Quilt No.457RCH - Red Cliffs Historical Society

Red Cliffs Historical Society
Owner: 
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Location: 
VIC Northern
Maker
Maker: 
Florence Beaton
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Large hexagon rosettes in a variety of plain colours. 6 form a flower and each hexagon has a contrasting colour for the centre. Machined smaller hexagons give a ruffled effect. Colours of flowers include teal, burnt orange, pink, lime and mauve. The material is nylon and the backing is a single piece of pink bubble nylon. The padding is a single piece of calico.
2050 x 1530mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Florence Beaton of Sunshine Farm in the 1950s or 1960s. It is now owned by the Red Cliffs Historical Society at Red Cliffs, Victoria. The society also has a fine collection of Florence and Clara's needlework.

Story: 

Florence (Flo) Beaton (born McNabb) 1920-1996 was the daughter of Clara and Frank McNabb who selected block 46 at Carwarp in the harsh mallee country of north western Victoria in 1913. They called it "Sunshine Farm". Florence was one of 4 childrten (3 boys). She recalled* that her Mother Clara once won a nail driving competition, was an expert with a shotgun, worked on the farm driving a team of horses, had a wonderful garden and was a fine needlewoman as was her mother Ellen before her. Flo carried on the needlework tradition of her mother and grandmother and was accomplished in many types of needlework including making quilts. Flo did not have any children.
[*Ref: "A Woman's Work" By Florence Beaton. The story of a Mallee farmer's wife from 1913. Published by The Sunnyland Press, Red Cliffs 1985.]

Related Quilts:

Barbara McCabe
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles and squares of woollen fabrics from dress making projects. Colours are mainly grey, blue, brown, green, with some red and yellow. Fabrics are plain, cheks and stripes. No padding or quilting. Backing is made of white flannelette sheets. The quilt has been lengthened after it was completed, and the backing sheet has been added to at the same place.
2470 x 1320mm
Joyce Lannin
Machine stitched quilt made from tailors' samples cut into squares. The colours are mainly greys, browns and fawns. There is no padding and the backing is a grey herringbone heavy woollen material with a white fleck. This is folded back to the front to make a 75mm border and finished with a dark grey braid where it meets the patchwork top. 1525 x 1225mm
Billie Briggs
Hand pieced hexagon quilt in pattern known as 'Grandmother's Flower Garden". 12 hexagons, in patterned cottons, form the outer border of each flower with an inner border of 6 matching plain coloured hexagons and all flowers have a yellow hexagon centre. There is no padding, a cotton backing and it is hand quilted.
2400 x 1780mm.
Kaniva District Historical Society
Quilt of crocheted squares (sometimes known as Granny squares) in pinks, blues, greens and brown, with a green crocheted border edged in brown. Quilt is backed. A cot quilt or a knee rug.
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
The body of this quilt is hexagons. This centre piece is surrounded by an applique border of birds and flowers and donkeys on see-saws. The flowers have been elaborately pieced from a great variety of materials. Some of the birds have pres studs for eyes.
Mare Carter
Patchwork Quilt, all cotton including filling. Pattern is "squares and diamonds". Quilt is faded but blue is probably the predominant colour. Hand stitched and hand quilted.
1624 x 1194mm