Quilt No.1056PJN - Peter and Jan Newman

Peter and Jan Newman
Owner: 
Peter and Jan Newman
Location: 
WA Perth
Maker
Maker: 
Dulcie Alma Tobin
Made in
AUSTRALIA WA
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Suffolk Puff quilt with puffs mainly in patterned cotton pieces saved from 60 years of household sewing. Puffs are formed into rosettes and the holes are on the top making a decorative feature. It is hand sewn.
2700 x 2400mm.
History: 

The quilt was made by Dulcie Alma Tobin at Mount Lawley WA in the early 1970s using scraps of material saved from the 1920s to 1970. Dulcie had the quilt until she died in 1988 and it then passed to her grand-daughter Jan Newman. It is still used and is Jan and Peter Newman's summer quilt.

Story: 

"Dulcie Alma Tobin: (born in Northam, 1897), saved all the material 'leftovers' from 60 years of household sewing and when she was in her mid seventies, began to stitch them into this quilt.
She was assisted by family - husband Jack threaded all the needles (80 at a time, stuck in a pincushion to keep her going), sister Beatty and daughter Dulcie helping to cut and iron the patches. All the sewing and arranging was done by Dulcie Tobin, despite rapidly failing eyesight. She was 84 years old when it was completed, and so they were able to use it on their bed for a few years before Jack died (1986) and Dulcie moved to the Braille Nursing Home. She died in 1988, shortly after handing the quilt on to her granddaughter Janice Newman." [Jan Newman]

Dulcie and Jack Tobin, 1974, their diamond wedding anniversary
Dulcie and Jack Tobin, 1974, their diamond wedding anniversary
The family home at Mt. Lawley where the quilt was made.
The family home at Mt. Lawley where the quilt was made.

Related Quilts:

Shirley Maywald
Patchwork crazy quilt in velvets and silks, no pieces over 4" long. Colours are black, maroon, pinks, blues and pastels, and all seams embroidered with coloured silks in herringbone stitch. Backing is green, there is no padding. Quilt is bound with black velvet 1/2" wide. A patch near the centre is embroidered: '1909' and '1948'.
940 x 915mm
Ryder Lundy
"Hexagons pieced over cardboard hand-sewn together. Each rosette was then machine quilted 1/8th to 1/4 inch from edge of rosette in shape of each rosette. Quilt is mainly cottons with a few rayons. Some checks and stripes are used but mainly florals. Has been machine quilted in rosette shape using green on green fabrics, lemon on lemon, orange on orange and red on red." [Ryder Lundy] There is no padding and the backing is gold curtain fabric extended at the end and one side with matching taffeta. 2220 x 1270 mm.
National Trust of Australia (QLD)
Crazy patchwork quilt with mainly patterned pieces in a wide variety of designs and colours. Backing is wholecloth patterned cotton. The quilt is edged with a checked bias binding. Machine construction.
2299 x 1449mm
Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt of pieced repeat blocks in cotton in white, blue, green, orange and red prints, plains and checks. Blocks are set between green sashes with white corner blocks. The pattern is 'Saw Tooth Star' or 'Jacob's Ladder' variation. Backing is of cotton, padding of cotton. Hand sewn and hand quilted.
2058 x 1296mm
Lorna Calder
Patchwork quilt of multi coloured silks and brocades. Crazy patchwork borders, mainly rectangular fabrics pieced together in diagonal patterns, radiating from a central frame embroidered with flowers. Many pieces are extensively embroidered in a great variety of stitches and motifs; butterflies, sunflowers, cats, daffodils, crown, pawn broker's symbol, 'money to lend', 'good night', the initials of family members and 'mater 1890'. The quilt has a deep border of maroon sateen. There is no padding visible but it is possibly a blanket. The backing is green/gold silk with a self stripe with red cotton damask showing underneath, possibly an earlier backing.
2165 x 2165mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt in the Tumbling Block pattern in light and dark silks in bright colours. On both sides and at the bottom is a wide border in Tumbling Blocks, the pattern vertical at the sides and forming a triangle centre bottom, with an edge on both sides of two black bands with pieced diamonds between. Made for a poster bed. Hand sewn.
1790 x 1750mm