Quilt No.347AL - Alice Lemon

Alice Lemon
Owner: 
Alice Lemon
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Vera Ellison
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Patchwork quilt made from hexagon patches on one side, and squares and rectangles on the reverse. Cottons are used, mostly from dressmaking, in bright and light colours. The hexagons form an indented edge on all sides; on the back the rectangles have been cut at the edge to match the hexagon shapes. Hand sewn, the edge machine sewn.
No padding.
1551 x 1373mm
History: 

Made around 1958 by Vera Ellison, at the Wombat (NSW) Church Hall at meetings of the Anglican Church Women's Union. Owned by Alice Lemon.

Story: 

"The maker (Mrs Vera Ellison) was a true country woman rearing a large family & joined our Church group about 1956-58. I used to pick her up & take her to meetings. All our members took materials to make 'dilly bags' for missions. Any scraps too small were cut into shapes to make the quilt all hand stitched except the end pieces.
I lived in the country until five years ago and it was during these years that Mrs Vera Ellison was a neighbour (a country neighbour can be miles away). I would pick her up & take her to our meetings & Church. She was a gentle person & a great Sewer & cook. Each member would bring scraps of a frock they had made & each shape stitched together would remind Vera herself and other members of each other.
� The Wombat C.W.U. is no longer as most members have left the district or passed on to a higher life."
[Letter from Alice Lemon 1997]

Related Quilts:

Doreen Carter
The quilt is called 'Loved'. The pattern is log cabin and it is made from dress materials and pyjama flannelette. The original filling was a heavy woollen blanket (now flannelette) and the backing is green headcloth - all government issue. With its restoration, the backing was supplemented with a green floral, and the quilt is now tied. The quilt is machine pieced, some restoration work is done by hand.
2260 x 1920mm
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
Margery Creek
Cotton quilt made in the USA. Pattern is the 'Evening Star' and each star has a frame. It is hand pieced and hand quilted and uses shirting material. It has been modified along two sides where the block extension is visible, having been turned to make a hem. The backing is calico and the padding is cotton.
1829 x 1575mm
Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt made for a child. All cotton with cotton padding. White blocks have embroidery depicting different nursery rhymes eg Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary ; Old Mother Goose. These blocks are separated by rectangular strips of teal cotton. The quilt is hand stitched and heavily quilted.
1677 x 1271mm