Quilt No.424AM - Alys Mercer

Alys Mercer
Owner: 
Alys Mercer
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Elizabeth Hart
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLD
Patterms
Embroidered and/or Appliqued, Motifs or Names, Signature, Wholecloth, Typically Australian
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
This Adelaide Chronicle quilt or bedcover is single thickness white linen with a double thickness wide green border hemstitched in place. The cover is divided into blocks and in each alternate block an Australian bird has been worked in fancywork using stranded cottons.
2019 x 1144mm
History: 

The maker was Elizabeth Hart (born Schunke) 1862-1947 while living on a farm at Yalangor north of Toowoomba. It was made in 1933 and passed by maternal descent to L. Bach and then to Alys Mercer (born Hart) Elizabeth's grand- daughter. It is not used now.

Story: 

"As mentioned, this quilt was entirely hand made. My grand parents had settled here on the Darling Downs in 1902, previously having lived in South Australia. They still had the Adelaide Chronicle sent weekly and this is where my grandmother obtained the wild flower designs, getting a different one each week as they were published. There was no electricity on the farm so this would have been worked with the aid of a kerosene lamp. Daylight hours were certainly not used for such frivolities as fancy work and not a stitch would be sewn on Sunday."
[Barbara Bullock 24.11.97]

The Hart sisters, Barbara, Alys, Lorna,Linley
The Hart sisters, Barbara, Alys, Lorna,Linley

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