Quilt No.632PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Owner: 
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Amy Shore
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Patchwork quilt made up of 100mm multi coloured squares in a variety of materials including cottons, synthetics, lurex, plain and printed. Each square has dacron padding and is then joined in strips and the strips joined. All hand sewn. The backing is blue synthetic whole cloth 60mm of which is returned to the front to form a border.
1500 x 1200mm
History: 

Amy Shore always said the only sewing she did all her life was darning and mending and making Wagga Rugs from jute, wheat or flour bags with cretonne top and backing. In the 1970s her daughter showed her how to make the quilts because 'she wasn't much good for anything else'. Amy made this quilt, one of many, at Murray's Crossing near Tumbarumba NSW in the 1970s. She donated it to The Pioneer Women's Hut. It is displayed occasionally.
1500 x 1200mm

Story: 

Amy Shore (1901-1999) was married in 1919 and had 8 children. The family always lived on a farm and it was a struggle. "Not long after we came here [Munderoo] things weren't very prosperous and it was coming on Christmas so the boys and I got a drum and made eucalyptus oil to get some money for Christmas. It is quite an interesting job. Anyway we made a gallon and got 9 pound for it.
Some years later I also bred ferrets and at one time, had 70 of them. We used them for rabbiting and would sell the rabbits for meat and also the skins. Mr. Scuppan had a baker's shop in Tumbarumba and we also used to swap small skinned rabbits for bread.I sold the ferrets for 2 pound each and we got our place lined with ferret money. Before that it was hessian���
We also sold beeswax from the native bees to old Mather the skin buyer��..
As my family grew bigger and got older, like all teenagers, were wanting better clothes but money was scarce and not much left after feeding six kids and ourselves. So at one time the kids and I went around to find some dead beasts and get the hair off the manes and tails. We would bring it home and wash it in water and eucalyptus and hang it on the fence. When it dried we would take it in to the old skin buyer. It was a good price as it was wanted to stuff saddles with."
[Amy Shore 'Memories of My Mother' Pioneer Women's Hut publication 1990]

Amy Shore 1997. Photo courtesy Tumbarumba Times.
Amy Shore 1997. Photo courtesy Tumbarumba Times.

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.963NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"The quilt consists of 12 blocks of crazy patchwork with an embroidered border. The quilt is made of 167 different fabrics; most of these are silk. These velvets, printed silks and satins are beautifully embroidered with flowers, household items and Kate Greenway images of children at play. Many of the motifs have a strong influence from the Aesthetic Movement. The edge of the quilt carries a border in maroon silk decorated with tendrils and daisies in very fine embroidery.
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Eileen Dinning
Quilt No.480ED - Eileen Dinning
Double sided silk quilt. One side is paisley designs and the reverse plain silk . Machine pieced. There is a thin padding possibly sheeting.
2694 x 2287mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random
Marie Thomas
Quilt No.465MT - Marie Thomas
150mm squares of old material scraps, mostly cotton, including some curtain material. There is no padding and the backing is brown lawn.
2540 x 2370mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.603PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
The quilt is constructed from machine pieced diamond shaped striped flannel materials. The backing is the same. The padding is not visible but is thought to be worn out woollen clothing, unpicked and ironed flat.
1520 x 970mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Albury Regional Museum
Quilt No.9ARM - Albury Regional Museum
Patchwork cot quilt, machine pieced, rectangular, 5 x 4 squares. Assorted fabrics including seersucker, corduroy, printed and plain cottons. White ric-rac braid and zigzag machine stitching accentuate rows. Edge of white cotton tape. Backing is single flour bag, calico, with maker's printing visible through patchwork: 'Tiger. Best Australian Roller Flour. Mala Foot. Sole Supply. Part of Kuala Lumper' and Chinese characters.
674 x 540mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
Pioneer Settlement Authority
Quilt No.468PSA - Pioneer Settlement Authority
Centre medallion of hexagons surrounded by blocks of tumbling blocks. Rows of triangles around the edge. Each corner has a star within a hexagon. Hand stitched with the traditional 20 stitches to the inch. There is a silk tassle in each corner. Materials include: silk, silk ribbon, taffeta, brocade, velvet, striped silk, faille. The backing is cream holland.
1580 x 1510mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Tumbling Block