Quilt No.663CR - Constance Real

Constance Real
Owner: 
Constance Real
Location: 
QLD South East
Maker
Maker: 
Constance Real
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLD
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt of hand sewn cotton hexagons arranged in rosettes or 'flowers'. The padding is seedless cotton imported from America and the backing is madapolin. The scraps for the hexagons came from old dresses and especially from the owner's children's clothes.
2591 x 2337mm
History: 

Constance Real made this hexagon quilt in Kingaroy Queensland c.1960 and she is still the owner.

Story: 

Connie Real started quilting in the 1950s. "She knew nothing about the craft and started from scratch." In the 1960s Connie was influenced by an article in the New Idea magazine on Mrs. Bland a Canadian woman married to an Englishman and living in Melbourne. The article promoted quilting and referred to American designs such as 'Ohio Rose', 'Triple Sunflower', 'Daddy Hex' and 'Double Wedding Ring'.
"In the 1970s interest was growing in Queensland and as people saw Connie's work they too wanted to know how to do it. Interest was also stimulated through CWA meetings and eventually in 1978 Connie began the first patchwork group in the Darling Downs when she was asked to tutor a full and enthusiastic class at the Summer school in Toowoomba. A further class was begun by Connie in her home town of Kingaroy in 1980. Due to her enthusiasm and strong direction a very strong group was established there and in the surrounding districts. These are alive and flourishing today, regularly attracting new devotees to a wonderful craft. Over the years Connie can count back to a figure of 200 women who have joined her group enjoying what she calls 'this fabulous pastime'. Connie is an original member of the Queensland Quilters Inc. which began in 1984 as an organisational guild for meetings in Brisbane, becoming the Queensland Quilters Inc. in 1988."
[Extract from notes from a friend of Constance Real, Qld, 1998]

Constance Real 1998
Constance Real 1998

Related Quilts:

Muriel Thompson
Quilt in pattern known as 'double weeding ring'. All cotton, using old prints, plaids, checks and solid colours, with plain blues and red squares at the intersections of the circles. White background. Hand pieced. Padding is Hobbs Heirloom: cotton 80%, polyester 20%. Backing is cream quilted cotton. 2500 x 2100 mm.
Win Oliver
Crazy patchwork quilt made from silk, brocade and velvet pieces, the seams covered with feather stitching in yellow silk. Fabrics are plain, and patterned with tartans, woven spots, stripes and floral brocade. Colours are rich, mainly red, pink, blue, green and cream. Quilt has a patterned velvet or velour border with urns and flowers in pale olive green and black, edged with a fringe in these colours.
1090 x 1040mm
National Trust of Australia (SA)
Patchwork frame quilt made from cotton prints. Quilt centre has four pieced squares set within a star shaped border of square patches, set within a square frame (74cm square) edged with half triangles, then set within a red frame (114cm x 114 cm), diamond shaped or 'on point'. In the 4 triangles are double diamond shapes, then a wide border of squares and 'square within a square' patches with red triangles. Red binding. Padding is probably wool. Backing is a cotton print in browns in a floral paisley. All over quilting. Handsewn.
1880 x 1850mm
Nancy Dunlap
Quilt top in block design based on hexagons in a variety of patterned cotton with a plain pink hexagon in the centre. The hexagons are linked by triangles of pink cotton. Cottons include florals, stripes, checks, tartans and novelty prints. 2080 x 2300mm
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
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.