Quilt No.239KW - Kathleen White

Owner: 
Kathleen White
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Kathleen White
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
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 hexigons 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]

Related Quilts:

N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.556NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided square quilt mainly in cottons. Side 1 has been made in 4 squares each consisting of different sized strips and rectangles. With side 2 there appears to have been 2 stages as if the quilt was extended perhaps to match side 1. It is also squares, rectangles and strips. Sparsley machine quilted. There is no binding but side 2 has been turned over to side 1 and stitched by machine.
1525 x 1525mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random
Marjorie Treasy
Quilt No.691MT - 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
Annette Gero
Quilt No.859AG - Annette Gero
Hand pieced log cabin quilt in silks, satins and velvets. There is a silk backing machined on, possiby a later addition. The quilt has over 5000 pieced.
1820 x 1680mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random
Hazel Jarmyn
Quilt No.284HJ - Hazel Jarmyn
Patchwork quilt made from cotton hexagon patches in the 'grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, in bright prints and plains, with cream 'paths' made from dress material. Padding is flannel sheeting, and backing is the same cream material as the 'paths'. The centre of the 'flower' patches are autographed with friends' names and dates, as are some 'petals' and cream patches, in black ink.
1550 x 1400mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Jeanette Marchant
Quilt No.45JM - Jeanette Marchant
Quilt of hand stitched cotton hexagon patches, the hexagons are in groups of 7 to form flowers, with white or cream 'paths'. The quilt centre has 19 flowers grouped within a single hexagon border of brown and red patches. In each corner of the quilt there are 6 flowers grouped around a larger flower within a single border of darker print hexagon patches. Backing is cream cotton, machine stitched to the top. There is no padding or quilting. Some fabric patches have deteriorated.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
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