Quilt No.905CFM - Carbethan Folk Museum

Carbethan Folk Museum
Owner: 
Carbethan Folk Museum
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Ellen Smith
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Patchwork quilt in a variation of Log Cabin. The materials are cotton and cotton velveteen. The backing is twill cotton ticking. There is no padding.
1499 x 1169mm.
History: 

Ellen Smith made the quilt at Nairne South Australia probably about the turn of the century. The family moved from Nairne to Crows Nest in Queensland. Fred Smith, Ellen's son, went to SA to visit his family and brought the quilt back in the 1930s. Fred gave it to his daughter Beryl Deeth (Smith) who donated it to the Carbethan Folk Museum at Crows Nest Queensland.

Story: 

"Ellen [Haines] arrived from England on her 17th birthday, the 8th May 1850, on the 'Lysander'. She later married the bullock driver who transported her from port Adelaide to her brother (Perc)'s place at Nairne. They arrived at 2 a.m. in the morning and Ellen's sister in law just moved over in her bed to make room for her that night. She and Mr Hillman [her first husband] had a son who died, and is buried near the forked gum tree in Nairn cemeteery and Mr. Hillman also died from injuries received in an accident, and is buried in the Hillman vault in Nainre cemetery." [Extract Geneology of John Smith by Dawn Foote]
Edis Smith was born in 1827 in England and arrived at Port Adelaide on the 'Star Queen' in 1854. He and Ellen Hillman were married in 1857 and they had twelve children: Emily, Mary Sophia, Rebecca, Zilla, Frederick, Rosina, Hephzibah, Elizabeth Amy, Isabella Annie, Albert Edis, Martha, Herbert Edis. It is said Ellen made a quilt for each daughter.
Ellen was a deeply pious woman and with Edis (a lay preacher for 50 years) helped build the Nairne Wesleyan Church. She died in 1916 aged 83. [Source of information, geneology of John Smith]

Edis and Ellen Smith
Edis and Ellen Smith

Related Quilts:

Wendy Springbett
Patchwork quilt made from alternate squares of light green and medium green cotton headcloth. The light green squares are hand embroidered with Australian native birds, the medium green squares are decorated with pulled thread designs. No padding. Backing and binding of medium green headcloth. Made from patterns published in The Adelaide Chronicle.
2650 x 1573mm
Narelle Grieve
Silk quilt in diamonds with hexagon border. "Toward the edge of the quilt, the design of diamonds made into blocks offers an optical illusion, where the diamonds can be seen to form stars. The border is made up of these stars and half-diamonds, and the entire quilt is trimmed with lace and triangular flaps made of tiny hexagons." [extract unidentified magazine article supplied by quilt owner.]
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.
Patricia Cmielewski
Crazy patchwork quilt made from silk and cotton fabrics, in patterns and plains, in bright colours. Patches are arranged around a central diamond shaped patch in yellow which is bordered with light blue. All seams are covered with featherstitch and herringbone stitch. Patches were stitched onto a calico backing. A recent calico backing ahs been added and dark blue binding attached to the edge. No padding.
1555 x 910mm
June Johnson
Hand sewn cotton cot quilt with pattern of red and white lozenge shaped hexagons measuring approximately 65mm from top to bottom. A centre flower is constructed from 2 circles of 19 hexagons in red and white. This is surrounded by 8 smaller hexagon flowers. Additional single red hexagons are scattered at random on the white background around the rows of flowers. The quilt is not quilted or tied but is attached at all 4 edges. Writing on the back of the quilt (probably added later) reads "Made by Sarah Hodge, Newport, Wales UK for her first child John." There is no padding and the backing is white cotton. 1000 x 1250 mm.
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Machine pieced top of squares of part jumpers, most hand knitted. The padding is a blanket. The backing is an old curtain.
1735 x 1350mm
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagons in a random mix of colours and prints, the predominant colours being blue, red, green, light yellow and pastels. Patches hand sewn. There is no padding and the backing is a grey wool blanket. The top is machine stitched around the edge to the blanket.
1645 x 1060mm