Quilt No.286DF - Denise Frahn

Denise Frahn
Owner: 
Denise Frahn
Location: 
SA Country
Maker
Maker: 
Manda and Emilie Behn
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Wholecloth, Utilitarian
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Wholecloth quilt, machine sewn, made from cotton chintz with a pale green background and a floral pattern of bunches of pink roses and blue flowers, reversible. The centre is stitched in a diamond pattern with two outside borders, then filled with feathers, using a broom handle to force the feathers through. Cover made from 36" fabric, the pattern matched exactly. Excellent condition. Feather filling was collected by the makers from backyard poultry, geese, ducks, fowls. Called an eiderdown.
1830 x 1480mm
History: 

Made by Manda and Emilie Behn, of Riverton (SA), during the 1950s, possibly 1953-1955. Owned by their niece Denise Frahn.

Story: 

"Quilt made by my maiden aunts, Manda and Emilie Behn on their farmlet on the outskirts of Riverton SA. They lived an almost self sufficient lifestyle, milking cows, pigs, poultry, garden and Manda a keen dressmaker and sewer. Quilt was kept on spare bed of their immaculately kept house. Emilie married Oscar Heinicke in 1971 and moved to Queensland for 5 years, later returning to Murray Bridge to retire.
Emilie passed away Nov 13th 1998 aged 93 years. The quilt was then given to me.
Manda moved to Adelaide when Emilie married and lived with relatives at St Peters until her death in 1981 aged 80 years. The making of the quilt would have been a joint effort by Manda & Emilie and my grandfather (their father) was fascinated as he watched them in the evenings pushing the feathers through the stitching.
The feather filling was collected from their farm poultry and stored in large cotton bags hanging in the lumber room and other places. Emilie took the quilt to Queensland and brought it back to Murray Bridge when she retired. �"
[From notes written by Denise Frahn.]

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