Quilt No.583SC - Susanne Cody

Owner: 
Susanne Cody
Location: 
NSW South Coast
Maker
Maker: 
Olive May Snow
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt, machine construction using rectangles of mainly woollen materials with some corduroy and mohair. Initially 14 rows and then 2 rows added for extra warmth. 25mm bias cut yellow poplin binding. The padding is an old army blanket and the backing is printed cotton.
1500 x 1093mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Mrs. Olive May Snow (born Birch) in Goulburn NSW in the early 1950s. She gave it to her sister Lorna and it is now owned by Lorna's daughter Susanne Cody. It is not used now.

Story: 

" Olive Birch (married at 45 years) had always worked at the Singer Sewing Machine shop in Auburn St Goulburn. They had a button covering service and when customers came in to have their buttons covered Olive would carefully collect any spare scraps of fabric that were left over.
She then sewed them all together by machine and used one of my father's old army blankets for extra warmth. Upon its completion my father so admired it that Olive gave it to him as a gift.
It was always part of growing up - if we were sick or cold we were snuggled up in it- it was very much used and enjoyed - well washed and hence the patches have shrunk over the years.
Perhaps it was this cheery rug that began my love of and journey into patchwork. My aunty Olive bought my first sewing machine on completion of my HSC in 1967."

[Susanne Cody 6.11.99]

Olive Snow with the quilt 1998
Olive Snow with the quilt 1998

Related Quilts:

West Australian Quilters' Association
The quilt is a repeat block in the Ohio Star pattern in turkey red and cream. Quilted in squares in the cream block and diagonal lines in the star block. The fabric border is disintegrating. The backing is cream calico and the padding is cotton, badly degraded. 1940 x 1760mm.
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
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Double sided patchwork quilt. Machined squares and rectangles joined in strips and then the strips joined. Wide variety of materials, mainly woollen from hand or machine knitted jumpers, many patched. All materials came from worn garments from family and friends of the maker. No padding.
1860 x 1410mm
Ruth Hansen
Cotton patchwork quilt in an all over pattern of diamonds in a wide variety of patterned and plain materials. Many seams are oversewn in feather stitch which goes through to the backing of calico.
1625 x 925mm
Elsie Roberts
Patchwork quilt has a centre of a square within a square, with rows of scraps added around it. The scraps are mainly cotton shirting fabrics and are cut in different sizes and shapes. The two long sides have a narrow red edging folded from the back. The other two sides have been 'bagged'. Filling is an unusual weave thought to be wool. Backing is a pink, red and beige floral cotton.
2080 x 1650mm
Helen Jarmyn
Patchwork quilt made in the 'Trip Around the World' pattern, from cottons and some fine dress linen, in bright and pastel solids. Each colour is placed in a diamond shape on the quilt. Patches are 10cm square, quilt has 620 squares. The linen was mainly used to work the cross stitch. Quilt has a 2 inch border in black. Backing is sheeting. Each square is embroidered, with many different stitches, in geometric, floral, animal, insect and abstract designs, in different colours.
2760 x 2350mm