Quilt No.375MR - Max Robertson

Max Robertson
Owner: 
Max Robertson
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Norman Robertson
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Wholecloth, Traditional Wagga, Utilitarian, Typically Australian
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
This traditional Wagga rug is made from 4 jute wheat bags joined lengthwise (upopened) by sewing with a bag needle and twine. It did not have a cover. In the 1950s it was covered with striped cottage twill on both sides. Originally there was no padding and now the bags are the padding.
1950 x 1130mm
History: 

The Wagga Rug was made from 4 wheat bags by Norman Robertson and used on the beds in the family home at Coolamon. Max's daughter-in-law Mary purchased a new sewing machine in the mid 50s and decided to cover the Wagga Rug. She purchased striped cottage twill at Kelly and Cunningham in Wagga Wagga and put a wholecloth cover on it.
This Wagga Rug remains in the family, is valued and was used until about 1995.

Story: 

Norman Robertson worked on properties in the Coolamon district of NSW and also at Pike's flour mill. One of his jobs was sewing up bags of wheat on farms. He made the Wagga Rug to use on beds in the sleepout of the Coolamon house where the family slept summer and winter.
Max, Norman's son, born 1933 worked unloading wheat trucks on a Saturday morning when he was a schoolboy. Max later used the Wagga Rug on his many motor bike trips around Victoria and usually carried it in another wheat bag. In 1960 when Max and Mary were married they took the Wagga Rug (now covered with the twill) in their panel van.
The family still has the old style bag needle that was used in making the Wagga rugs.
[Refer to the excellent photographs in 'Coolamon Through the Eye of the Camera' Max Robertson especially pages 90 and 91, wheat at the railway yards.]

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Quilt No.1016YH - Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element
John Tomkin
Quilt No.1005JT - John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued
Griffith Pioneer Park Museum
Quilt No.351GPM - Griffith Pioneer Park Museum
Patchwork quilt made from hexagon patches of cotton, silk, brocade, sateen and wool. Some silk patches are individually lined. Colours are mainly red, blues, purple, black, yellow and brown, with some pastels. Many silk patches have disintegrated, showing the paper templates. Quilt has a brown cotton inner lining, then a blue cotton backing, and is edged on the reverse with checked silk. Hand sewn by more than one person: one experienced sewer, one not so experienced.
1370 x 1170mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Lorna Calder
Quilt No.581LC - Lorna Calder
Patchwork quilt of multi coloured silks and brocades. Crazy patchwork borders, mainly rectangular fabrics pieced together in diagonal patterns, radiating from a central frame embroidered with flowers. Many pieces are extensively embroidered in a great variety of stitches and motifs; butterflies, sunflowers, cats, daffodils, crown, pawn broker's symbol, 'money to lend', 'good night', the initials of family members and 'mater 1890'. The quilt has a deep border of maroon sateen. There is no padding visible but it is possibly a blanket. The backing is green/gold silk with a self stripe with red cotton damask showing underneath, possibly an earlier backing.
2165 x 2165mm
Frame, Motifs or Names, Patchwork, Typically Australian
Ann Kyranis
Quilt No.917AK - Ann Kyranis
Traditional Greek quilt. The top is a piece of deep red and gold brocade (in Greek a 'stoffa'). The border and the backing are made from gold brocade woven with a daisy pattern. It is hand quilted in parallel lines.
2150 x 1720mm
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element, Greek
Irene Copping
Quilt No.781IC - Irene Copping
Durham quilt. Hand quilted with Durham Feather Pink on one side and cream on the other. Cotton material with a slightly sheen cotton used for the quilting. Cotton wool padding.
2440 x 2150mm
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element