Quilt No.1033NG - Narelle Grieve

Narelle Grieve
Owner: 
Narelle Grieve
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown sailor
Made in
SHIPBOARD
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
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.
History: 

The quilt was made by an unidentified sailor c.1846. It was given to Jane Williams of Somerset, England who backed it and sent it to Australia to Annie Smith, her sister-in-law in Sydney. It then passed by family descent to Annie's grandson, John Henderson of Middle Cove, Sydney from whom the present owner, Narelle Grieve, acquired it. It is not used.

Story: 

"It was not unusual for the European sailors of previous centuries to engage in the art of quilting. They needed to be able to sew in order to mend their sails, and quilting was a way of passing time while developing their sewing technique. Most sailors were talented needle people, as the fine stitches and intricate design of this quilt demonstrates.
Many of the lands which the sailors visited offered exotic fabrics and the silk used to make the tiny diamonds in this quilt may have originated in India. Papers still contained within the hexagons around the border of the quilt may be able to verify the origin of this fabric. This may also give some insights into the sailor's life and travels, but Narelle explains that she would have to unpick the backing to get to them and that could ruin the frail silk fabric." [extract from unidentified article supplied by the present owner.]

Related Quilts:

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
Margery Creek
Double Wedding Ring' cotton pieced quilt. Machine constructed and hand quilted. Padding is Mountain Mist cotton. The backing is unbleached calico.
2160 x 1855mm
The Embroiderers' Guild of S.A.Inc Museum
Wholecloth quilt in white cotton voile with alternating designs of Australian wildflowers worked in multi coloured cottons and shadow work. It is backed with yellow voile. There is no padding.
2010 x 1910mm
Fred Wood
Patchwork quilt made from a variety of printed cottons over 70 prints, using shirting and dress fabrics, fabrics also from pyjamas, curtains, aprons, tablecloths. The centre medallion is a square within a square with white borders, the inner frame made of sawtooth triangles. This is surrounded by pieced triangles, square within a square and crosses. Outer frame of sawtooth triangles, and outer border pieced of squares and triangles. Colours are pinks, blues, burgundy and pastels, with floral, stripe and check prints. Lining of cotton. Backed with a printed cotton. Quilt is bound on all edges.
2430 x 2250mm
Barbara McCabe
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles of mostly woollen fabrics sewn in strips and then stitched together. Fabrics left over from dressmaking projects. Machine stitched. Colours mainly green, purple, blue, pink, pastels, in plain, checks and spots. No padding or quilting. Lining is an old bedspread.
2200 x 1440mm
National Trust of Australia (QLD)
Hexagons appliqued onto sheeting. 5 groups of 6 hexagons in centre of sheet and continuous row of hexagon rosettes around border.
2261mm x 1664mm