Quilt No.385MC - Marie Colbron Conroy
Description:
Quilt of 70mm hexagons forming rosettes. Satin material in plain colours. Background is several shades of grey. There is a 135mm silver grey border that is mitred and returns to the back. There is no padding. The backing is a darker grey. The quilt is signed by the maker and dated.
1870 x 1350mm
1870 x 1350mm
History:
The quilt was made by Phyllis Gow in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in 1964 for her Mother, Imelda Johnson. On her Mother's death the quilt passed to Phyllis and on her death to her husband. On his death the present owner bought the quilt.
Story:
The maker went from Sydney to Port Moresby following her marriage in 1938 to Eric Mitchell on the 'Bulolo'. She was repatriated to Sydney during the war. Her husband died as a POW. Phyllis remarried in Sydney about 1954 and returned to PNG with her husband Allan Gow. They retired to Sydney in the early 1970s. The quilt was made for her Mother who lived with her during her latter years. The present owner, Marie Colbron Conroy, attended the same church as Phyllis and Allan Gow and on Allan's death purchased the quilt.
Related Quilts:
Quilt, single bed size, made from reused clothing roughly handstitched on to a backing of a wool/linen blanket type fabric in green, cream and brown stripes. Clothing is fronts and backs of old jumpers, vests etc as well as opened out sleeves in red, brown and grey. They are stitched together in several layers with long stitches. Another top may have been intended to cover the stitched down layers of clothing.
1500 x 1040mm
1500 x 1040mm
Hexagon quilt constructed over papers; all seams oversewn with featherstitch embroidery. Materials are vyella and clydella scraps from childhood dresses of the maker's first four children, augmented with scraps from a dressmaker and a book of samples. There is no padding; backing is plain, pale blue, brushed cotton.
2200 x 1720 mm.
2200 x 1720 mm.
Quilt top, all cotton. Center frame is 600mm square of calico on to which is appliqued red material in an elaborate cut out design. Radiating rows of mainly red and blue triangles. Other materials include, white with abstract plants scattered across it, pink with pin print white dots, white and maroon herringbone with small white flowers with maroon leaf sprays spread 25mm apart. The border is a strip of red not hemmed but with selvedges on the long sides. The quilt is all hand sewn with small back stitch, running stitch and hemming.
Frame quilt with the centre frame featuring stars. These are English pieced and then appliqued on to the background using straight stitch on the machine. Borders are squares, rectangles and truangles. Mainly cottons. There is no padding. The backing is an old white bedspread similar to a Marcella.
1900 x 1930mm
1900 x 1930mm
" Reversible patchwork quilt of woollen suiting/upholstery fabrics in khaki, greys, blues and browns. Both sides have different designs. The front of the quilt has 13 rows of 12 vertical rectangles flanked on either side by a column of 22 horizontal rectangles. The reverse has a more interesting and complex design of small and very large rectangles, squares and triangles; with khaki contrasting with the duller greys and blues. The patchwork layers are joined at the edges with machine stitching and the quilt is machine quilted along 3 horizontal lines following joins in the patchwork; therefore not being totally straight. These lines are more noticeable on the reverse. The reverse face has been on display at the NGA." [NGA] There is a cotton blanket used as padding. 2054 x 1451mm
Quilt in frame style patchwork with applique and broderie Perse applique in printed cottons and linens with silk embroidery. The centre frame has an octagonal shape of floral printed material appliqued on to cream linen surrounded by pieced and appliqued triangles and sashing of printed cotton. Above the frame is embroidered in dull gold silk in cross stitch 'Mary Moxey 1818 Emma Tremlett Born Decr 16th 1837'. Outer borders are pieced and appliqued diamonds and hexagons separated by printed sashing. The quilt is backed with cream linen.
2405 x 2373mm
2405 x 2373mm