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:

Julie Bos
Crazy patchwork quilt with pieces made from cottons, rayons, silks and taffetas. Each piece is stuffed with kapok and machine sewn to a backing then a wholecloth floral cotton backing has been added.
920 x 164o mms
Lois Ryan
Log Cabin quilt made from a variety of cottons and silks. There is no padding and the backing is calico bags. 1500 x 1250 mm.
Tongarra Bicentennial Museum
Patchwork cot quilt top made from cotton hexagon patches, featuring a centre rosette with 7 rows of patches around it forming an elongated shape, with rosettes and patches randomly placed on the sides. Quilt has a border of triangles pieced to form squares. Cotton prints with over 50 different patterns. Colours are faded, with red and brown (may be faded green) and mostly pastels. Hand sewn using whip stitch. No padding or backing.
990 x 825mm
Gillian Erratt
Patchwork quilt made of pieced blocks in the 'Shoofly' pattern, in white cotton and a red, white and blue geometric cotton print. Alternate squares are in the print. The border is made of same size squares in the print. No padding. The backing is a sheet. Hand sewn.
1829 x 1829mm
Helen Sparkman
Hexagon quilt made from dressmaking scraps, nearly all woollen. The hexagons measure 150mm. It is hand stitched.
1170 x 1100mm
Win Adcock
The quilt on longer exists, just the label, but the quilt was squares of flannelette shirt material, velvets and woollen pieces. The backing was calico. The label was sewn to the backing and it reads: 'Red Cross Killarney Manitoba'. It is embroidered in red and is on a white piece of sheeting.