Quilt No.419VI - Val Ireland

Owner:
Val Ireland
Location:
QLD South West
Maker
Maker:
Emily Ireland
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date:
1921 - 1940
Description:
Utilitarian quilt. The padding is pieced used clothing and possibly reused blanket. The top and backing are machine pieced cotton scraps in a wide variety of pattern and colours.
1626 x 1601mm
1626 x 1601mm
History:
The internal quilt, now the padding, was made by Emily Ireland (born Metz) 1889-1933 in the late 1920s. It then passed to her son Eric 1924-1994 who was orphaned when he was 12. He took it with him when he married Val who made the new top and backing in 1952 in Penrith NSW. It is not used now.
Story:
" My grandmother had a lot of Waggas, on the old couches, on the sleepouts. My aunties had them too, they lived in the country and used them for warmth. I learnt about Waggs from them."
[Val Ireland 14.1.98]
Related Quilts:
This is one of two single bed quilts in a pattern the owner calls 'Martha Washington's Flower Garden'. Flowers are in six hexagons in a variety of prints with a plain coloured centre. The background is cream, and the backing is calico. 2500 x 1800 mm.
Double sided utility quilt made from machine pieced squares of tailors' samples and men's and boy's suitings. The padding is 5 or 6 layers of pieced used clothing including darned, threadbare socks, part jumpers, blanket pieces etc.
2090 x 1340mm
2090 x 1340mm
Patchwork quilt, log cabin pattern. Made of strips of dark and light material arranged to produce strongly contrasting bands running diagonally across the quilt. Colours are mainly pinks and blues in small floral and paisley cotton prints. There is no padding.
1310 x 1140mm
1310 x 1140mm
Patchwork quilt made from hexagons in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' design, in blue and aqua cottons, polyester and flannelette. Quilt is backed. No padding or quilting.
2380 x 2320mm
2380 x 2320mm
"This quilt follows the traditional hexagon patchwork pieced pattern, which are then joined and sometimes edged with a contrasting border. The edges of the quilt have been turned and then scalloped edges made of identical patches to the main body of the quilt have been attached to the edge. The quilt is fully lined, and the lining is visible front the front face through the gaps between the scalloped edge. The lining is attached to the patchwork with a row of stitches along the edges; there are no stitches in the centre field. The fabrics of the quilt are plain weave cotton in simple floral and geometric designs. Most of the fabrics are monochromatic. Several different colour ways of the same fabric are evident which could suggest some fabrics were from manufacturer samples. The lining is a William Morris print.
Each of the patchwork pieces (there are several thousand present) are sewn together with very fine overcasting stitches. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. There is some evidence that templates from the hexagon pieces possibly blotting paper, remain in situ���The quilt is not padded or quilted. The lining is fine twill weave cotton printed in pink and pale purple. The design follows William Morris's 'Strawberry Thief design'." [NGA] 2075 x 1911mm
Each of the patchwork pieces (there are several thousand present) are sewn together with very fine overcasting stitches. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. There is some evidence that templates from the hexagon pieces possibly blotting paper, remain in situ���The quilt is not padded or quilted. The lining is fine twill weave cotton printed in pink and pale purple. The design follows William Morris's 'Strawberry Thief design'." [NGA] 2075 x 1911mm
Cotton patchwork quilt in double wedding ring pattern in pastel prints. Quilted in a design of geometric flowers. Padding is probably cotton wadding, backing is cream calico. 2270 x 1970 mm.