Quilt No.450PS - Pat Stevenson

Pat Stevenson
Owner: 
Pat Stevenson
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Elsa Beavis
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Crazy patchwork stitched on to an old sheet. Machine constructed with 2 sides similar. It is made from left over dressmaking materials of the fifties. The 2 sides with cotton wadding in between are bound together with a 55mm pink and white gingham binding.
1803 x 1398mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Elsa Beavis in Melbourne for Pat Stevenson in 1958/59. It is still owned by Pat Stevenson and is still used.

Story: 

" Elsa Beavis was the needlework teacher in charge of the subject at Flemington Girls School in 1958 when I started teaching there in 1958. Elsa had made a similar quilt for another staff member and when requested agreed to make one for me.
I was to provide the materials. So I gathered fabrics left from my dressmaking, my students dressmaking, and pieces collected from my working time in the dress trade 1954 and 1955 at a sportswear and casual clothing factory. My mother provided the 2 old worn sheets that form the backing to the patchwork.
Elsa Beavis was a lady who did all types of needlework. I had done much embroidery but never met cross stitch and traditional forms of counted thread work, to which she introduced me.
Of a Norwegian extraction, she made exquisite traditional folk dress for dolls with the traditional decoration. Many prizes were won by her at the Royal Melbourne Show in the years I knew her.
She later married a widower and became Mrs. Elsa Williams, living at Gladysdale and teaching at a High School in Yarra Junction Victoria. Unfortunately I lost track of her, but I owe her a lot, as my mentor, to the wider world of textile arts."
[Pat Stevenson 14.3.98]

Related Quilts:

Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt, all cotton including cotton filling. "Wedding Ring" pattern in variety of materials in plains and patterned, many pinks and blues.
Hand sewn and hand quilted.
2236 x 1804mm
Pam Clifford
Large squares, alternate brown check and blue check, of men's dressing gown material. "Everyone's father had one in 40s and 50s". [Pam Clifford]. No padding. Backing is smaller random shapes of men's grey suiting material. Machine construction. There is no quilting.
2236 x 1550mm
Wanda McPherson
Patchwork quilt made from pure wool suiting samples in shades of navy blue and brown. Quilt is constructed in 11 rows containing 11 pieces. Each piece is 14cm x 9cm. No padding. Backing is of mauve cotton with a floral pattern of closely spaces white/pale mauve flowers.
1480 x 900mm
Doreen Carter
The quilt is called 'Loved'. The pattern is log cabin and it is made from dress materials and pyjama flannelette. The original filling was a heavy woollen blanket (now flannelette) and the backing is green headcloth - all government issue. With its restoration, the backing was supplemented with a green floral, and the quilt is now tied. The quilt is machine pieced, some restoration work is done by hand.
2260 x 1920mm
Fay Burgess
Hexagonal piece of patchwork made up of 9 rows of rosettes of hexagons in a wide variety of colours and patterns mainly in silks and velvets. It is incomplete. Backing papers are still in the outside rows and also basting threads. Hexagons are joined by fine whip stitching. It is unlined.
1370 x 1220mm
Brenda Bird
Suffolk Puff quilt made from a variety of scraps of dress materials including cottons and terylene. It is backed with white cotton sheeting and edged with a frill of white terylene. There is a matching pillow sham.
1740 x 1300 mm.