Quilt No.125BF - Bud and Patricia Ford

Bud and Patricia Ford
Owner: 
Bud and Patricia Ford
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Mondi Gertrude Hortense Ford
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLD
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
A striped bush blanket with patches of used clothing. Originally covered with cretonne.
1829 x 1525mm
History: 

This utilitarian quilt (originally with cretonne cover) was made by Mondi Gertrude Hortense Ford at Miles Queensland for her husband Hugh Bird Ford father of the present owner Bud Ford. It was made for carrying in a swag. It is not used now and is stored in the shed at Aldersyde East "because my wife told me to get rid of it and I couldn't do it" [Bud Ford]

Story: 

"Bush blankets such as this one were usually coloured stripes on a dark grey base. They were inclined to be rough and probably made from low grade wool possibly either by Morris Mills of Ipswich or Bendigo or Geelong Mills." [Bud Ford]
Mondi Ford (born Fowles) 1893-1980, mother of the present owner, was the maker. She was the youngest sister of a brother who served in the Queensland Mounted Rifles during the Boer War. She spent time in China and Japan as hostess to her brother who was an honorary British Consul. "She was bored to death, luxury wasn't her style" [BF]. In 1921 she eloped with Hugh Bird Ford. They were married in Melbourne in the Anglican Cathedral with the verger and sweeper as witnesses. Mondi Ford was an accomplished musician and artist, a prolific correspondent. She was a needlewoman but hated cooking.

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Inverell Pioneer Village
Wholecloth quilt made of red floral crinoline cotton material. Quilting is in vertical rows, alternating cables with orange peel patterns. Padding is of cotton flock. Backing is of white cotton. Quilt is edged with a self fabric ruffle on three sides. Hand sewn.
2236 x 2236mm
Powerhouse Museum
"A quilt or coverlet of natural cotton sheeting with appliqueed motifs cut from a variety of crimson cotton damask. The quilt is hand sewn and nearly square and has a 12 cm border made from the same crimson damasks. The applique motifs consist of a range of hexagons, rosettes, flowers, hearts and stars that radiate outwards from a large centrally placed star shape. All are the same shade of crimson red which suggests they were dyed in the same dye pot. The fabrics are now quite thin and soft which suggests that the quilt, or the fabric it was made from, was well used." [PHM]
1960 x 1950mm
Griffith Pioneer Park Museum
Wholecloth quilt, yellow sateen both sides. Hand quilted in geometric and curvilinear patterns. Edges turned in, hand finished. Stuffed with flock-like material said by the donor to be wool. Approximately 2.5cm thick.
2500 x 2000mm.
West Australian Quilters' Ass
Reversible Durham quilt made with nine pieced strips of deep green polished cotton joined together. Very finely hand quilted in an all-over traditional English quilting design. It is padded but the type of padding is unknown. 2220 x 2020mm.