Quilt No.557NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service

N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Owner: 
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Sarah Marshall?
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Large double sided quilt of rectangles and squares of men's suitings, patterned and plain on both sides. The top has a central motif of a circle of three segmented rings radiating from a single hexagon. The outer ring is all tailors' samples and the inner rings are a variety of materials. There is some featherstitching in red. The quilt is sparsley machine quilted.
History: 

At this time it is impossible to make a definite attribution to Sarah Marshall but this quilt was almost certainly made by Sarah Marshall and/or one of her daughters, Hannah, Jean or Agnes at Hill End NSW and probably at 'Craigmoor' their family home. The exact date is unknown. It is now part of the 'Craigmoor' collection owned by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and displayed at 'Craigmoor'.

Story: 

James Marshall (1828-1905) from Scotland via the Californian gold rush and Sarah Langslow Adams (1836-1926) born Herefordshire England, were married in 1858 at Hill End. Reef mining in the 1860s brought fame and fortune to this mining settlement, north of Sofala and Bathurst in NSW.
In 1875 James Marshall had 'Craigmoor' built and he and Sarah lived there with their family of 9 children, 2 having died in infancy.
The textile collection at 'Craigmoor', including the quilts, reflects the Marshall women, Sarah and her daughters Hannah (1859-1950), Jean (1867-1948) and Agnes (1871-1950) and gives a glimpse of the daily lives of the women. Needlework, including crochet, in various forms was important and some of the women made their own hats. At least in the later years it appears to have been a thrify household with many quilts made over and patched.
Hannah, a spinster, lived at 'Craigmoor' from the time it was built until her death aged 91. She taught Sunday school in Hill End and was well know locally for her bottling, preserving and jam making. She also made elderberry wine. The 3 sisters were fond of playing the piano.

[Sources: N.S.W National Parks and Wildlife Service brochure on Hill End, Sue Stephens daughter of Charles Marshall, Christine Karlsen, informal conversations with the locals at 'The Royal'. Wendy Hucker for NQR]

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (WA)
Quilt No.948NTW - National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork top made of cottons, constructed with 5 by 5 rows of squared 8 point pieced stars alternating with white cross-shaped blocks (made from 4 pieces). On all sides are borders of half stars. The outer border is of rectangles of cotton prints appliquéd on to cotton to form a plaited pattern. The border only is backed with a band of cream cotton. All patches are whip stitched together.
2645 x 2615mm
Patchwork, Mosaic
Griffith Pioneer Park Museum
Quilt No.351GPM - Griffith Pioneer Park Museum
Patchwork quilt made from hexagon patches of cotton, silk, brocade, sateen and wool. Some silk patches are individually lined. Colours are mainly red, blues, purple, black, yellow and brown, with some pastels. Many silk patches have disintegrated, showing the paper templates. Quilt has a brown cotton inner lining, then a blue cotton backing, and is edged on the reverse with checked silk. Hand sewn by more than one person: one experienced sewer, one not so experienced.
1370 x 1170mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Mare Carter
Quilt No.64MC - Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt, all cotton including cotton filling. Pink and white. Large plain pink blocks with white pieced blocks in between in arrow type pattern based on rectangles. Hand sewn and hand quilted
1931 x 1728mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Valinda Gale
Quilt No.161VG - Valinda Gale
Patchwork quilt made from squares of cotton prints in florals, stripes, spots and checks, joined together in rows. Colours are predominantly blues, reds, yellow and pastels. Binding is of turquoise blue fabric. Materials appear to be from the 40s or 50s. Patches caught in the middle with a woollen knot - red, yellow, blue wool. No quilting. Backed in blue fleecy flannel.
Single bed length and width.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
Mare Carter
Quilt No.58MC - Mare Carter
Quilt of alternate green and fawn squares (100mm) in knitted fabric, originally swatches of sample fabrics. Padding is a piece of old blanket. Backing is fawn flannelette, and the quilt is finished with a flannelette ruffle.
1423 x 1124mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt No.888NTNW - National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Hand sewn quilt comprising 263 rosettes of hexagons in chintz. 6 hexagons around a centre one form a rosette. Between these are plain off white hexagons. There is a mark on one corner on cream material, possibly a stamp. The crochet lace border is on three sides only.
2850 x 2720mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon