Quilt No.392CC - Cressida Mary Webb Challis

Owner: 
Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Isabel and Jean Portus
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Pieced hand sewn quilt of hexagons. All cotton. 4 Hexagons make up a diamond. Materials are scraps from family clothing. The background is caramel poplin and the backing is cream sheeting. The quilt is signed on the back (in satin stitch) "Isabel C.D.Portus 1974" and "Jean C.D.Portus 1976".
2580 x 1950mm
History: 

Made by Isabel and Jean Portus, twin sisters, in Sydney. Commenced in the 1960s and completed in the 1970s. It was made for the single bed in the guest room of their home. After the death of Isabel in 1974 the quilt was finished by Jean and at a later date was passed to Cressida Challis, a family member. It is still used, sometimes, in the spare bedroom of Cressida's home.

Story: 

Isabel and Jean, who made the quilt, were twin sisters. They never married. The quilt which had been commenced in the 1960s was almost complete when Isabel died in 1974. Jean then completed it in 1976. Isabel, Jean and another sister Barbara all used brass templates to make their hexagon papers. The templates were made by Barbara's husband Serge who was a fitter and turner. The papers were often cut from shareholders' annual reports and were reused a couple of times.
The sisters made many patchwork articles, made their own clothes, crocheted and knitted socks during the war.

Related Quilts:

Port Curtis Historical Soc.Inc.
Quilt No.436PCS - Port Curtis Historical Soc.Inc.
Cotton Hexagon quilt with a wide variety of patterned and plain materials. Blue binding and a cotton backing. The padding is thought to be cotton wool.
1525 x 1220mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Historical Society of Cockburn
Quilt No.1011HC - Historical Society of Cockburn
Handmade quilt in off centre log cabin pattern. Pieces are floral furnishing and dress fabrics, in twenty blocks. There is no padding, and backing is of bright floral cotton. 1900 x 1500 mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin
Margaret-Anne M Thomas
Quilt No.703MT - Margaret-Anne M Thomas
Cotton quilt hand pieced and hand quilted. Eigth pointed star on a white background. 7 rows of 7 stars with a 70mm border. There is a padding or interlining. The backing is plain off white cotton twill.
2040 x 2030mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
West Australian Quilters' Association
Quilt No.1102WAQA - West Australian Quilters' Association
The quilt is a repeat block in the Ohio Star pattern in turkey red and cream. Quilted in squares in the cream block and diagonal lines in the star block. The fabric border is disintegrating. The backing is cream calico and the padding is cotton, badly degraded. 1940 x 1760mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Quilt No.951NTW - National Trust of Australia (WA)
Hexagon quilt in dress and shirting cottons constructed in frame style with a centre rosette of 7 patches surrounded by 4 borders of patterned hexagons alternating with cream patches. The quilt has an inner border of triangles then rows of rosettes alternating with cream patches. The outer border is triangles. There is no padding. The backing is cream linen and has had a 20th century white cotton sateen slipstitched to it.
2045 x 1940mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Elsie Roberts
Quilt No.340ER - Elsie Roberts
Patchwork quilt has a centre of a square within a square, with rows of scraps added around it. The scraps are mainly cotton shirting fabrics and are cut in different sizes and shapes. The two long sides have a narrow red edging folded from the back. The other two sides have been 'bagged'. Filling is an unusual weave thought to be wool. Backing is a pink, red and beige floral cotton.
2080 x 1650mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples