Quilt No.206RE - Robyn Ellis

Owner: 
Robyn Ellis
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Elizabeth Ellis
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles and squares of wool fabric, sewn into strips and then sewn together. Both sides are pieced using family clothing, cut up and reused.
1449 x 1017mm
History: 

Made by Elizabeth Ellis (born Parish) at Preston (VIC) probably late 1940s or early 1950s. Previously owned by Lindsay Ellis and Goldia Ellis, now owned by Elizabeth's grand-daghter Robyn Ellis.

Story: 

"Both sides are pieced, using clothing from the family that has been cut up. Included are pieces from woollen pin striped suits, wool skirts, knitted jumpers, khaki pieces from what we believe is an army uniform, probably belonging to either Stan Ellis or Harold Ellis, sons of Elizabeth. It includes knitted vests, and parts from one of my father's best woollen suits. Nothing was ever thrown away, when it could be used. Some of the pieces have small holes, acquired through use, and some pieces have had the colour run into the neighbouring piece. It's a piece of our family history, not a great piece of beauty.
Elizabeth and her husband Edward Walter Ellis met at Wnesleydale, Victoria and were married at Christ Church Geelong on 21-1-1905. They lived at Boorangarook where Edward was a teacher; New Grisborne and at � Preston. They had 8 children. Both were greatly involved with the church of All Saints, Preston � where Edward was the secretary. Elizabeth made many of these waggas/blankets out of recycled clothing and gave them to the mission of St James and St John. She also made them for her family. An aunt also has one of many floor rugs that she made. My aunt & mother have identified many pieces of clothing as belonging to different members of the Ellis family. It was a serviceable item and Elizabeth made many of them."
We called it a rug or a blanket, it was used for warmth on the bed, or as a knee rug. I rescued it from use in protecting furniture in transit."
[Robyn Ellis 2.12.97]

Related Quilts:

The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Frame quilt in cotton with cotton backing. Centre square of floral chintz surrounded by 8 smaller squares with floral and probably Egyptian motifs. 4 surrounding frames of plain and patterned cotton in squares, diamonds and strips. Hand stitched and hand quilted. Has been used as a curtain and has metal rings attached to one edge.
3759 x 2286mm
Ida Blenkiron
Patchwork knee rug made from maroon wool cut up from a garment into different sized rectangles. Pieced by hand, then all edges crocheted with coloured wool thread. The top was then machined and quilted to a pale blue wool backing. No padding.
1080 x 780mm
Margery Smith
Patchwork cot quilt made from hexagons 63mm across in a variety of cotton prints and plains. The bright coloured patches came from children's clothes and dressmaking scraps. No padding. Backing of unbleached calico. Hand sewn.
1524 x 1169mm
Narelle Grieve
English pieced hexagonal star quilt in silks, velvets and satins. Commercially made fringe in cotton maroon twill. Some motifs have herringbone stitching around them. There is no padding and the backing is polished cotton twill. 1840 x 1660 mm
Pam Clifford
Large squares, alternate brown check and blue check, of men's dressing gown material. "Everyone's father had one in 40s and 50s". [Pam Clifford]. No padding. Backing is smaller random shapes of men's grey suiting material. Machine construction. There is no quilting.
2236 x 1550mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
The top has a segmented circle in the centre surrounded by a border of small rectangles. The circle is featherstitched on to the background. Materials are wools and cottons and it is hand pieced. The other side appears to have been originally men's suiting materials strip pieced. It is now covered with a children's print in light cotton joined in long rectangles. The padding is coarse heavyweight cotton.
1410 x 1080mm