Quilt No.676MH - Margaret Hedges

Margaret Hedges
Owner: 
Margaret Hedges
Location: 
VIC North West
Maker
Maker: 
Charlotte Augusta Barber
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Patterms
Patchwork, Crazy, Typically Australian, Motifs or Names
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Crazy patchwork quilt with small patches in velvet, silk, brocade and cottons most with hand embroidery over the seams. There are many motifs such as flowers, butterflies, birds also dates, initials and names of local properties. It is padded with a thin soft material and the replacement backing (old) is satin. There is a wide rose coloured frill on all sides.
1680 x 1380mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Charlotte Augusta Barber (born Meara) probably at the property 'Mt. Taurus' or in Warrnambool in the latter part of last century. It was then owned by Charlotte Hedges, an aunt of the present owner, and now by Margaret Hedges the great grand-daughter of Charlotte Meara. It is not used now.

Story: 

Charlotte Augusta Meara was born c.1815 and went to Van Dieman's Land in 1836 later crossing over to Belfast (now Port Fairy). In 1849 she and George Barber were married and lived in Port Fairy until 1855 when they moved to the neighbouring town of Warrnambool where George Barber established himself as a solicitor. They had 3 children Anthony, Louisa Ann and Ann Eliza. After practising in Warrnambool for a number of years George and Charlotte retired to a beautiful grazing property called 'Mount Taurus Estate'. George Barber died in 1897. Charlotte moved to Warrnambool and died in 1908.

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.963NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"The quilt consists of 12 blocks of crazy patchwork with an embroidered border. The quilt is made of 167 different fabrics; most of these are silk. These velvets, printed silks and satins are beautifully embroidered with flowers, household items and Kate Greenway images of children at play. Many of the motifs have a strong influence from the Aesthetic Movement. The edge of the quilt carries a border in maroon silk decorated with tendrils and daisies in very fine embroidery.
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Bob Sloan
Quilt No.491BS - Bob Sloan
Double sided quilt made from all wool worsted suiting samples. Machine construction. There is no padding.
1840 x 1330mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Julie Bos
Quilt No.640JB - Julie Bos
Allover pattern in woollen dress materials in blue, grey, navy, black and pink. Hand stitched. The owner suggests it was made in the 1950s or earlier. It is not used.
910 x 1250mm
Patchwork, Mosaic
Annette Gero
Quilt No.834AG - Annette Gero
Double sided cretonne quilt, red floral one side, green floral the other. The padding is layers of blanket pieces and pieces of woollen clothes tacked flat. It is machine quilted in squares from the centre outwards.
1270 x 1060mm
Wholecloth, Re-used clothing or blanket, Utilitarian, Typically Australian
Meg Orr
Quilt No.395MO - Meg Orr
All over pattern of rows of hexagons with each unit made up of 4 hexagons each 45mm. Patterned and plain materials thought to date from the 1930s including cotton and linen dress materials, synthetics and synthetic crepe. It was an unfinished top and Meg Orr, the present owner, finished it by machine stitching some of the hexagon rosettes to the red twill background and stitching on a backing. There is no padding.
1740 x 1210mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.632PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
Patchwork quilt made up of 100mm multi coloured squares in a variety of materials including cottons, synthetics, lurex, plain and printed. Each square has dacron padding and is then joined in strips and the strips joined. All hand sewn. The backing is blue synthetic whole cloth 60mm of which is returned to the front to form a border.
1500 x 1200mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square