Quilt No.665DC - Diana Cameron

Diana Cameron
Owner: 
Diana Cameron
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Jane Cobbold
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Cotton quilt of patterned and plain hexagons with central design and borders of hexagons radiating from it. It is hand sewn and most patterns are of roses. Backing is pink sateen and is a replacement backing put on in 1939. Pieced over papers, remnant love letters were found when the new backing was put on.
1981 x 1525mm
History: 

The quilt was hand sewn by Jane Cobbold (Cain) c.1880 at 'Yarra House' in South Yarra, Melbourne and passed to the present owner's great aunt and then to her mother and is now owned by Diana Cameron. It is used occasionally.

Story: 

Diana Cameron's grandmother, Jane Cobbold, was born in England and came to Australia as William Cain's bride c.1875. 'Yarra House' in Anderson Street, South Yarra was built by William Cain who was mayor of Melbourne (before it was a city so he was not Lord Mayor) about 1890. It is opposite the Botanic gardens and the Cains entertained lavishly for over a decade. 'Yarra House' is now Merton Hall and part of the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School.
Diana Cameron, the present owner, went to the Goondiwindi district as a young bride and the quilt has always been part of her married life.
[Compiled from notes supplied by the owner]

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (WA)
Hand sewn quilt (possibly child's or table top) of crazy patchwork in silk, silk ribbon and cotton velvet. The top has surface decoration of embroidery on all seams, feather stitch and blanket stitch variations. Many of the crazy patches are also embroidered. The centre patch has a rooster embroidered in lame thread. Embroidered motifs are hearts, butterflies, guitar, cow, Little Red Riding Hood, horseshoes, crown, clover leaf. Stitches are feather, stem, satin and blanket. Embroidered initials are 'B', 'R', and 'S'. The backing is dark grey silk.
840 x 840mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Frame cot quilt in cotton fabrics, the centre square in a paisley print surrounded by two plain borders or frames, then two frames pieced in alternate light and dark triangles, then a frame in a floral print. Outer border is of red fabric, longer at top and bottom to make a rectangle. No quilting. Machine sewn.
1050 x 770mm
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Unfinished patchwork top made from hexagon patches in the 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, in glazed and unglazed cottons and some twill fabrics. 7 patches for flowers with white and some cream patches forming paths. All fabrics are patterned and date from c.1825-1840, including pieces of toile de jouy, stripes and florals. Colours are predominantly reds and blues with some green, brown, purple; one flower is in chrome yellow, 8 flowers are in turkey red indicating probably the latest fabric. The quilt is hand sewn and the papers are in tact in most patches.
1508 x 940mm
Irene Treneman
Cotton quilt, checks, plains and patterns. Machine construction. Rectangles stitched together in strips and then strips joined. The backing is a cotton print. There is no padding and no quilting.
2420 x 1220
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
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