Quilt No.383RA - Ruth Nash Allen

Ruth Nash Allen
Owner: 
Ruth Nash Allen
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Women from Hurstville Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt based on 70mm block. Cottons and rayon's with some reused materials. Machine pieced, hand quilted. Backing is mid blue cotton brought over to the front and machined to form a binding. Padding is probably cotton.
2510 x 1850mm
History: 

The quilt was made by women in a church group in Hurstville Sydney as a project in which they could all participate. The women supplied the material and cut the pieces and Ethel Nash Parton, the President, machined them together. The women then hand quilted the 3 layers together. Ethel's mother-in-law and sister-in-law also helped with the quilting. It was made between 1944 and 1948 and the group did not make any other quilts.
For a few years the quilt was used under the mattress, over the wire base on Ethel's bed and then 2 years ago Ethel's sister, Ruth Allen, discovered the quilt when moving the bed. She now uses it on her bed.

Story: 

Ethel Nash Parton belonged to the church group, the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Hurstville branch (Sydney). The church building was at the corner of Noble Street and Railway Pde. Allawah but it is not now owned by the church. Ethel was president of the group from 1944 to 1948.
The women making the quilt were not particularly interested in quilting, it was just 'a project'. There was a wide age range in the group and they wanted an activity in which everyone could participate.
Ethel's sister, Ruth Allen, wrote" I am very happy that Ethel is getting recognition as she's been a wonderful worker and is an unassuming, reserved person."
[Letter to NQR 13.2.1999]

Ethel Nash Parton & Ruth Nash Allen 1997
Ethel Nash Parton & Ruth Nash Allen 1997

Related Quilts:

Tricia Bowdler
Reversible quilt made of squares and rectangles of mostly wool suiting and some heavy cotton. The borders are of joined brocade. There is no padding.
1600 x 1220mm
Alicia Murdoch
Cotton quilt entirely of hesagons. Some are formed into rostttes or flowers and have a print border of 12 hexagons, an inner circle of 6 hexagons in a plain colour and a yellow hexagon centre. The padding is cotton wool and the backing plain off white cotton.
2210 x 1430mm
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Large hexagon rosettes in a variety of plain colours. 6 form a flower and each hexagon has a contrasting colour for the centre. Machined smaller hexagons give a ruffled effect. Colours of flowers include teal, burnt orange, pink, lime and mauve. The material is nylon and the backing is a single piece of pink bubble nylon. The padding is a single piece of calico.
2050 x 1530mm
National Trust of Australia (VIC)
Double sided patchwork quilt. One side has a centre of pieced hexagons enclosed by borders of plain strips and pieced stars and squares. The other side has a printed Royal Coat of Arms (lion and unicorn) 'Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense, Dieu Et Mon Droit', surrounded by wide borders of plain and printed materials in the style of frame quilts.
2400 x 2300mm
Red Cliffs Historical Society
Quilt with hexagons forming lozenge or honeycomb pattern. Predominantly greens and pinks in brocatelle (rayon brocade). All hand stitched. The backing is lime green rayon. The padding is probably dacron.
1800 x 1630mm
Narelle Grieve
Silk quilt in diamonds with hexagon border. "Toward the edge of the quilt, the design of diamonds made into blocks offers an optical illusion, where the diamonds can be seen to form stars. The border is made up of these stars and half-diamonds, and the entire quilt is trimmed with lace and triangular flaps made of tiny hexagons." [extract unidentified magazine article supplied by quilt owner.]
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.