Quilt No.238KW - Kathleen White

Kathleen White
Owner: 
Kathleen White
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Kathleen White
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Domestic Wagga, Hexagon, Patchwork, Mosaic
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Patchwork quilt (one of a pair) made from hexagons in cottons, rayon, and taffeta, to fit a single bed. The quilt has a pleated ruffle or flounce of pale green fabric. Patchwork machine sewn onto backing, flounce sewn by machine.
History: 

Made by the owner, Kathleen White (born Smith), with her mother Mary Smith and sister Rosemary Smith. Used in Kathleen's house at Kingston SA.

Story: 

"I read a book called 'Aunt Jane of Kentucky' & each chapter was about a different quilt or scrap & I got inspired so sewed lots of bits onto an old blanket and made a Wagga. �
My mother had been away & when she came home she told me it was a Wagga & as an experienced C.W.A. Handicraft worker decided to show me how to do Patchwork with Hexagon. We always did our own sewing & had scraps & as soon as our friends & neighbours found out what we were doing they gave us more pieces.
I am sending you a photo of one of the quilts � they are the same.
The photo of my mother was a little older than when we made our first quilt but she kept on doing Hexagons & random patchwork until she was 95. All her life she made cushions & pot holders using Log Cabin which she learnt from her grandmother in about 1900.
The photo of my sister & I we are a year or so younger than when we started quilting.
I am the one with the bow. Sister Rosemary still does patchwork but mainly random by machine.
My second sister Vida has a slightly crippled hand & can't manage Hexagons so in 1985 when it was her 50 Birthday a lot of family & friends made [hexagon] 'flowers' from apricot shades & I put them together with a plain apricot in between on the back I embroidered a little verse which Vida had written for Mum several years ago �
I had a bit of difficulty finding photos of the home we lived in when the quilts were made, but have one of it as an empty ruin. It was a very old place when we lived there & it was surrounded by garden.
The � photo with water in front was where I lived when I was first married in 1954, my husband was a Soldier Settler & with my mothers help I finished the quilts & they were used on spare beds & later childrens beds etc.
I have now retired & we live in Kingston & the quilts are still treasured & odd hexagons replaced as they perish but they are mostly stored in a draw.
I have 3 daughters who are all keen on Patchwork but only 1 has time, or makes time, to carry on the skills. �"
[Letter from Kathleen White June 1995]

Kathleen White and quilt
Kathleen White and quilt

Related Quilts:

The Pyramid Hill Historical Society Inc.
Quilt No.441PHS - The Pyramid Hill Historical Society Inc.
This unfinished cover has a centre frame of a simple block. There are alternating plain and patterned borders including sword tooth, flying geese and squares on point. It is hand pieced with plain and twill weave cottons, variety of stripes, checks, florals and plains. There is no backing.
1800 x 1800mm
Patchwork, Frame
Barbara McCabe
Quilt No.196BM - Barbara McCabe
Patchwork quilt made of squares and rectangles in woollen fabric, stitched together without any particular pattern. Colours are mainly green, grey, blue, black, pink and some yellow. Fabrics are plain, checks and stripes. No padding, quilting or binding. Backing is a remnant of synthetic fabric. The quilt has been well sued and is very worn with fabric torn and marked in some places.
1400 x 400mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
Mrs. F.A.C.Clemons
Quilt No.829NTC - Mrs. F.A.C.Clemons
Quilt made from blocks in a fan pattern, 5 blocks across by 6 down. Fans are set on a black background, materials are wool and cotton in a mixture of plains and patterns. Edges of fans are decorated with cream herringbone stitch. Machine pieced with hand stitched repairs.Cream cotton backing folded over to make binding, stitched with pink herringbone stitch. Tied regularly with pink thread. The quilt is padded with wool.
2000 x 1720mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Lois Ryan
Quilt No.1017LR - Lois Ryan
Log Cabin quilt made from a variety of cottons and silks. There is no padding and the backing is calico bags. 1500 x 1250 mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.559NPW - 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
Patchwork, Frame
Marjorie Treasy
Quilt No.689MT - Marjorie Treasy
Machine sewn quilt made from 125mm squares of scraps left over from dressmaking joined in strips and then the strips joined. There is a border of fawn cotton and the backing is the same material. The padding is an old blanket and the border is padded with sheep's wool.
1400 x 925mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square