Quilt No.478RR - Rita Ruchel

Rita Ruchel
Owner: 
Rita Ruchel
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Toni Nickolai
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Tumbling Block
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt of cotton diamond shaped pieces feather stitched together with the pieces slightly overlapping. There is no padding and the backing is a light white cotton
1900 x 1060mm
History: 

Made by Toni Nickolai in the Loxton district of S.A. during WW2 and now owned by her daughter Rita Ruchel. It was used on Rita's bed when she was a teenager and then on her own daughter's bed. It is now on loan to the Willewa Community Pioneer Forest Historical Group in Meringur Vic. [1998]

Story: 

"During World War 2 it was often a struggle to make ends meet with restrictions through rationing of almost everything. There were many do-it-yourself projects. As our mother made a lot of our clothing (8 children) and her own furnishings there were many left over scraps of material. She had trained as a dressmaker before marriage. Droughts and low farming returns made it very necessary to 'make-do'. One of many Aussie battlers so all the otherwise useless pieces of material were made into something useful.
I too am a qualified dressmaker and follow the tradition of making quilts, toys etc from scraps." [Rita Ruchel 30.10.1998]

The quilt maker, Mrs. Tonie Nickolai
The quilt maker, Mrs. Tonie Nickolai

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.958NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"The Rajah "quilt" is a patchwork and appliquéd bed cover or coverlet. It is in pieced medallion or framed style: a popular design style for quilts in the British Isles in the mid 1800's. There is a central field of white cotton decorated with appliquéd (in broderie perse) chintz birds and floral motifs. This central field is framed by 12 bands or strips of patchwork printed cotton. The quilt is finished at the outer edge by white cotton decorated with appliquéd daisies on three sides and inscription in cross stitch surrounded by floral chintz attached with broderie perse on the fourth side. All fabrics used in the Rajah quilt are cotton with the exception of small amounts of linen and silk threads. The quilt shows evidence of being produced by many hands." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 3372 x 3250mm
Frame, Motifs or Names, Patchwork, Typically Australian
Fran Williams
Quilt No.517FW - Fran Williams
Crazy quilt made from a lot of light wools including gabardine types. Patches are outlined in embroidery stitches and there is additional embroidery on some patches. It is worked in 3 ply wool thought to be Patonyle (early blend of nylon and wool). The backing is a floral print mainly black with a cream flowers, brought to the front as a binding. Occasional stitches holding front to back by way of quilting. There is no padding.
1600 x 2100mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Glenda Wilkinson
Quilt No.474GW - 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
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Annette Gero
Quilt No.869AG - Annette Gero
Quilt made from furnishing materials some with mettalic flecks. It is machine sewn.
160 x 135mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random
Diana Cameron
Quilt No.529DC - Diana Cameron
Square quilt top. Floral centre piece with borders of squares set in a diamond pattern. Squares are in plain colours and patterns. There is no padding or backing.
920 x 920mm
Patchwork, Frame
Annette Gero,
Quilt No.842AG - Annette Gero,
Wholecloth quilt originally covered with cretonne and recovered with orange satin. Machine quilted. Padding of wool.
1270 x 1160mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Wholecloth, Utilitarian, Typically Australian