Quilt No.478RR - Rita Ruchel

Rita Ruchel
Owner: 
Rita Ruchel
Location: 
SA
Maker
Maker: 
Toni Nickolai
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Tumbling Block
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Quilt of cotton diamond shaped pieces feather stitched together with the pieces slightly overlapping. There is no padding and the backing is a light white cotton
1900 x 1060mm
History: 

Made by Toni Nickolai in the Loxton district of S.A. during WW2 and now owned by her daughter Rita Ruchel. It was used on Rita's bed when she was a teenager and then on her own daughter's bed. It is now on loan to the Willewa Community Pioneer Forest Historical Group in Meringur Vic. [1998]

Story: 

"During World War 2 it was often a struggle to make ends meet with restrictions through rationing of almost everything. There were many do-it-yourself projects. As our mother made a lot of our clothing (8 children) and her own furnishings there were many left over scraps of material. She had trained as a dressmaker before marriage. Droughts and low farming returns made it very necessary to 'make-do'. One of many Aussie battlers so all the otherwise useless pieces of material were made into something useful.
I too am a qualified dressmaker and follow the tradition of making quilts, toys etc from scraps." [Rita Ruchel 30.10.1998]

The quilt maker, Mrs. Tonie Nickolai
The quilt maker, Mrs. Tonie Nickolai

Related Quilts:

Margery Creek
Quilt No.404MC - 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
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Burnett
Quilt No.434BB - 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
Patchwork, Mosaic, Tumbling Block
Yass & District Historical Society
Quilt No.357YHS - 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
Patchwork, Mosaic, Diamond
Mrs M Batts
Quilt No.667MB - 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
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Ankie King
Quilt No.913AK - 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
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.564NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided quilt with both sides based on a central frame. One side has centre panel of darks surrounding 4 patch of the same print in different colourways. This is surrounded by borders of rectanglesis small prints, checks and stripes. The outer border is men's suitings. The other side has a centre frame similar to the 'Broken Dushes' pattern surrounded by wide borders in solid colours, paisley and fine checks. There is a dark strip across the top and bottom. It is roughly machine quilted.
1770 x 1380mm
Patchwork, Frame