Quilt No.165NB - Nell Bell
Description:
Double sided patchwork quilt in coloured patterned cottons. Side A has frame pattern aound a central pieced rectangle containing a piece of lace curtaining. Colours are ornage, brown, yellow, green, red and black. Side B has windmill blades (4 blades) in printed cottons with solid colour centres appliqued on to a dark brown background. Hand and machine sewn. Padding is fleece wool in an old commercial eiderdown.
1829 x 915mm
1829 x 915mm
History:
Made by Nell Bell at Eltham (VIC) in the late 1950s, and owned by her.
Story:
"These were my first attempts at patchwork quilts. I had never seen patterned ones either in reality or in books. I worked them out myself. Had seen Waggas as a child. Side B attempt at windmills against dark blue sky.
"Made because old eiderdown [had] worn out & needed extra coverings because child Gordon born 1957 needed a bed not a cot so about 1960-61 I guess - Side A a crude attempt at a pattern, mainly dress materials or overall materiala. 1 band flowers on black background a tea towel. Lace panel in centre from curtains. Side B similar materials mix of hand & machine sewing."
Related Quilts:
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
1790 x 1750mm
Patchwork quilt made from squares and rectangles of pink, blue and white fabric set with a frame of pink and white print around a centre rectangle made of 4 pink triangles. Four corner squares of blue and white stripes, Many squares are pieced from smaller scraps. The Material is a crepe type, possibly used for underwear. Handsewn and machined. Backing is made from cotton scraps, possibly lawn or similar. Padding is flanellete or similar. Edges are bound in a striped material. Quilt shows signs of wear.
620mm x 520mm
620mm x 520mm
Machine made cotton quilt with 100mm cotton squares placed diagonally with peaks running around the edge. The colours are mainly autiumn tones and the patterns include checks, tartans, florals, geometric and plains. Materials were scraps left over from sewing projects such as children's clothes. There is a matching valance.
The top is machine pieced patches of used clothing. The backing is large pieces of dress materials and either end patches similar to the top. The padding is a chaff bag or similar with patches of worn, matted children's jumpers sewn directly on to it.
1400 x 1150mm
1400 x 1150mm
9 large blocks of crazy patchwork in silks and velvets. The blocks are divided by strips of deep ruby coloured silk. There is a wide ruby border with peaks to which is attached cream lace. The backing is beige silk. The main blocks are outlined with feather stitch in gold thread and many individual patches are outlined in fancy stitches and have embroidered motifs some of which are Australian eg centre patch has Sturt's Desert Pea flowers, parrots, wattle. There are also English flowers, Japanese motifs, flags, domestic objects and Marianne's initials. Embroidery is in a variety of threads including chenille.
2250 x 2180mm
2250 x 2180mm
Cotton scrap quilt with shapes of squares and diamonds and strips. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2125 x 1440mm
2125 x 1440mm