Quilt No.276HC - Helen Cornish

Helen Cornish
Owner: 
Helen Cornish
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Lillian Adair
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
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
History: 

Made by Mrs Lillian Adair (1858 - 1945) in Broken Hill (NSW) approx. 1925. Owned by her, then by her daughter Eleanor Symonds (1883-1956), then by Eleanor's daughter Gwenith Byrne (1906-1996), then by Gwenith's daughter Helen Cornish.

Story: 

" have clear memories of the previous owners - my Great grandmother, Grandmother & Mother. I recall the quilt being in daily use until 1960."
[Helen Cornish]

Lillian Adair, approx. 80
Lillian Adair, approx. 80
Eleanor Symonds, 23
Eleanor Symonds, 23
Gwenith Byrne, 82
Gwenith Byrne, 82
Lillian & Eleanor's home, Dulwich (SA)
Lillian & Eleanor's home, Dulwich (SA)

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
"The quilt consists of 12 blocks of crazy patchwork with an embroidered border. The quilt is made of 167 different fabrics; most of these are silk. These velvets, printed silks and satins are beautifully embroidered with flowers, household items and Kate Greenway images of children at play. Many of the motifs have a strong influence from the Aesthetic Movement. The edge of the quilt carries a border in maroon silk decorated with tendrils and daisies in very fine embroidery.
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
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Elsie Shephard
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