Quilt No.642CS - Celia Suddull

Celia Suddull
Owner: 
Celia Suddull
Location: 
NSW South East
Maker
Maker: 
Clara Hughes
Made in
ENGLAND & SHIPBOARD
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Suffolk puff coverlet, white cotton, hand sewn. Each puff is 55mm. Edging of needle netting lace.
2190 x 1510mm with 120mm wide needle netting lace.
The set includes a pillow sham 900 x 380mm and a nightgown bag 430 x 330mm. Both are edged with needle netting lace.
History: 

This quilt was commenced by Clara Hughes in England and completed on the Orient line steamer the 'Sorata' in 1884. Clara Johnson died in 1955 and the quilt is now with her great grand-daughter Celia Suddull. It is not used.

Story: 

Clara Jemima Hughes (1863-1955) was in service in London and agreed to marry William Johnson who was already in Adelaide. In 1884 Clara paid 10 pound for a ticket to Adelaide on the Orient line 'Sorata', one of the first steamships. It is believed the suffolk puff quilt was completed on the voyage out.
William and Clara were married in 1886 and lived first in Broken Hill and in 1891 or 1892 the family, now including one child, George, moved to Jerilderie. William was a baker and pastrycook by trade but in Jerilderie he worked on a property as a useful and handy man and Clara as a cook and house maid. Three more children were born and all died. William drank heavily and Clara took in borders to make ends meet. A pattern she was to follow for many years.
Of 9 children born to Clara, only 4 survived to adulthood.
In 1902 the family moved to Wagga and the quilt was part of their luggage, still in pristine condition and probably never used. At one stage they owned a baker's shop in the main street but William continued to drink heavily and ownership of the shop appears to have been short lived. Clara continued to take in borders.
In 1911 William was appointed head chef at the Wagga Experiment farm at a salary off 5 pounds a week. He was drinking less and their fortunes seem to have improved.
In 1914 William died from the result of a sulky accident. He was 51. Clara was 53, went to work and continued to take in borders.
Clara Johnson died in 1955 with the quilt still rarely if ever used.
[Compiled from extensive family sources and with the assistance of family members by Wendy Hucker for NQR]

Clara Johnson with Grace, 1904
Clara Johnson with Grace, 1904
Clara Johnson c.1950
Clara Johnson c.1950
One of Clara's knitted rugs
One of Clara's knitted rugs

Related Quilts:

Rozanne Andrew
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
Joan McGregor
One side of this quilt is large pieces of check and striped material surrounding a small patterned supper cloth with a border of scrap pieces. The other side is small, floral, check, spotted, striped and plain cotton pieces surrounding a tablecloth. It is machine sewn and is not quilted. The padding is an old woollen blanket.
1825 x 1625mm
Colleen Whitaker
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.
National Gallery of Australia
" Reversible patchwork quilt of woollen suiting/upholstery fabrics in khaki, greys, blues and browns. Both sides have different designs. The front of the quilt has 13 rows of 12 vertical rectangles flanked on either side by a column of 22 horizontal rectangles. The reverse has a more interesting and complex design of small and very large rectangles, squares and triangles; with khaki contrasting with the duller greys and blues. The patchwork layers are joined at the edges with machine stitching and the quilt is machine quilted along 3 horizontal lines following joins in the patchwork; therefore not being totally straight. These lines are more noticeable on the reverse. The reverse face has been on display at the NGA." [NGA] There is a cotton blanket used as padding. 2054 x 1451mm
Phyllis Dowling
Hand pieced cot quilt made from small rectangular shapes of a great variety of materials including cottons, silks, wools and velvets. The backing is cotton sateen in 3 colours and is brought to the front to form a border of pink, cream and yellow.
1170 x 920mm
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Patchwork quilt made from silk and challis and velvet hexagons set to form diamond shapes. The centre shape has 8 hexagons surrounded by a row of 16 hexagons. The outer border of the quilt is 2 rows of 'Tumbling Blocks' set amongst a variety of black silk and satin patches. There is a wide fringe in red, green, blue and yellow. There is no padding and the backing is a recent addition in red cotton, synthetis mix.
1770 x 1740mm