Quilt No.391CC - Cressida Mary Webb Challis

Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Owner: 
Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Isabel and Jean Portus
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt of machine pieced squares and rectangles using a wide variety of materials in plain colours and patterns. It is one of a pair. There is no padding and the backing is 90cm strips of calico.
2500 x 2130mm
History: 

One of a pair made by twin sisters Isabel and Jean Portus about 1961 and on their deaths passed to the present owner, Cressida Challis, a family member.

Story: 

One of a pair of quilts made for the makers' own beds. "These were made c.1961 - my mother remembers staying with them at the time they were made, when I was a baby and my brother was about 3. They were made very quickly, machine sewn, because the twins needed new bedspreads and didn't have much money. They both cut out the fabric and pinned pieces together, and Jean sewed them on the machine. They have been repaired and some bits of fabric have been sewn over worn patches, because they were in constant use until 1994. After they were made , two curtains were made in similar style and fabrics. I still use these curtains, though I had to patch and replace the calico lining on the one in the kitchen in 1997. Previous repairs had been made by Jean. I used material from Jean's collection������.Patchwork was done in the evenings , a little before dinner, and more after dinner. Jean's great love was gardening, so in the daytime she was always in the garden when she wasn't working. Isa did some gardening too - she grew tomatoes. She usually cooked dinner and did a lot of the housework." [Cressida Challis 1.8.98]

Related Quilts:

Pioneer Settlement Authority
Centre medallion of hexagons surrounded by blocks of tumbling blocks. Rows of triangles around the edge. Each corner has a star within a hexagon. Hand stitched with the traditional 20 stitches to the inch. There is a silk tassle in each corner. Materials include: silk, silk ribbon, taffeta, brocade, velvet, striped silk, faille. The backing is cream holland.
1580 x 1510mm
Jan Tregoweth
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagon patches grouped in 'flowers', comprising 4 rings of patches around a central hexagon. Prints and plains are used, the colours mainly browns, greens, yellows, dark blue and dark pink. The 'paths' are in a yellow-brown cotton. Cotton backing. The padding is probably an old blanket. The quilt is an irregular shape, and is tied.
2550 x 1870mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
The top has a segmented circle in the centre surrounded by a border of small rectangles. The circle is featherstitched on to the background. Materials are wools and cottons and it is hand pieced. The other side appears to have been originally men's suiting materials strip pieced. It is now covered with a children's print in light cotton joined in long rectangles. The padding is coarse heavyweight cotton.
1410 x 1080mm
Marion Coleman
Quilt made of Tailors' wool samples in stripes, checks and plain,, rectangles in different sizes machined together in strips. Colours are grey, navy, brown, light grey and cream. Lining or backing is of patterned cotton, in three layers as it has worn and been replaced. Machine and zigzag quilting.
1626 x 1271mm
Marjorie Treasy
Machine sewn quilt made from 125mm squares of scraps left over from dressmaking joined in strips and then the strips joined. There is a border of fawn cotton and the backing is the same material. The padding is an old blanket and the border is padded with sheep's wool.
1400 x 925mm
Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt. All cotton with cotton filling. Entirely made of hexagons, patterned and plain. 6 hexagons surround a central one. Colours, red, blue, yellow and white. Hnad stitched and hand quilted.
2108 x 1702mm