Quilt No.177EQ - Janette McInnes

"The quilt was donated to Essendon Quilters. It had been bought at an op shop for $2.00. I had become very interested in the quilt and after a bit of research found the person who gave it to the op shop. That was Mrs Chalmers. Beryl Chalmers remembers the quilts (there was another) when the family lived in Brunswick (Vic) and feels they were made for a move the family made to Hampton.
Later on the quilts were used at a beach house at Lorne and withstood a lot of hard work. Although the quilt is quite small by our standards today it was made for a single bed.
Elizabeth Perry was born around 1895 and died in 1975. Her niece remembers her as a remarkable lady being able to produce fine hand work or turn to heavy work such as crocheting etc. She was a great seamstress and also did fancy work and made baby clothes as well."

Letter from Janette McInnes, 1997:
"Elizabeth Perry never married and lived with her parents until they died. The qult was made in Brunswick where the family lived at 8 Barrow St, brunswick. The family moved to Hampton about this time - 60 years ago. Mrs Chalmers feels that the quilt was made to be used in their new home.
Elizabeth Perry worked at the Commonwealth Clothing Factory during World War I and Mrs Chalmers thinks she continued working after that but doesn't know where. She seems to have worked as a machinist or perhaps hand tailoring? Mrs Chalmers remembers her as a very talented sewer, who also crocheted, made beautiful baby clothes and did fine hand work.
She doesn't remember her grandmother sewing and her own mother did sew but didn't have the skills that Elizabeth had. �"