Quilt No.122BF - Bud and Patricia Ford
Owner:
Bud and Patricia Ford
Location:
QLD South West
Maker
Maker:
Unknown
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLD
Patterms
Date:
1941 - 1970
Description:
Rug made of 12 lamb skins stitched to a blue and grey checked bush rug.
1931 x 1525mm
History:
Made by the owner, Bud Ford, at Miles Queensland. Now rolled up in a canvas swag cover in the shed but still used when Bud goes bush.
Story:
Bud Ford recounted "We had some killers from Olive Campion of 'Oxford Downs' Columboola. They were such lovely skins that I had them tanned by an old one eyed bushman who had a recipe for tanning. I sewed them together and put them on a bush blanket".
The lamb skin rug used to be put on a bed on the verandah and cats and kids loved to sleep on it. Bud Ford would take it with him when he went to the Simpson Desert collecting for the Queensland museum.
Bud Ford sitting on swag containing rolled lamb skin rug
Related Quilts:
Kangaroo skin cloak of seven gores is made from the skins of seven grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). The skins vary in size and shape, the inner five are roughly triangular. The cloak is edged with a series of loops, through one of these near the collar is a piece of cloth which appears to have tied the cloak together. The skins are sewn together with two sorts of linen or cotton thread. In a small diamond-shaped gusset at the back of the neck there are some stitches of sinew. The skins are sewn together by means of a small hem which was turned back on to the fur, so stitches went through two layers of skin on each gore. There are some small holes in the skins. The skins are very soft and pliable, and greyish in colour; they vary in size and shape.
Longest part: 800mm
Ref: MA Thesis 1973, S.Meagher 'A Reconstruction of the Traditional Life of the Aborigines of the S.W. of Western Australia.
Platypus skin rug. Skins are joined in 7 rows with the larger skins on the outside and the smaller ones in the centre. Skins are rich dark brown with yellow/cream sides (the belly fur). The backing is dark brown felt extending beyond the fur and with a stamped scalloped edge.
1720 x 1490mm
Possum skin cloak. Possum skins sewn together with vegetable fibre or kangaroo sinew. Designs incised into the skins, some of which are decorated with ochres.
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1850 x 1520mm
Rug made from skins of black quolls. The skins are dark grey-brown with black areas and each skin has cream spots. The skins are mainly machine stitched together with a few roughly hand sewn. The backing is maroon felt and this extends beyond the top with a scalloped edging. There is yellow ric-rac braid hand sewn on the back seam.
1300 x 885mm