Quilt No.171KHS - Kaniva District Historical Society

Kaniva District Historical Society
Owner: 
Kaniva District Historical Society
Location: 
VIC North West
Maker
Maker: 
Mary Ann Clark
Made in
ENGLAND
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
Patchwork quilt of hexagons in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, consisting of a dark centre hexagon, a row of light patches, then a second row of dark patches in the same colour as the centre. Each group of patches or 'flower' is joined by white paths. Colours are predominantly red, blue, brown and pale or faded colours. Some fading; some dark colour fabrics have deteriorated. Backing. Hand sewn. Border of quilt and backing sewn edge to edge.
2236 x 1829mm
History: 

Made by Mary Ann Clark (1828-1917), later Mrs John William Wake King, about 1845, in England. In 1915 it was given to her grand-daughter Emily King (Mrs Champness), second daughter of Mary Ann's eldest son William Frederick. In 1977 the quilt was donated to the Kaniva District Historical Society by the family of Emily's eldest daughter Irene (Mrs H.L. Williams).

Story: 

Mary Ann Clark came from Spalding, Lincolnshire. On 31 March, 1850, she married John William Wake King, of London, at Trinity Church, Regent Park, London. John was a boot and shoe maker. Mary Ann King took out a prize for book binding at the Paris Exhibition in 1851.
John decided to emigrate to Australia for health reasons and he, Mary Ann and their two children arrived at Port Adelaide on 16 November, 1853, on board the 'Olivia'. John took up work as a shoe maker with a Mr H.M. Jackson of Nairne, and later took over the business. From 1855 to 1857 John was at the Victorian gold giggings, but did not do very well. In 1857 he returned to Port Adelaide, walking back to Nairne, and took up business as an agent and auctioneer.

Related Quilts:

N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided quilt with both sides based on a central frame. One side has centre panel of darks surrounding 4 patch of the same print in different colourways. This is surrounded by borders of rectanglesis small prints, checks and stripes. The outer border is men's suitings. The other side has a centre frame similar to the 'Broken Dushes' pattern surrounded by wide borders in solid colours, paisley and fine checks. There is a dark strip across the top and bottom. It is roughly machine quilted.
1770 x 1380mm
West Australian Quilters' Association
Repeat block in Dresden Plate pattern using various cotton fabrics from the 1920s. Quilted with a flower in the purple/pink centre and squares elsewhere. Border is furnishing fabric. The padding is cotton that is disintegrating and the backing is calico. 1980 x 2100mm
Fleur Margaret Lehane
Unfinished cotton frame quilt. The centre square is 4 triangles and this is surrounded by a border of smaller triangles. Most of the other borders are of triangles in a wide variety of materials, printed and plain.
2286 x 1829mm
Pauline Munro
Quilt of woollen rectangles, probably tailors' samples. Machine pieced. The backing is floral cotton similar to curtain material.The backing has a french seam down the centre back and is folded over to the front to form a binding. There is no padding.
1440 x 1260
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Pieced patchwork quilt of hexagons in cottons, chintzes and linen. The centre is pieced in 6 point hexagon stars, then radiating out are large hexagons alternating with tumbling blocks, then 6 piece hexagon stars and 4 piece hexagon diamonds. Some pieces have Egyptian patterns dating from 1800 - 1805. The backing is cream linen.
2450 x 2200mm
Powerhouse Museum
Reversible cot quilt, hand pieced, in the log cabin pattern; the blocks measure 150mm square. The patches have been cut from plain and patterned dress, pyjama and men's shirt fabrics. Strong diagonals were created in the overall design through using light and dark colours, often a strong red, to divide the log cabin blocks in half diagonally. The back is made from rectangles of striped men's shirt fabrics in pastel blues, pinks and browns with a large 'flowe' in each corner, each pieced from six hexagon patches around a central seventh hexagon. There is no padding.
[PHM] 1720 x 1150mm