Quilt No.440EW - Elizabeth Williams

Description:
Cotton quilt of plain and patterned hexagons, 6 joined to make a flower. The flowers are arranged in rows with single motifs filling the spaces. Hand sewn. The backing is heavy red cotton material. There is no padding.
2490 x 1803mm
2490 x 1803mm
History:
The quilt was made by Mrs. Celia Aitken, aunt of the present owner, as a gift in the early 1960s. Mrs. Aitken, now deceased, made it when she lived in Berwick Victoria The quilt has been in constant use since it was made.
Story:
"The maker of the quilt was the daughter of a pioneer family who farmed land out of Monbulk Victoria then were forced to move as their property became the site of the now Silvan dam. They then moved to a property at Trafalgar Vic where Celia Aitken met and married Jack Aitken also from a pioneering family."
[Elizabeth Williams 4.6.98]

Celia and Jack Aitken

The house where the quilt is kept and used
Related Quilts:
Quilt top in block design based on hexagons in a variety of patterned cotton with a plain pink hexagon in the centre. The hexagons are linked by triangles of pink cotton. Cottons include florals, stripes, checks, tartans and novelty prints. 2080 x 2300mm
Cotton quilt with central frame and radiating borders mainly in squares in pinks and blues, printed materials and plain. The padding is cotton wool and the backing is off white cotton.
2040 x 1800mm
2040 x 1800mm
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
Frame quilt in cotton with cotton backing. Centre square of floral chintz surrounded by 8 smaller squares with floral and probably Egyptian motifs. 4 surrounding frames of plain and patterned cotton in squares, diamonds and strips. Hand stitched and hand quilted. Has been used as a curtain and has metal rings attached to one edge.
3759 x 2286mm
3759 x 2286mm
" This well worn quilt is of pieced diamonds set into squares (221 make up the quilt). Thick woollen fabric has been used for the pieces. These are with plain dyed fabrics or tartans and checks. All work on the quilt is hand sewn. The quilt was lined with a fine blue cotton." [NGA] The quilt is not padded. 1835 x 1400mm
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.