Quilt No.293ST - Sue Thomson

Sue Thomson
Owner: 
Sue Thomson
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Annie Sophia Winch
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Date: 
1901 - 1920
Description: 
Patchwork quilt in the Log Cabin pattern, with a variation where the centre square is pieced from a dark and light triangle. Used materials make up the strips, and include cottons, velvet, bombazine, men's trouser fabric, and the quilt has a handmade lace border. Pieces of red cloth stand out. Strips are machine stitched onto a backing made from flour bags. There is no padding. Backing is made of crazy patchwork with feather stitch on some seams. Machine sewn.
1470 x 1070mm
History: 

Made by Annie Sophia Winch in Adelaide Hills at Mt Torrens (SA), between 1900 and 1910, for her son Ivor John Robert Winch (born 1908), who owned the quilt. Later owned by his daughter Sue Thomson.

Story: 

"The quilt was made by my paternal grandmother, Annie Sophia WINCH. Annie was born at Harrogate in the Adelaide hills in 1879, the second child of William PEARSON and Florence (Nee TEAKLE). She had 4 siblings; Ernest b. 1877; Edith b. 1882; Beatrice b.1974 and Herbert b. 1887. Annie married John William WINCH at Mt Barker on September 3rd 1903. The officiating clergy was the Rev. G. Hall.
Annie and John started their married life at Mt. Torrens in the Adelaide hills, where John worked driving bullock teams. She was an accomplished needlewoman, and as well as sewing also made beautiful crochet and embroidered articles, such as the christening gown which is still used by our family to the present day.
Their first child, Agnes, was born on Wednesday 1st February 1905 but lived for only 1 day. Their second child Ivor John Robert (my father) was born on November 3rd 1908 in the manse at Mt. Torrens.
In 1911 the family moved to Tumby Bay on Eyre Peninsula, and then on to Yallunda Flat (about 30 miles from Pt. Lincoln) where John took up bee keeping for a living. Many happy times were spent here, with the family being devout Methodists, and John a lay preacher in the local church. In 1913, Annie was again pregnant; but fell ill and died on October 25th 1913. John was left to raise their young son, and although he remarried he was buried alongside his beloved Annie in the cemetery at Magill S.A. upon his death at the age of 97 in 1977. Ivor, for whom the quilt was originally made, died on February 10th 1999 at the age of 90."
[ Sue Thomson]

Detail of flour bag foundation
Detail of flour bag foundation
Annie Winch with son Ivor, aged 1, in 1909
Annie Winch with son Ivor, aged 1, in 1909
Annie's house at Yallunda Flat SA
Annie's house at Yallunda Flat SA

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Quilt top of hexagonal patches in silk and velvet in colours of brown, black, soft green, maroon, light yellow and blue. Some materials self patterned. Blue backing papers can be seen at edges behind some patches.
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Pieced patchwork quilt of hexagons in cottons, chintzes and linen. The centre is pieced in 6 point hexagon stars, then radiating out are large hexagons alternating with tumbling blocks, then 6 piece hexagon stars and 4 piece hexagon diamonds. Some pieces have Egyptian patterns dating from 1800 - 1805. The backing is cream linen.
2450 x 2200mm
June Brown
Pieces of heavy woollen material have been strip pieced and then joined. The joined pieces have then been folded over and restitched along the sides to make a double sided quilt. It is very heavy.
1830 x 1400mm
Yass & District Historical Society
Patchwork quilt made of approx. 730 Suffolk Puffs, using mainly cotton materials in florals and plains. Each puff is 45mm diameter. The quilt centre has a square of 16 pink puffs outlined with a single row of blue puffs. Each corner of the quilt has a square of 9 puffs in a single colour. No padding. Quilt is edged and backed with a red and white tartan cotton.
Cobram Shire Historical Society
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern, arranged in 'furrows', and made from cottons, wool and suiting fabrics. Centres of blocks are pastel or dark; dark colours are black, brown, purple blue and red. Pastel side of blocks includes a bright pink. Quilt backing is pieced, with a centre rectangle of cotton surrounded by 5 borders of plain and alternate rectangular pieced strips, in wool and suiting fabrics. Colours are black, dark blue, brown, green, grey and pastels. Inner lining is of cotton pieces, to which the Log Cabin blocks have been machined.
1620 x 1360mm
Margery Creek
Cotton quilt made in the USA. The pattern is 'Double Irish Chain'. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. The backing is calico and the padding is cotton,
2134 x 2134mm