Quilt No.1115KJ - Kay Jones

Kay Jones
Owner: 
Kay Jones
Location: 
WA
Maker
Maker: 
Alice Attridge
Made in
ENGLAND
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Quilt top with English piecing in a star in polygon pattern. English and French cotton fabrics in a wide variety of patterns and plains constructed over papers with the tacking still in tact. Papers are mainly part envelopes some with stamps and post dated 1898. 2200 x 1800mm
History: 

The quilt top was possibly made by Alice Attridge in Essex. Alice died in 1918. It then passed to Alice's daughter Florrie Clayton and then to Alice's grand-daughter Shirley Gibb and is now owned by Kay Jones the maker's great grand-daughter. It was brought to Australia in 1976.

Story: 

"Not much is known about the quilt. Alice died in 1918 when my mother, Florrie Clayton, Alice's daughter was 14. My mother obviously kept the quilt as a memento of her mother and it stayed in a cupboard until we brought it to Australia in 1976 when again it was put in a cupboard in, horror of horrors, a plastic bag. Then I gave it to my daughter Kay Jones and its history came to life." [Shirley and Brian Gibb 20.8.02]

Shirley and Brian Gibb with Alice's quilt top.
Shirley and Brian Gibb with Alice's quilt top.

Related Quilts:

West Australian Quilters' Association
The quilt is a repeat block in the Ohio Star pattern in turkey red and cream. Quilted in squares in the cream block and diagonal lines in the star block. The fabric border is disintegrating. The backing is cream calico and the padding is cotton, badly degraded. 1940 x 1760mm.
Arlene Crane
Cotton patchwork quilt in double wedding ring pattern in pastel prints. Quilted in a design of geometric flowers. Padding is probably cotton wadding, backing is cream calico. 2270 x 1970 mm.
Art Gallery of South Australia
Frame cot quilt in cotton fabrics, the centre square in a paisley print surrounded by two plain borders or frames, then two frames pieced in alternate light and dark triangles, then a frame in a floral print. Outer border is of red fabric, longer at top and bottom to make a rectangle. No quilting. Machine sewn.
1050 x 770mm
Alyce Wright
Cotton scrap quilt in a pattern known as 'Grandmothers Fan'. It is hand quilted. The padding is hand carded cotton and the backing is muslin.
2235 x 1880mm
National Trust of Australia (VIC)
Double sided patchwork quilt. One side has small 'Tumbling Block' pattern. The other side has larger pattern of pieced stars. It is made of silks, some printed, some solid colours mainly blues, greens cream and black. There is no padding.
2100 x 1800mm
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