Quilt No.383RA - Ruth Nash Allen

Ruth Nash Allen
Owner: 
Ruth Nash Allen
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Women from Hurstville Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt based on 70mm block. Cottons and rayon's with some reused materials. Machine pieced, hand quilted. Backing is mid blue cotton brought over to the front and machined to form a binding. Padding is probably cotton.
2510 x 1850mm
History: 

The quilt was made by women in a church group in Hurstville Sydney as a project in which they could all participate. The women supplied the material and cut the pieces and Ethel Nash Parton, the President, machined them together. The women then hand quilted the 3 layers together. Ethel's mother-in-law and sister-in-law also helped with the quilting. It was made between 1944 and 1948 and the group did not make any other quilts.
For a few years the quilt was used under the mattress, over the wire base on Ethel's bed and then 2 years ago Ethel's sister, Ruth Allen, discovered the quilt when moving the bed. She now uses it on her bed.

Story: 

Ethel Nash Parton belonged to the church group, the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Hurstville branch (Sydney). The church building was at the corner of Noble Street and Railway Pde. Allawah but it is not now owned by the church. Ethel was president of the group from 1944 to 1948.
The women making the quilt were not particularly interested in quilting, it was just 'a project'. There was a wide age range in the group and they wanted an activity in which everyone could participate.
Ethel's sister, Ruth Allen, wrote" I am very happy that Ethel is getting recognition as she's been a wonderful worker and is an unassuming, reserved person."
[Letter to NQR 13.2.1999]

Ethel Nash Parton & Ruth Nash Allen 1997
Ethel Nash Parton & Ruth Nash Allen 1997

Related Quilts:

Euroa and District Historical Society
Handsewn cotton hexagons in a wide variety of patterns. Centre oval of hexagons with 2 outer rings. There is no padding and the backing is white cotton.
2490 x 2200mm
Mary Robertson
The suffolk puffs are mainly cotton in a wide variety of colours and plain and patterned materials. The puffs are small squares rather than the more usual circles. The backing is teal satin hand stitched to the top. There is a teal bow at one end. There is no padding.
1570 x 1100mm
Sue Batzloff
Patchwork quilt for a child made from suiting pieces from the Castlemaine Woollen Mills in Victoria. One side has dark rectangles in greys and navy, the other side uses pieces in light browns, cream and rust, with dark grey. The edging is also made from suiting. No padding Machine sewn.
1347 x 1271mm
Kathryn Thompson
Crazy patchwork quilt in a variety of cotton materials. There is no padding. The backing is old flour bags.
2000 x 2000mm
Rita Fiddian
Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. Hexagons are from cotton and polyester material mostly from 'Reverse Garbage' Melbourne. Hand pieced by Rita Fiddian, the owner. Hand quilted. The padding is wool and the backing cotton.
3049 x 2109mm
June Brown
This quilt has been strip pieced with no regular pattern. It seems a large quilt has been made then folded in half. The materials used are woollen skirting pieces in a variety of colours. It could be used either way. There is no padding and it is very heavy.
2100 x 1950mm