Quilt No.495TD - Tess Davidson

Tess Davidson
Owner: 
Tess Davidson
Location: 
VIC North East
Maker
Maker: 
Teresa Blennett Hassett
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Hand stitched quilt of suiting materials. Centre rectangle also suiting materials but arranged with a smaller scale, is edged with a cord of red fabric covering string. The outer red border has been renewed by the owner and closely matches the original. The backing is ticking. There is no padding.
2390 x 2110mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Mrs.Teresa Blennett Hassett (1876-1948) in Northern Victoria in 1940. It was made for her grand-daughter Tess when her first child was born. It is not used now.

Story: 

This is Tess's story. "My Grammie was born in 1876, died aged 72 buried in Devenist cemetery. She was Mrs.Teresa Blennett Hassett.
I was very young and always interested in her making this Wagga as she called it. The name seemed so strange to me, (why Wagga? I have never found out). Gran always was sewing, stitching by needle and thread, I never seen a sewing machine,ever. As children every Sunday we always went up to her farm, it was always delightful to my two elder sisters and myself at Devenish, Vic. Then she came to live in Benalla in the late forties, with my mother and our family. Now this is where the lovely story of the Wagga starts. She gave it to me, what a surprise to get such a lovely gift, she put it in my new baby's pram. I have always treasured it so much. Over the years, the red binding was getting tattered and not looked as I liked, then the problem began, how and where could I get red to match, it seemed such a big job to do and had to be all be needle and thread." [Tess Davidson 16.9.1999]

Rust marks on the quilt indicate it has been under a mattress and on top of the wire base of the bed at some time.

Teresa Blennett Hassett
Teresa Blennett Hassett
Tess Davidson 1998
Tess Davidson 1998

Related Quilts:

Bev Johnston
Patchwork quilt made from squares and rectangles of pink, blue and white fabric set with a frame of pink and white print around a centre rectangle made of 4 pink triangles. Four corner squares of blue and white stripes, Many squares are pieced from smaller scraps. The Material is a crepe type, possibly used for underwear. Handsewn and machined. Backing is made from cotton scraps, possibly lawn or similar. Padding is flanellete or similar. Edges are bound in a striped material. Quilt shows signs of wear.
620mm x 520mm
Wendy Springbett
Patchwork quilt made from alternate squares of light green and medium green cotton headcloth. The light green squares are hand embroidered with Australian native birds, the medium green squares are decorated with pulled thread designs. No padding. Backing and binding of medium green headcloth. Made from patterns published in The Adelaide Chronicle.
2650 x 1573mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Double sided utility quilt made from machine pieced squares of tailors' samples and men's and boy's suitings. The padding is 5 or 6 layers of pieced used clothing including darned, threadbare socks, part jumpers, blanket pieces etc.
2090 x 1340mm
Margaret Knoop
Quilt top of cottons including shirting materials constructed in kaleidoscope pattern with star border. Hand pieced over papers, some papers remain at edges. There is no padding and no backing.
2440 x 1720mm
June Johnson
Hand sewn cotton cot quilt with pattern of red and white lozenge shaped hexagons measuring approximately 65mm from top to bottom. A centre flower is constructed from 2 circles of 19 hexagons in red and white. This is surrounded by 8 smaller hexagon flowers. Additional single red hexagons are scattered at random on the white background around the rows of flowers. The quilt is not quilted or tied but is attached at all 4 edges. Writing on the back of the quilt (probably added later) reads "Made by Sarah Hodge, Newport, Wales UK for her first child John." There is no padding and the backing is white cotton. 1000 x 1250 mm.
Alison Barlow
Quilt in traditional design called 'Seven Sisters'. Seven stars, each of six diamonds are set against a cream background, surrounded by bright pink triangles. Hand pieced and hand quilted. Padding is cotton, and backing is cream calico. 2100 x 1850 mm.