Quilt No.1046DH - Diane Kern Hamilton

Diane Kern Hamilton
Owner: 
Diane Kern Hamilton
Location: 
WA South West
Maker
Maker: 
Elva May White
Made in
USA Montana
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern constructed from hexagons with sides approx 2cms. Repeats of three concentric circles of hexagons outside a centre yellow hexagon. Each of the first two circles is made from the same fabric and the outer circle is always pale yellow. The 'pathway' is solid green. It is quilted in concentric circles 5mm in on all hexagons. There is a fine padding and the backing is yellow polished cotton. It is known as Great Aunt Elva's quilt.
2480 x 1980mm.
History: 

The quilt was made by Elva Mae White (born Decker) on their farm in Manhattan in the Bozeman area of Montana, USA probably in the 1930s. The maker left the quilt to a faithful worker, Virgil Howard, who gave it to the present owner who is Elva White's great niece. It is used occasionally for special guests.

Story: 

"Maker Elva Mae White was born approx 1880 and was married in 1901. For their honeymoon in 1902 Elva and her husband went with her husband's parents to Yellowstone National Park. They travelled in a covered wagon and a buggy and may also have taken tents. In the three weeks they were in Yellowstone NP Elva and her mother-in-law cooked and did laundry for some soldiers who hadn't seen a woman for a long time. The soldiers were working in the national park helping to build roads and establish the new national park.
On the farm Elva's husband had stud cattle and wheat. Elva would have done all the cooking and cleaning and used to get up at 5am with breakfast being at 6.30am. She was also active outside the house as she kept chickens and ducks. The house was originally a one-room log cabin built in the 1880's and was gradually added to make several rooms. Prior to her marriage Elva had taught in a one-room school.
Elva and her husband had no children so after Elva's husband died she left the house to a faithful worker on the farm, Virgil Howard, who lived in a sheep herder's cottage. Virgil left the quilt to the present owner as he knew she was interested in quilting. Elva died in 1974. Virgil told the present owner that she made other quilts but must have given them away." [Diane Kern Hamilton]

Related Quilts:

Jan Hanslow
Hexagon quilt with 60mm hexagons in cottons. No particular design or pattern. Patches are plain and patterned in reds, blues, pinks, browns and greys. There is a 70mm wide lace trim. The quilt is padded and the backing is wholecloth green with a floral design in pink and cream. 1860 x 1640mm
Virginia Solomon
Log Cabin quilt featuring centre square and 3 outer borders. Evidence of later repairs and additions by machine and hand sewing. There is white paint on it. The log cabin pieces are sewn on to black netting. There is no padding and the backing is a centre piece of gold damask/sateen and green and black sateen borders.
1728 x 1321mm
Fran Williams
150 x 210mm pieces of bound suiting samples overlapped and machined together then herringboned with gold/yellow thread. Each piece has an embroidered motif, using single thread, mainly non Australian birds and animals. '1903' is embroidered on a centre piece. It is hand quilted. The backing is a black floral print. There is no padding.
1800 x 1940mm
Gloria Martin
Double sided quilt machine made from clothing scraps. Shapes are mainly rectangles in corduroy and wool blend. The padding is an old grey blanket.
1524 x 1372mm
National Gallery of Australia
" This is an unfinished section/piece of crazy quilting. Ribbons divide the piece horizontally into three sections; between these are bands of pastel fabrics and embroidery in the crazy quilt tradition. The fabrics and threads employed are very luxurious: laces, satin ribbons and silk velvets. The embroidery is very fine, employing a wide variety of stitches and threads. This patchwork piece is padded with cotton wadding and backed with tarlatan." [NGA] 1170 x 1020mm
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt of small silk and rayon rosettes of hexagons in prints and plain materials including velvet, voided velvet, chine, printed silk, brocades, taffeta, satin, crepes. Many of the materials are from Japanese kimono and wrapping silks. It is pieced over papers, one paper has a typed date '1930'. The backing is black silk satin and is turned to the front to form a border.
1695 x 1390mm