner, Narelle Grieve, acquired it. It is not used.

Story: 

"It was not unusual for the European sailors of previous centuries to engage in the art of quilting. They needed to be able to sew in order to mend their sails, and quilting was a way of passing time while developing their sewing technique. Most sailors were talented needle people, as the fine stitches and intricate design of this quilt demonstrates.
Many of the lands which the sailors visited offered exotic fabrics and the silk used to make the tiny diamonds in this quilt may have originated in India. Papers still contained within the hexagons around the border of the quilt may be able to verify the origin of this fabric. This may also give some insights into the sailor's life and travels, but Narelle explains that she would have to unpick the backing to get to them and that could ruin the frail silk fabric." [extract from unidentified article supplied by the present owner.]

Related Quilts:

Josephine Curtis
Quilt No.1006JC - Josephine Curtis
Taylor's sample quilt made from men's suit swatches, mainly greys and blues. Edging is 6cms wide, of blue flannelette. Padding is an old grey blanket, and the backing is of printed pattern corduroy. 1680 x 920 mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Kerrie Maloney
Quilt No.490KM - Kerrie Maloney
Double sided quilt made from woollen suiting pieces some of which have hand worked eyelets. Many of the rectangles are irregular. Both sides use similar pieces but arranged in different patterns. There is no padding.
2160 x 1524mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Quilt No.455RCH - Red Cliffs Historical Society
Log cabin pattern, each block dark and light strips. 4 blocks joined with dark strips to centre to make larger block. 30 large blocks and 2 sides with half blocks. Each block is machined on to calico. Materials include velvets, corduroys, interlock, taffetas and silver lame. There is a 170mm bottle green border and a single piece of mid brown synthetic for the backing. The padding is probably dacron.
2400 x 2100mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin
National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.959NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"This is not a true quilt, but a pieced coverlet with a lining. The entire front face of the quilt is of pieced hexagonal and part hexagonal printed cotton patches. Pieces are joined with hand sewn over casting stitches of many different coloured cotton threads. The joining of the patches forms a 'daisy' pattern in some areas and in others it is random. The edge of the front face of the quilt carries a 40mm strip of cotton Chinoiserie which is then folded to the reverse of the quilt and becomes part of the lining. The template for the hexagon patches remains in many of the patches: writing paper and news print." [NGA]
The work is not padded "The lining at the edge of the quilt (for approx.175mm) is a plain weave fabric of a Chinoiserie design. The centre field of the lining is a rectangular panel of a twill weave brushed cotton fabric with a striped floral design." [NGA] 2215 x 2070mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Art Gallery of South Australia
Quilt No.299ASA - Art Gallery of South Australia
Rectangular patchwork crazy quilt pieced in squares (3 across by 4 down), in silks and wool, with red sashing between blocks and red border, quilted. Colours are dark, with red and light blue. Embroidery includes double feather, rope, herringbone, satin, cross, sword edge, buttonhole and coral stitches, and French knots. Embroidered flowers include lily of the valley, rose, daisy, and sunflower, also butterflies. Backing is pieced in the frame style, with a large centre red square, within 10 frames or borders. Embroidered "In Most Loving Memory of My Darling 1883", "V.H.B." Hand sewn.
1900 x 1500mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.557NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Large double sided quilt of rectangles and squares of men's suitings, patterned and plain on both sides. The top has a central motif of a circle of three segmented rings radiating from a single hexagon. The outer ring is all tailors' samples and the inner rings are a variety of materials. There is some featherstitching in red. The quilt is sparsley machine quilted.
Patchwork, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples