Quilt No.392CC - Cressida Mary Webb Challis

Owner: 
Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Isabel and Jean Portus
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Pieced hand sewn quilt of hexagons. All cotton. 4 Hexagons make up a diamond. Materials are scraps from family clothing. The background is caramel poplin and the backing is cream sheeting. The quilt is signed on the back (in satin stitch) "Isabel C.D.Portus 1974" and "Jean C.D.Portus 1976".
2580 x 1950mm
History: 

Made by Isabel and Jean Portus, twin sisters, in Sydney. Commenced in the 1960s and completed in the 1970s. It was made for the single bed in the guest room of their home. After the death of Isabel in 1974 the quilt was finished by Jean and at a later date was passed to Cressida Challis, a family member. It is still used, sometimes, in the spare bedroom of Cressida's home.

Story: 

Isabel and Jean, who made the quilt, were twin sisters. They never married. The quilt which had been commenced in the 1960s was almost complete when Isabel died in 1974. Jean then completed it in 1976. Isabel, Jean and another sister Barbara all used brass templates to make their hexagon papers. The templates were made by Barbara's husband Serge who was a fitter and turner. The papers were often cut from shareholders' annual reports and were reused a couple of times.
The sisters made many patchwork articles, made their own clothes, crocheted and knitted socks during the war.

Related Quilts:

Gillian Erratt
Quilt No.353GE - Gillian Erratt
Patchwork quilt made of pieced blocks in the 'Shoofly' pattern, in white cotton and a red, white and blue geometric cotton print. Alternate squares are in the print. The border is made of same size squares in the print. No padding. The backing is a sheet. Hand sewn.
1829 x 1829mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Annette Gero
Quilt No.839AG - Annette Gero
This quilt is of hand pieced hexagons randomly placed and stitched on to a linen backing. They are mainly dress fabrics and chintz with some hexagon flowers in the centre and corners in broderie perse. There is no padding.
2600 x 2600mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Barbara McCabe
Quilt No.196BM - Barbara McCabe
Patchwork quilt made of squares and rectangles in woollen fabric, stitched together without any particular pattern. Colours are mainly green, grey, blue, black, pink and some yellow. Fabrics are plain, checks and stripes. No padding, quilting or binding. Backing is a remnant of synthetic fabric. The quilt has been well sued and is very worn with fabric torn and marked in some places.
1400 x 400mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
June Dean
Quilt No.85JD - June Dean
Pieced hexagons, English paper method. Large hexagons form the centre with a border of smaller hexagons. The fabrics are all cotton in a wide range of colours and patterns. There is no padding. The backing is cotton, large white floral design on dark blue. The hexagons are hand pieced and the edges machined.
2480 x 1420 mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Ann Hockey
Quilt No.358AH - Ann Hockey
Patchwork quilt made of small squares pieced from four triangles. Each square is 90mm and is joined to the others by a herringbone lacing in yellow rayon crochet thread, so making an open mesh between each square. The quilt is edged with thick yellow rayon corded braid. Each square is backed with gold coloured cotton. No padding.
1730 x 1430mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.959NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"This is not a true quilt, but a pieced coverlet with a lining. The entire front face of the quilt is of pieced hexagonal and part hexagonal printed cotton patches. Pieces are joined with hand sewn over casting stitches of many different coloured cotton threads. The joining of the patches forms a 'daisy' pattern in some areas and in others it is random. The edge of the front face of the quilt carries a 40mm strip of cotton Chinoiserie which is then folded to the reverse of the quilt and becomes part of the lining. The template for the hexagon patches remains in many of the patches: writing paper and news print." [NGA]
The work is not padded "The lining at the edge of the quilt (for approx.175mm) is a plain weave fabric of a Chinoiserie design. The centre field of the lining is a rectangular panel of a twill weave brushed cotton fabric with a striped floral design." [NGA] 2215 x 2070mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon