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

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Quilt No.1016YH - Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element
John Tomkin
Quilt No.1005JT - John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued
Alysoun Ryves
Quilt No.539AR - Alysoun Ryves
Red Applique on an off white background. All applique is by hand using herringbone stitch. Three different red materials are used for the applique each printed with a different tiny all over pattern. There are 3 different applique shapes: the 9 major shapes have 8 points; the daisy pattern has 8 petals; the edge pattern is used along the top, left and half of the bottom edge of the quilt and sometimes has 4 points, sometimes 3 and sometimes 2. There is a tiny red piping around the quilt along the bottom and both sides. It is hand quilted in 100mm long zig zags 12mms apart all over the quilt. The quilt is signed twice on the front, once in ink and once in embroidery. It is signed 'Anna Edwards Jan 1858'. There is no padding and the backing material is similar to the off white background material of the top.
2270 x 2180mm
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued
June Brown
Quilt No.463JB - June Brown
Rectangular cot quilt of green floral cretonne with pleated frill. Machine made. The backing is the same material. It is tied not quilted. The padding is old woollen jumpers.
1050 x 610mm
Wholecloth, Re-used clothing or blanket, Utilitarian, Typically Australian
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Quilt No.821TMAG - Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Wholecloth cot quilt, reversible, both sides pale pink rayon printed with small bunches of pink roses, blue flowers and green leaves. Outside edge is machine sewn except for opening for filling which is slip stitched. Quilted by hand with large stitches in pink thread along width and length of quilt. The padding is wool.
815 x 570mm
Wholecloth, Utilitarian
National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.958NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"The Rajah "quilt" is a patchwork and appliquéd bed cover or coverlet. It is in pieced medallion or framed style: a popular design style for quilts in the British Isles in the mid 1800's. There is a central field of white cotton decorated with appliquéd (in broderie perse) chintz birds and floral motifs. This central field is framed by 12 bands or strips of patchwork printed cotton. The quilt is finished at the outer edge by white cotton decorated with appliquéd daisies on three sides and inscription in cross stitch surrounded by floral chintz attached with broderie perse on the fourth side. All fabrics used in the Rajah quilt are cotton with the exception of small amounts of linen and silk threads. The quilt shows evidence of being produced by many hands." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 3372 x 3250mm
Frame, Motifs or Names, Patchwork, Typically Australian