Quilt No.365JM - Jeanette McGeoch

Jeanette McGeoch
Owner: 
Jeanette McGeoch
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Jeanette Cullen
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1901 - 1920
Description: 
Crazy patchwork quilt made from pieces of silk, velvet, silk ribbon and brocade in a variety of patterns and plains, in a range of colours. All patches are edged with embroidery, in blanket, feather, herringbone and other stitch variations. Many patches are embroidered with flowers, butterflies, leaves and initials of family members, and there is some beading. 1901 is embroidered in one corner. Quilt has a wide border of gold velvet. Patches are stitched to a base fabric. Backing is dark green sateen.
1470 x 1060mm
History: 

Made c.1901 in Wahgunyah Vic by Jeanette Cullen (born Fraser), 1838-1912, then owned by her daughter Christina Marion McLaurin 1871-1953. Now owned by Christina's daughter Jeanette Fraser McGeoch b.1901.

Story: 

"Maker of the quilt was Jeanette Fraser born Inverness Scotland 1838. Married William Cullen 1868, died 1912. 7 children. Initials for all are on the quilt. William Cullen's parents migrated from Northern Ireland. The quilt was made at 'Gorthleck' Wagunyah Vic, the family property. Jeanette was an expert needlewoman: sewing, crochet, tatting, knitting (cotton bedspread). She also did crayon drawings. Jeanette was the grandmother of the present owner Jeanette McGeoch.
The quilt passed to Jeanette Cullen's daughter, Christina Marion, born 1871. Lived at Lilliput via Rutherglen. She was the second eldest. Married Robert McLaurin in 1900. Died 1943 aged 82 years. 5 children.
The quilt passed to Christina's daughter, Jeanette, born 1901 at Lilliput via Rutherglen Vic. Married 1926 to Walter McGeoch. Jeanette is the present owner of the quilt.
Jeanette recalled the quilt was laid across the foot of her Grandmother's bed, a four poster mahogany. Jeanette described her Mother's and Father's bedroom at 'Curnalla', Lilliput via Rutherglen: the bed was a full tester, cream enamel with brass fittings. There was a white knitted bedspread (counterpane) with crocheted edging, about 8 inches wide with vandyke points. The curtains had knitted strips and crocheted strips. There was a footstool at the end of the bed. The quilt was always laid across the end of the bed. This description refers to the period from 1900 to when Robert died."
[Additional notes from conversation with Mrs McGeoch 1998.]
Initials on the quilt are:
JC Jeanette Cullen
FCC Fred Cullen, son
FF Fred Fraser, brother
JC Jack Cullen, son
AFC Angus Fraser Cullen, son
WRC William Robert Cullen, son
CMC Christina Marion Cullen
ME Mary Elizabeth

Jeanette Cullen with son Jack,1869
Jeanette Cullen with son Jack,1869
Jeanette Cullen
Jeanette Cullen

Related Quilts:

Gundagai Historical Museum
Patchwork cot or pram quilt made of diamond patches in the Tumbling Block pattern. Patches are made from cotton, corduroy and velvet, with red, black, teal blue, green, brown and cream predominating. No padding. Backing is of green wool and the quilt is bound with dark red crushed velvet.
780 x 560mm
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Patchwork quilt made from diamond patches in a variety of cotton materials set in a 'tumbling block' pattern. Patterns include geometrics, stripes, a 'Kate Greenway' print and colours are largely soft pastels, dark browns, with some reds and blues. The quilt has been cut down and a later border added. There is no padding and the backing is cream cotton.
2279 x 2000mm
Dianne Thompson
Patchwork quilt made from Suffolk Puffs in a mixture of bright and pastel prints and plains, mainly in cotton materials. Hand sewn. No padding or backing.
1630 x 1440mm
Lurline Lydiard
Unfinished crazy patchwork quilt. Materials are mainly silk, velvet, woven ribbons, woven brocades. Hand embroidery using many different stitches also machine embroidery eg frog. Some individual patches have names, initials, dates probably relating to family members. There are also place names several of which may refer to Australia. Apart from the embroidery on individual patches there are overlaid a number of floral displays across parts of the quilt. Backing is flannelette with selvedges of blue and pink. 1300 x 1300mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt or table covering dark and light silks in bright colours, pieced from diamond shapes into stars with black patches between the stars. Plain and patterned silks are used for the stars. Border is made from a single row of Tumbling Blocks in plain silks with an edging on each side of truncated black diamonds on blue on the inside, orange on the outer edge. There is a star pieced of diamonds in each corner. Hand sewn.
1830 x 1800mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided square quilt mainly in cottons. Side 1 has been made in 4 squares each consisting of different sized strips and rectangles. With side 2 there appears to have been 2 stages as if the quilt was extended perhaps to match side 1. It is also squares, rectangles and strips. Sparsley machine quilted. There is no binding but side 2 has been turned over to side 1 and stitched by machine.
1525 x 1525mm