Quilt No.3GW - Gladys V. Williams

Gladys V. Williams
Owner: 
Gladys V. Williams
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Gladys Williams
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Grandmother's Flower Garden, also known as French Bouquet. The quilt comprises 181 flowers. No padding is used. Each flower has seven hexagonal patches, cut from a metal template pattern. Floral and plain silk materials are used and mounted on pale blue moire taffeta.
3050 x 2031mm
History: 

Made by Gladys V. Williams who started the patchwork in 1937. The quilt completed in 1957. It won second prize in the Royal Sydney Show 1958, first prize Albury Spring Show 1958. The quilt is in regular use in summer months.

Story: 

"This quilt in the beginning was to be a cushion. I was visiting my parents in Launceston, Tasmania, Christmas 1936, when I acquired the first offcuts from my sister, who was a dressmaker, & was making Evening Gowns at the time.
We had two small sons, who were both asthmatics, and it was necessary to spend a lot of time with them. Our mother was an expert needlewoman and had passed on the interest to her daughters. From her Craft Books I became interested in Patchwork.
However, progress was slow and also there was the chase for the off cuts from different sources. When there was enough flowers for a cushion, I had the 'Bug' and kept on.
In 1939 the Second World War began and my husband enlisted in 1941. Before my marriage I was with the Commonwealth Public Service and was called back to work for War Years. So everything was packed away and stored.
The two boys were at school and as you may guess there was not very much spare time.
My husband was discharged September 1945 with War Disabilities, after service in the Middle East & Northern Aust. He took over the management of the family business, with which I was also involved. In 1948 a third son was born and it wasn't until the 1950's that I started up the Patchwork again.
The quilt was finally finished at the end of 1957. I have to thank my sister and many friends for the scraps of beautiful fabrics they collected for me.
I enjoy all kinds of needlework. At present I'm working on Textured Tapestry, using many of the 100 or so different stitches that are available. However, my real love is Hand Knitting and I always have a piece of knitting on the needles."
[Gladys Williams, NSW, 30.1.96]

Related Quilts:

Old Government House
Quilt No.296OGH - Old Government House
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern made from silks, velvet, cottons and taffetas, in prints and plain, around a centre squares of black velvet. Colours are, in the dark sections, blues, greens, browns, yellow and pinks. The base of the blocks is blue and white ticking. The padding is probably cotton. Backing is of green cotton. There is an attached frill on all sides of green cotton, faded to dull light brown.
1630 x 1350mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random
Wanda McPherson
Quilt No.216WM - 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
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Bob Sloan
Quilt No.491BS - Bob Sloan
Double sided quilt made from all wool worsted suiting samples. Machine construction. There is no padding.
1840 x 1330mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt No.878NTNW - National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Hand pieced and quilted quilt in silks, wool and cotton dress materials. The centre is a hexagon star in pink and yellow with black points. Most of the body of the quilt is pieced in Tumbling Blocks with an outer border of triangles. The backing is pieced from large rectangles of blue satin, rust-brown moire taffeta and brown-grey silk in a 'rectangle within a rectangle' pattern. The quilting is all over and finely done in yellow thread in a variety of patterns including snails, petalled flowers and hearts.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.564NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided quilt with both sides based on a central frame. One side has centre panel of darks surrounding 4 patch of the same print in different colourways. This is surrounded by borders of rectanglesis small prints, checks and stripes. The outer border is men's suitings. The other side has a centre frame similar to the 'Broken Dushes' pattern surrounded by wide borders in solid colours, paisley and fine checks. There is a dark strip across the top and bottom. It is roughly machine quilted.
1770 x 1380mm
Patchwork, Frame
Annette Gero,
Quilt No.842AG - Annette Gero,
Wholecloth quilt originally covered with cretonne and recovered with orange satin. Machine quilted. Padding of wool.
1270 x 1160mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Wholecloth, Utilitarian, Typically Australian