Quilt No.401AH - Anne Howard

Anne Howard
Owner: 
Anne Howard
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Agnes Maxwell
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton patchwork quilt 'Trip Around the World'. Various patterns and colours and a wide variety of cottons eg homespun and waffle weave. Hand pieced and hand quilted. The backing is yellow cotton and the padding is thought to be a beige coloured curtain.
1830 x 1260mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Agnes Maxwell for her grand-daughter Anne Howard in the late 40s or early 50s in Sydney. It is still owned by Anne.
It is now stored in a camphorwood box.

Story: 

"Agnes McEwan Brown Maxwell - 1876-1970
Born in the port town of Helensborough Scotland which is not far from Glasgow and Loch Lomond. Died in Sydney At the age of 94.
Came to Australia from Vancouver, Canada in 1935. Lived in Leeton for many years but after the death of her husband in 1949 she moved to Pennant Hills, a new suburb of Sydney in the north.
When she lived in Pennant Hills she was always working with her hands. Exquisite fine lace tablecloths crocheted with the tiniest crochet hook, beautifully knitted baby clothes and there always seemed to be a quilt in the making. Quilt making had always been in the family. Grandma Maxwell and her sisters (Sally, Polly and Jean) had all made quilts for their daughters and the tradition continued with the arrival of grandchildren. The quilt made for her first born Kathryn, which was made out of dressmaking scraps from Kathryn's own clothes was unfortunately lost in the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983, having been brought out from Canada in 1934. However those made for the granddaughters have met a kinder fate.
Grandma Maxwell continued to sew and make quilts until well into her nineties. She was well loved by many and had a lovely group of friends who brought her their fabric offcuts to help with the quilt making. One of her favourite charities was the Spastic Children's Association for whom she made several quilts which were then raffled and always resulted in a most successful fund raising activity for the Association. In the 1960s when she was already in her eighties several ladies from the Pennant Hills area used to come and help to do the final quilting on these quilts when she couldn't manage the whole thing on her own."
[Irene Garran and Anne Howard 29.8.2000]
There are 4 grand-daughters and each has a quilt.

Related Quilts:

Margery Creek
Cotton quilt made in the USA. The pattern is called 'Turkey Tracks'. It has a cotton backing and a bottle green binding. The red patches have faded to pink. The quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. Two names are written on tape sewn on the back viz: Cora Phelps and M.Hoover.
2135 x 1727mm
Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Burnett
Tumbling Block quilt made from pure silk ribbons, patterned and plain. The quilt edge follows the block shapes. The backing is polished cotton printed with flowers.
2743 x 2439mm
Mrs M Batts
This quilt is allover crazy patchwork not done in squares. Many pieces are awkward shapes. In the centre is a 150 x 150mm square of squares each 25mm repeating some of the materials in the quilt. Most of the materials are velvets, satins and silks. There is a border of red and green patterned wool and all seams are feather stitched in a thick gold thread. The padding is thought to be flannelette and the backing is polished cotton in faded red and green.
2560 x 2160mm
Yass & District Historical Society
Patchwork quilt made from diamond patches in the 'Cotton Box' pattern, in a wide variety of cotton fabrics, including plains, checks, stripes and florals. The patches have blotting paper templates. The quilt is edged with diamond shapes in a red floral cotton. The backing is of the same red floral pattern, featuring yellow, turquoise and white flowers and leaves. Hand sewn.
2135 x 2033mm
Ankie King
Small square piece of crazy patchwork in silks and taffetas. Many of the seams are oversewn with decorative embroidery stitches. There is a calico backing.
550 x 550mm
Old Government House
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern made from silks, velvet, cottons and taffetas, in prints and plain, around a centre squares of black velvet. Colours are, in the dark sections, blues, greens, browns, yellow and pinks. The base of the blocks is blue and white ticking. The padding is probably cotton. Backing is of green cotton. There is an attached frill on all sides of green cotton, faded to dull light brown.
1630 x 1350mm