Quilt No.189BHS - Benalla & District Historical Society

Benalla & District Historical Society
Owner: 
Benalla & District Historical Society
Location: 
VIC North East
Maker
Maker: 
Mary Jane Block
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
Patchwork quilt, handsewn, with centre section made from hexagons, in red solid and prints, and green, blue and black prints and checks. The centre hexagonal section has sides measuring 420mm. The rest of the quilt is of cream cotton with stars,hearts and other motifs appliqued, and finished with a wide border with 3 narrow red stripes. At a later date it was backed with white damask and machined in 25mm squares, the edges also sewn by machine. No padding.
2500 x 1780mm
History: 

Made by Mary Jane Block in 1871. Later owned by Mrs M.E. Hickson, Strathmore (VIC), Mary Jane's grand-daughter. Now owned by the Benalla & District Historical Society.

Story: 

Letter from Benalla & District Historical Society:
"I have some information for you on Mary Jane Block. She married John Kelly of Violet Town in 1872 where they ran a store and later the Kelly pub.
The donor of the English patchwork quilt, Mrs ME Hickson of Strathmore, their grand daughter was the child of their daughter Daisy. Mrs Hickson passed the quilt to Benalla as she had no children and desired to return it to the district it originated from.
No it does not appear to be dated or signed.
Method of Construction:
The large central hexagon motif which has 42cm sides, is composed of tiny coloured hexagons with 1/4cm sides. This hexagon is bordered and cornered with stars, hearts and other appliqued motifs onto a 81cm square of cream cotton. We believe this section was constructed by Mary Jane Block in 1871.
At a later date, this was machined onto a large rectangle of white damask. It was backed with white damask, the long sides being sewn, then it was turned right sides out.
The whole was machined each way (horizontally & vertically) in crude 2 1/4cm 'squares'. The two short ends are neatened with a 4cm machined hem.
At each end, 16cm from the central cream square, three shapes have been appliqued across the width by hand.
The border of 3 rows of red cotton fabric 3cms wide have been machined around the rectangle with 6cms between them & 15cms at the edge."

Related Quilts:

Red Cliffs Historical Society
Quilt No.458RCH - Red Cliffs Historical Society
Hexagonal log cabin quilt. Hexagons constructed of strips with half hexagon dark and half light. These hexagons are then joined to form diagonal light and dark stripes. Machine and hand sewn. Materials are wools, printed cottons, velvets, corduroys, rayons, flannelettes, brocades, pique and taffetas. The backing is a single piece of brocatelle (rayon brocade). There is probably a thin layer of padding.
1400 x 1200mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin
La Dona Anick
Quilt No.1086LDA - La Dona Anick
Red and white cross stitch quilt. Central white panel with red cross stitch embroidery featuring flowers and leaves. Red panels as borders with white embroidery, also flowers and leaves. Machine pieced. Hand quilted in an espalier pattern. There is a fine padding and the backing is homespun. 2200 x 1970mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random
Annette Gero
Quilt No.855AG - Annette Gero
Frame quilt or coverlet with centre frame surrounded by floral printed panels. The centre is cotton chintz block printed material in madder colours. It is hand quilted.
2700 x 2700mm
Patchwork, Frame
Margaret Wright
Quilt No.204MW - Margaret Wright
Crazy patchqork quilt, handsewn, composed of six large squares of patches in brocade, velvet and silk in random shapes and sizes. Patches are stitched to others by blanket stitch in yellow thread. Some patches have surface embroidery, e.g. a dragonfly, flowers, music notes, and names, 'Minnie', 'Loyetta' (house in Ballarat), 'Diana'. There are also five small cream bobbles. Colours are red, gold, brown, pinks, greens and blues. Padding is flannel, and quilt is backed and edged with maroon or burgundy ribbed silk.
1461mm x 687mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Quilt No.948NTW - National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork top made of cottons, constructed with 5 by 5 rows of squared 8 point pieced stars alternating with white cross-shaped blocks (made from 4 pieces). On all sides are borders of half stars. The outer border is of rectangles of cotton prints appliquéd on to cotton to form a plaited pattern. The border only is backed with a band of cream cotton. All patches are whip stitched together.
2645 x 2615mm
Patchwork, Mosaic
Helen Cornish
Quilt No.276HC - Helen Cornish
Patchwork quilt in the Log Cabin pattern, each square 14cm x 14cm, made of used cotton fabrics with a fine wool fabric as the centre square of each. Colours are mainly reds, blues, greens and maroon, and pastels, in prints and plains. Quilt has a wide border of dark blue cotton with mitred corners. The padding is black and white mattress ticking, and the backing is the same dark blue cotton as the border. Machine stitched.
1770 x 1170mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random