Quilt No.549JL - June Loewenthal

June Loewenthal
Owner: 
June Loewenthal
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Hand made cotton quilt in repeat block with appliqued Iris pattern. It is a kit quilt. "The Iris, Design "R" of the 'Mountain Mist Series' of Quilt Patterns" from The Stearns & Foster Company, Lockland, Cincinnati, Ohio. Copyright 1930. The backing is cotton and the filling also.
2439 x 1981mm
History: 

The maker is unknown but is said to have been a Scandinavian woman. The present owner purchased the quilt at Tinker Tailor, a shop in the Sydney suburb of Pymble, in the 1950s. It was used as a bedspread at Roberton Park, Kirkham Road, Glengarry NSW an early stone house. It is now used sometimes in the owner's Sydney home.

Story: 

June Loewenthal recognised the pattern in a magazine many years after she had purchased the quilt. She then sent to America for it.
The pattern gives detailed instructions and figures for the block in actual size.
"The charm of this beautiful and unusual Iris Quilt lies in the natural treatment of the design. The finished quilt is a veritable garden of bloom in actual Iris colous!"
"MOUNTAIN MIST PATTERNS are obtainable only with the purchase of Mountain Mist Quilting Cotton. One pattern, (no choice of design), is furnished free with each bat purchased, and also a coupon good for one other pattern at a very low price."
[Extracts from "The Iris, Design 'R' of the "Mountain Mist Series' of Quilt Patterns"]

Related Quilts:

National Museum of Australia
A 'Farm Life Quilt' made from alternate squares of beige linen and brightly coloured cotton headcloth. The coloured squares are farm animals and birds in a variety of embroidery stitches. The beige squares have a cornucopia design embroidered in dark brown stem stitch. There is a wide border front and back of beige linen. The backing is brown and white check cotton. There is no padding.
Fleur Margaret Lehane
Unfinished cotton frame quilt. The centre square is 4 triangles and this is surrounded by a border of smaller triangles. Most of the other borders are of triangles in a wide variety of materials, printed and plain.
2286 x 1829mm
Glenda Wilkinson
Small quilt made from pieces of heavy weight wooollen coat material cut into strips and machined together. It is reversible. Each side is made from different materials but in similar colours of aqua, blue, green and beige. The 2 layers are quilted together with a few machined lines of straight stitching. It has a folded and machine stitched edge. There is no padding.
950 x 790mm
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
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
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
The quilt consists of a central field within a main field within a narrow border a main border and then an outer border. The centre field consists of embroidered Prince of Wales feathers with 4 embroidered motifs, parrot, duck, open fan and 4 playing cards within an appliqued sunburst border. The quilt has many embroidered and appliqued motifs, some just abstract shapes, many with a Chinese Japanese theme. It is quilted and padded but the type of padding is unknown. The backing is red cotton sateen.
2280 x 2240mm