Quilt No.368SB - Shirley Brown

Owner: 
Shirley Brown
Location: 
NSW Far West
Maker
Maker: 
Mary Ellen Doubtfire
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Patchwork quilt made of hexagon patches in a variety of materials, including velvets, corduroy, cotton, underwearmaterial. No padding. The backing is made from scraps in squares and rectangles, including voile, cotton and probably old curtain material.
2134 x 1777mm
History: 

Made about 1939 in Broken Hill (NSW). Made and used by Mary Ellen Doubtfire. Owned by her grand-daughter, Shirley Brown.

Story: 

"My grandmother made this quilt about 59 years ago. My mum tells me Gran used to sit in front of the old wood stove tacking and sewing, they never had much money and used everything she could find. I remember the quilt laying on top of a brass bed. When I received it the papers were still in it. I'm not using the quilt anymore because some of the fabrics are starting to rot and fall apart."
[Shirley Brown]

Related Quilts:

Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt in the Tumbling Block pattern in light and dark silks in bright colours. On both sides and at the bottom is a wide border in Tumbling Blocks, the pattern vertical at the sides and forming a triangle centre bottom, with an edge on both sides of two black bands with pieced diamonds between. Made for a poster bed. Hand sewn.
1790 x 1750mm
Bev Johnston
Patchwork quilt made from squares and rectangles of pink, blue and white fabric set with a frame of pink and white print around a centre rectangle made of 4 pink triangles. Four corner squares of blue and white stripes, Many squares are pieced from smaller scraps. The Material is a crepe type, possibly used for underwear. Handsewn and machined. Backing is made from cotton scraps, possibly lawn or similar. Padding is flanellete or similar. Edges are bound in a striped material. Quilt shows signs of wear.
620mm x 520mm
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
Robyn Gallaway
Machine made cotton quilt with 100mm cotton squares placed diagonally with peaks running around the edge. The colours are mainly autiumn tones and the patterns include checks, tartans, florals, geometric and plains. Materials were scraps left over from sewing projects such as children's clothes. There is a matching valance.
National Trust of Australia (VIC)
Double sided patchwork quilt. One side has small 'Tumbling Block' pattern. The other side has larger pattern of pieced stars. It is made of silks, some printed, some solid colours mainly blues, greens cream and black. There is no padding.
2100 x 1800mm
Shelley Cameron
Cotton scrap quilt with shapes of squares and diamonds and strips. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2125 x 1440mm