Quilt No.1033NG - Narelle Grieve

Narelle Grieve
Owner: 
Narelle Grieve
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown sailor
Made in
SHIPBOARD
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Diamond, Tumbling Block
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:

Margery Creek
Quilt No.405MC - Margery Creek
Cotton quilt made in the USA. The pattern is 'Nine Patch'. The quilt is machine pieced and hand quilted. The backing is cotton material possibly shirting. The padding is cotton.
1702 x 1702mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Helen Cornish
Quilt No.276HC - Helen Cornish
Patchwork quilt in the Log Cabin pattern, each square 14cm x 14cm, made of used cotton fabrics with a fine wool fabric as the centre square of each. Colours are mainly reds, blues, greens and maroon, and pastels, in prints and plains. Quilt has a wide border of dark blue cotton with mitred corners. The padding is black and white mattress ticking, and the backing is the same dark blue cotton as the border. Machine stitched.
1770 x 1170mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random
Mare Carter
Quilt No.69MC - Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt made for a doll's bed or possibly as an infant's quilt. All cotton. The owner calls the pattern a variation of 'Bow Ties'. Hand sewn and quilted. This quilt is new.
534 x 382mm
Patchwork, Mosaic
Val Ireland
Quilt No.418VI - Val Ireland
Utilitarian quilt. The top and backing are machine pieced scraps of curtain material and clothing pieces. The centre is an old blanket and possibly clothing pieces.
2033 x 1525mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Re-used clothing or blanket
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt No.888NTNW - National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Hand sewn quilt comprising 263 rosettes of hexagons in chintz. 6 hexagons around a centre one form a rosette. Between these are plain off white hexagons. There is a mark on one corner on cream material, possibly a stamp. The crochet lace border is on three sides only.
2850 x 2720mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Muriel Hartmann
Quilt No.112MH - Muriel Hartmann
Reused parts of hand knitted woollen jumpers patched together. Wide crocheted edge from wool unravelled from jumpers retrieved from the tip.
1905 x 1525mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Re-used clothing or blanket