Quilt No.252HS - Helen Sparkman

Helen Sparkman
Owner: 
Helen Sparkman
Location: 
SA Adelaide
Maker
Maker: 
Clara Pitt
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Patchwork quilt made of Suffolk Puffs mainly in cottons. It has a light green wholecloth backing.
2100 x 950mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Clara Pitt, daughter of Matilda Pitt, probably during the 1950s. It has always been in the family and Clara was the great aunt of the present owner, Helen Sparkman. It is not used now.

Story: 

"Clara May Pitt 1892-1985 (Daughter of Matilda Pitt)
Clara made many quilts mainly during the 1950s and 1960s, not out of need but because of her love of patchwork. Her quilts were mainly Hexagons and Suffolk Puffs. Clara was a single lady who had five neices and a nephew, and quite a number of great neices and nephews. As each quilt was completed it was presented to a family member. These family members now cherish her gifts, even though all have often smiled and queried her fabric selection, placement, neatness and her continual use of white thread over the years. Clara was over 80 years of age when she made her last quilt (Hexagons of course) for a private museum."
[Helen Sparkman Dec.2000]

Clara Pitt c.1960
Clara Pitt c.1960

Related Quilts:

Margery Smith
Patchwork 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. The 'set included a large cot cover, a pillow cover and a circular stool cover. No padding. Backing of unbleached calico. Hand sewn.
2300 x 1840mm
Joyce Lannin
Machine stitched quilt made from tailors' samples cut into squares. The colours are mainly greys, browns and fawns. There is no padding and the backing is a grey herringbone heavy woollen material with a white fleck. This is folded back to the front to make a 75mm border and finished with a dark grey braid where it meets the patchwork top. 1525 x 1225mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Hexagon rosettes of printed and plain cotton in a flower pattern. Incomplete, top layer only.
2439 x 1981mm
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagons in a random mix of colours and prints, the predominant colours being blue, red, green, light yellow and pastels. Patches hand sewn. There is no padding and the backing is a grey wool blanket. The top is machine stitched around the edge to the blanket.
1645 x 1060mm
Nancy Dunlap
Repeat block in wedding ring pattern. All cottons with cream background and mainly pale mauve and green dressmaking prints in wedding rings. Green border and cream calico backing. The padding is cotton. 1800 x 210mm.
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Handsewn quilt of hexagon patches in cotton prints in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern. Each flower consists of double rows of print hexagons around a yellow centre and these are joined by 'paths' in plain green and white cotton. Backing is green cotton and there is a wool padding. There is outline quilting around all green and white hexagons and centre and first row of hexagons in flowers.
1885 x 1750mm