Quilt No.627PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Owner: 
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Dorothy McMorran
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton quilt in pattern commonly known as "Double Wedding Ring'. Probably an American McCall's pattern. Hand stitched, florals, checks and plain pieces. The backing is pink cotton. Scalloped edge.
2300 x 1880mm
History: 

This quilt was made in Sydney in the 1940s by Mrs. Dorothy McMorran and other members of the Canadian Women's Association probably from a McCalls pattern The quilt passed to Dorothy's daughter, Norma McMorran,who donated it to The Pioneer Women's Hut. It is displayed occasionally in the museum.

Story: 

These quilts were made in the early 1940s by my mother, Mrs. Dorothy McMorran. She was a Canadian who lived in Sydney from 1924 onwards. She came here as a young bride when her husband was sent here to be assistant to the elderly gentleman who at that time represented the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in Australia. Although the appointment was initially for a period of 3 years, it was extended many times and eventually my parents lived in Australia longer than they did in Canada. While loving Australia, they remained very Canadian and thanks to generous 'home' leave were able to maintain their Canadian connections. My mother died in 1974.
She was a very energetic woman with a great interest in handwork - the bigger the project the better. I remember her knitting dresses (she became great friends with the head of the knitting wool department at Farmer's, her favourite store), hooking rugs, crocheting afgahns and in one phase collecting worn out woollen garments to make braided rugs. About 1940 or a little later she was looking for new fields to conquer and was given a McCall pattern for a Dresden Plate quilt by one of the other Canadians living here. It had been brought from Canada and not used.
�����..By this time it was 1946 or 1947 and many members of the group [The Canadian Women's Association] were war brides - Canadian girls who had married Australian R.A.A.F. men training in Canada and many of whom at this stage were battling homesickness, the problems of adapting to a new country and postwar conditions generally. Much homesickness was talked out over the quilting frame and many problems aired. The whole project proved an excellent therapy for these girls.
��..I don't have any clear recollections about how the Double Wedding Ring quilt came to be started except that once the Dresden Plate was finished she had to keep on going. The pattern, probably another McCalls, was likely sent by the friend in Oregon and many of the pieces in it look to have come from the same source."
[Norma McGorran, 1991]

Dorothy McMorran (centre) cooking at the World War 2 canteen, Sydney
Dorothy McMorran (centre) cooking at the World War 2 canteen, Sydney

Related Quilts:

Mrs. L. M. Chick
Hexagon quilt made by hand from a wide variety of cotton materials. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2286 x 915mm
National Gallery of Australia
"A medallion or framed quilt in design. There is a central field of small patchwork diamonds, and from this radiates plain stripes of fabric bordering areas of patchwork panels. The edge of the quilt carries bands of red cotton, which are slightly larger at the top and bottom edges, and here the band is additionally decorated with appliqué diamonds. The fabric of the patchwork is cotton in fine plain weave of pale coloured florals and small geometric designs. The framing and border stripes are of bright red twill weave cotton. The small diamonds of the central field are hand sewn, with more use of machine stitching around the outer edge of the quilt.
The quilt is not padded. The patchwork is fully lined with a printed plain weave cotton fabric with a design commemorating Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The design is based on a repeated grid of circles. In the centre of each circle is a cameo of Queen Victoria, surrounded by images of the national flowers of England, Scotland and Ireland: the rose, the thistle and the shamrock. The edge of the front face of the quilt is trimmed with a red and white cotton braid." [NGA] 2380 x 2220mm
Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society
Patchwork quilt made of hexagons in silks, satins and brocades. Colours are soft, mainly creams and pastels, with some deep pink, yellow, dark grey and bright blue. Quilt is bordered with a wide band of light navy moire or faille. Padded, possibly with a blanket. Backed with cotton twill.
2420 x 1900mm
Jeanette McGeoch
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
Margaret-Anne M Thomas
Cotton quilt hand pieced and hand quilted. Eigth pointed star on a white background. 7 rows of 7 stars with a 70mm border. There is a padding or interlining. The backing is plain off white cotton twill.
2040 x 2030mm
Gabrielle Carter
Crazy quilt of velvet upholstery fabrics, and cigar ribbons with surface embroidery. Patches are outlined in embroidery stitches, and one patch has 'Dec 12 1886' on it. There is no padding, and the backing is cotton. 1720 x 1580 mm.