Quilt No.462MW - Margaret Wood

Margaret Wood
Owner: 
Margaret Wood
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Mrs Tadgell
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Velvet log cabin quilt. The background is black and the colours are shades of pale blue to royal blue, apple green to forest green, purple and a deep salmon. Original backing of artificial silk now replaced (1940s) with striped folk weave bedspread hand stitched on.
1860 x 1290mm
History: 

Mrs. Doris Rodgerson, mother of the present owner, asked Mrs. Tadgell in 1936 to make the quilt for her daughter. Mrs. Rodgerson supplied the materials and Mrs Tadgell made it on her treadle sewing machine. It has never been used and always stored in the linen press firstly in Margaret's parents' homes and then in Margaret's homes all in the Box Hill and Blackburn areas. In 1998 the quilt was offered to the Museum of Lilydale.

Story: 

"Early this century, my grandparents William and Maria Young, bought some bushland running down to the Olinda creek, below Mt. Evelyn. On the hillside, they built "Kookaburra Cottage" which they referred to as their Mountain house. Beside them, a Mr. Clarrie Earl built a luxurious log cabin, with Charlie Mezgar (?) as resident caretaker. It is now known as Chateau Wyuna. Ours was a timber shack, where our family and friends spent so many happy week-ends. They travelled by buggy prior to their Fiat owning years, setting off from Box Hill on Friday evenings.
Down the hill and across the creek on the flats, I remember Mrs. Tadgell's farm, with cows. It was about 1935 that Mrs. Tadgell sewed on her treadle machine, a velvet patchwork quilt for my single bed������The final backing was an artificial silk, which later suffered moth damage. My Mother replaced this in the early post-war years, when material was scarce, by hand stitching on a striped folk weave cotton fabric. It is not in keeping with the quilt's elegance, but does hold it firmly on the bed. The velvet surface is without blemish or wear. It has remained in our linen press, being considered too delicate to stand up to children's wear and tear. The stitching is perfect and a lasting tribute to Mrs. Tadgell's ingenuity and skill in creating this lovely quilt."
[Margaret Wood July 1998]

Related Quilts:

Ann Hockey
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles of samples of men's woollen suitings, in greys and blues and some browns. The rectangles were machine sewn together and then sewn in rows or strips. Originally the quilt had a rabbit skin backing, removed due to deterioration. No padding. Machine sewn.
1550 x 1420mm
Kaniva District Historical Society
Crazy patchwork quilt, mostly velvet, with two rectangular frames or borders of green fabric. All patchwork pieces have embroidery over the seams, mostly herringbone. Quilt is edged with a cream cotton ruffle. Cotton backing.
1625 x 1625mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Silk and velvet frame quilt with centre patchwork block of squares and triangles with a top and bottom border of silk in Royal Stewart tartan. This rectangular centre frame is surrounded by plain and 'saw tooth' (triangles) borders. The outer border is dark grey silk embroidered in pastels in stem stitch in a meandering vine and leaf pattern. There is no padding or quilting. Backing originally of mustard wool material machine stitched along turned in edges. Dark red cotton is attached to original backing.
2015 x 1320mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Crazy patchwork on to foundation material with the edges of the pieces turned under and machined. It is not quilted. A 25mm red binding has been machined on. There is no padding. The backing is red wholecloth cotton.
1940 x 1540mm
Annette Gero
Hand pieced log cabin quilt in silks, satins and velvets. There is a silk backing machined on, possiby a later addition. The quilt has over 5000 pieced.
1820 x 1680mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Machine pieced cot quilt made from squares of material including tweed, wool, blanket and pyjama material. The squares are joined in rows with colours randomly placed. There is a pink satin edging. The backing is part of a pale pink blanket.
1150 x 900mm