Quilt No.518FW - Fran Williams

Fran Williams
Owner: 
Fran Williams
Location: 
TAS
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown
Made in
AUSTRALIA TAS
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
All cotton top and backing. Machine construction. Patches, mainly rectangles, joined in strips and then the strips joined to form the top. The back is a similar construction but larger pieces. The padding is made from lots of hand and machine knitted woollen pieces, including jumpers. Black check binding. It is very heavy. It is not quilted. It is not used. The owner calls it a Wagga.
1340 x 1610mm
History: 

Given to Fran Williams, the owner, in 1996, by Dinnie Cameron*who in turn had been given two similar quilts of which this is one. It is thought they originally came from a CWA cottage at St. Helens Tasmania and were probably made in the 1950s.
* Dinnie Cameron is a well known textile and quilt expert in Tasmania.

Story: 

Unknown

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
"This quilt follows the traditional hexagon patchwork pieced pattern, which are then joined and sometimes edged with a contrasting border. The edges of the quilt have been turned and then scalloped edges made of identical patches to the main body of the quilt have been attached to the edge. The quilt is fully lined, and the lining is visible front the front face through the gaps between the scalloped edge. The lining is attached to the patchwork with a row of stitches along the edges; there are no stitches in the centre field. The fabrics of the quilt are plain weave cotton in simple floral and geometric designs. Most of the fabrics are monochromatic. Several different colour ways of the same fabric are evident which could suggest some fabrics were from manufacturer samples. The lining is a William Morris print.
Each of the patchwork pieces (there are several thousand present) are sewn together with very fine overcasting stitches. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. There is some evidence that templates from the hexagon pieces possibly blotting paper, remain in situ���The quilt is not padded or quilted. The lining is fine twill weave cotton printed in pink and pale purple. The design follows William Morris's 'Strawberry Thief design'." [NGA] 2075 x 1911mm
Fran Williams
Quilt with centre area of silk triangles framed with small squares and the rest of the top is larger squares. Wide variety of prints and plain materials. There is no padding. The backing is cotton and "E.M.B." is cross stitched in one corner. "Back is interesting as it's all the same fabric, joined but it appears to have been stitched with a running stitch (cf quilting) before it was attached to the front. It was definitely done after being joined as the stitching design follows through the seams." [Fran Williams]
2500 x 2500mm
Annette Gero
Quilt top of hexagons in silks and satins, pieced over papers in the English tradition. Some paper templates still in place. One states: 'Semi - Monthly Regular Clipper packets to New Zealand, Port Phillip, Sydney�2nd of each month..Adelaide' suggesting it may have been from a shipping timetable.
1580 x 1830mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided square quilt mainly in cottons. Side 1 has been made in 4 squares each consisting of different sized strips and rectangles. With side 2 there appears to have been 2 stages as if the quilt was extended perhaps to match side 1. It is also squares, rectangles and strips. Sparsley machine quilted. There is no binding but side 2 has been turned over to side 1 and stitched by machine.
1525 x 1525mm
Giuliana Bond
Log cabin quilt, machine pieced and assembled. Some fabrics are pieces from family dresses, with mauve crepe used throughout. The pale side of each block is silk taffeta and other silk pieces. Padding is flannelette, and backing is cream muslin from a petticoat of the present owner, worn when she was bridesmaid to an aunt and uncle. 1000 x 630 mm.
Val Ireland
The top of this utility quilt is machine pieced rectangles of woollen materials joined in strips. It includes corduroys and velveteens and woollen tartan. The backing is an Indian cotton blanket.
1651 x 1271mm