Quilt No.783CN - Charlotte Nattey

Charlotte Nattey
Owner: 
Charlotte Nattey
Location: 
ACT
Maker
Maker: 
Frances Donaldson
Made in
IRELAND Ballycastle
Patterms
Patchwork, Frame
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Quilt in cottons and linens with the centre frame featuring an eight pointed star surrounded by borders of pieced diamonds, squares, stars and long sashing pieces. The entire quilt has been overstitched in a chevron running stitch 15mm apart. If there is padding it has flattened completely. The backing is heavy twill weave linen.
2020 x 1830mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Mrs. Frances Donaldson in Ballycastle northern Ireland c. 1900. Frances was the great grandmother of the present owner, Charlotte Nattey. It was previously owned by Charlotte's grandmother, Mrs. Millington and then her aunt Miss Mildred Millington. It is not used now.

Story: 

"My great grandmother was a wonderful needlewoman - mind you she did nothing else! She was in a position to have all the staff she required and spent her life indulging her passion! She made beautiful Carrickmacross lace - collars, cuffs, wedding veils etc and I understand was involved in that cottage industry. She also embroidered prolifically - from babies dresses to blouses, hankies, nightdresses etc. One amazing piece I have is about 2.5 metres of heavy broderie anglais of about 70cm deep which I understand was my grandmother's tennis dress!! ����
After her husband (a bank manager) died she divided her life into 2, 6 months at a time with each of her 2 daughters.
She obviously retained control of the family's sewing, as my aunt remembers that no one else was allowed to do a buttonhole, as she could do them so much better! My aunt also told me that during the 'Great War' she put her energies into knitting and could turn 4 pairs of sock heels a day - her maids finished off the tops! My aunt also remembers having to keep up the balls of wool and winding them from skeins draped over chair backs. My aunt was born in 1910, she must have been quite small.
I am the present custodian of the lace, embroidery and quilt."
[Charlotte Nattey 6.4.97]

Franmces Donaldson and her daughter, Edith Mary Millington
Franmces Donaldson and her daughter, Edith Mary Millington

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
Josephine Curtis
Quilt No.1006JC - Josephine Curtis
Taylor's sample quilt made from men's suit swatches, mainly greys and blues. Edging is 6cms wide, of blue flannelette. Padding is an old grey blanket, and the backing is of printed pattern corduroy. 1680 x 920 mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Quilt No.941NTW - National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork quilt in Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern, consisting of 7 patch rosettes with white 'paths'. Cotton dress and shirting materials have been used in blues, pinks, brown, turkey red and Prussian blue. The quilt is hand sewn and each hexagon is 25mm wide. The backing is cream twill cotton in three panels. There is a hand sewn binding in red/pink cotton. There is overall quilting in chevron or zigzag pattern.
2415 x 2110mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Rozanne Andrew
Quilt No.222RA - Rozanne Andrew
Patchwork crazy quilt of late 40s and early 50s. Pieces are from curtains, tablecloth,other kitchen type fabrics in cotton, seersucker and linen. Colours are mainly reds, greens, blues, and pastels, in prints and plain. Herringbone stitch is worked around the edge of each patch. No filling. The backing is calico with one edge in a piece of coloured cotton from the front; the calico was a little small for the top.
2020 x 1400mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
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
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.562NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Crazy patchwork on to foundation material with the edges of the pieces turned under and machined. It is not quilted. A 25mm red binding has been machined on. There is no padding. The backing is red wholecloth cotton.
1940 x 1540mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy