Quilt No.761PHM - Powerhouse Museum

Powerhouse Museum
Owner: 
Powerhouse Museum
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Hannah Reed
Made in
ENGLAND Northumberland
Patterms
Patchwork, Strip
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
"A Northumberland quilt made from strips of saffron and white cotton; each strip is approximately 170mm wide. The quilt is hand quilted with a different pattern in each stripe: the saffron stripes have quilted plant patterns and the white stripes have curving leaf and floral patterns. The quilt is padded with white cotton wadding and backed with white cotton fabric." [PHM]
2250 x 2110mm
History: 

"The maker of the quilt was Hannah Reed, nee Coulson. The quilt was made in Hannah's home and the name of the farmlet was 'Swinhope Mill' of Swinhop, Sparty Lea, Allendale, Northumberland, England.
"The quilt was passed down through the family. It was left to the donor's aunt, Phyllis Jane. Then it was passed on to the donor's brother, Thomas William Ritson, next to the mother Ruth Ritson. Ruth brought the quilt to Australia in 1914 and passed it down to Lavinia McFadyen in 1919, just before she died. The quilt was not used, but kept as a treasure and donated to the Powerhouse Museum in 1985." [PHM]
The quilt is used for research and exhibition only.

Story: 

"Hannah Reed died at the age of 77 in 1892. At that time she was living with her daughter Ruth; her granddaughter Lavinia was 12 years old. On 8 February 1983, Lavinia McFadyen wrote:
'My Grandmother Reed was a thrifty, hardworking lady and was left a widow when Grandpa died at 55 years. I'd say she made and helped make several quilts in her time. She died at 77. When you read the quilting history I'm sending you'll see it was very time consuming. My aunties were all very good needlewomen and my mother taught needlework at a girl's school until she married and I had a beautiful display of quilts and much fancy work at my 2 sales. I gave a lot away until friends asked me to sell it.' "
[Lavinia McFadyen for the Powerhouse Museum]

Hannah with daughters Phyllis and Mary and Mary's child Ruth,'Swinhope Mill'
Hannah with daughters Phyllis and Mary and Mary's child Ruth,'Swinhope Mill'

Related Quilts:

Diane Kern Hamilton
Quilt No.1048DH - Diane Kern Hamilton
Dresden plate quilt with pointed pieces set around a white centre. Fabrics are checks, floral patterns and plains of the 1930s. The twenty blocks are sashed with plain mauve fabric which does not meet evenly in some places. The padding is two layers of cotton bedspreads. The backing is open weave rough quality cotton.
1860 x 1550mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Pioneer Settlement Authority
Quilt No.468PSA - Pioneer Settlement Authority
Centre medallion of hexagons surrounded by blocks of tumbling blocks. Rows of triangles around the edge. Each corner has a star within a hexagon. Hand stitched with the traditional 20 stitches to the inch. There is a silk tassle in each corner. Materials include: silk, silk ribbon, taffeta, brocade, velvet, striped silk, faille. The backing is cream holland.
1580 x 1510mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Tumbling Block
Jan Tregoweth
Quilt No.241JT - Jan Tregoweth
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagon patches grouped in 'flowers', comprising 4 rings of patches around a central hexagon. Prints and plains are used, the colours mainly browns, greens, yellows, dark blue and dark pink. The 'paths' are in a yellow-brown cotton. Cotton backing. The padding is probably an old blanket. The quilt is an irregular shape, and is tied.
2550 x 1870mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Euroa and District Historical Society
Quilt No.501EHS - Euroa and District Historical Society
Handsewn cotton hexagons in a wide variety of patterns. Centre oval of hexagons with 2 outer rings. There is no padding and the backing is white cotton.
2490 x 2200mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Gillian Sullivan
Quilt No.86GS - Gillian Sullivan
Quilt made of 9120 very small Suffolk Puffs, each one about the size of a 20 cent piece. "Each piece backed and the front of it drawn up like a reticule. It was not backed and was rather fragile, so I backed it on to a sheet, as it was heavy and in danger of tearing when lifted." [Gillian Sullivan]
2360 x 2230 mm
Patchwork, Suffolk Puff
Sue Batzloff
Quilt No.328SB - Sue Batzloff
Patchwork quilt for a child made from suiting pieces from the Castlemaine Woollen Mills in Victoria. One side has dark rectangles in greys and navy, the other side uses pieces in light browns, cream and rust, with dark grey. The edging is also made from suiting. No padding Machine sewn.
1347 x 1271mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples