Quilt No.488WHS - Wangaratta Historical Society

Wangaratta Historical Society
Owner: 
Wangaratta Historical Society
Location: 
VIC North East
Maker
Maker: 
Marianne Gibson
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Patterms
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy, Typically Australian
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
9 large blocks of crazy patchwork in silks and velvets. The blocks are divided by strips of deep ruby coloured silk. There is a wide ruby border with peaks to which is attached cream lace. The backing is beige silk. The main blocks are outlined with feather stitch in gold thread and many individual patches are outlined in fancy stitches and have embroidered motifs some of which are Australian eg centre patch has Sturt's Desert Pea flowers, parrots, wattle. There are also English flowers, Japanese motifs, flags, domestic objects and Marianne's initials. Embroidery is in a variety of...
History: 

The quilt was made about 1891 in Wangaratta by Marianne Gibson (1837-1911). It remained in the family until it was presented to Miss Alma Gard and on Alma's retirement she presented it to the Wangaratta Historical Society. It is carefully stored and exhibited occasionally.

Story: 

"Marianne was born in Armagh, Ireland in 1837, and as a young woman she and her sister accompanied their uncle to Australia. They eventually made their way to Wangaratta Victoria where in 1864, Marianne married Alexander McCullen Gibson.
Mr. Gibson was to become a prominent business man in Wangaratta, establishing a handsome brick building in Reid St, which he operated as a general store and Wine Merchants. The ground floor of the building became the business premises and the first floor which included a pretty balcony became the home of the Gibson family.
Marianne's Obituary which was published in the "Wangaratta Chronicle" in 1911 stated that 'She attended her household in a truly motherly and womanly manner, rearing a family of 3 sons and two daughters.' Unfortunately her Obituary does not identify her daughters by their Christian names.
She also involved herself with women's organisations in the town, particularly the 'Wangaratta Women's Benevolent Society'.
Like many women of her generation she was an experienced needlewoman. The beautiful quilt, known in our society as the 'Gibson quilt' being an example of her considerable skill and pride in her work. This particular quilt was made in 1891."
[Joan Wood, Research Officer, Wangaratta Historical Society 28.10.1996]

Centre patch with Sturt's Desert Pea
Centre patch with Sturt's Desert Pea

Related Quilts:

Julie Pearce
Quilt No.44JP - Julie Pearce
Rectangular quilt of print and plain cottons pieced in squares and rectangles, the centre group of pieces surround a larger piece of pale blue fabric, within a frame or border, of bright pink material, then 3 rows of squares and rectangles. Backing of plain fabric. Machine stitched on a treadle machine.
Patchwork, Frame
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.555NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Large centre rectangle of hexagons in various colours of patterned and plain cottons. It is surrounded by a wide border in a checkerboard of red and white cottons. There is a wholecloth cotton backing. The front and the back have been turned under at the edge and machined. There is no padding.
1829 x 1372mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Glenda Wilkinson
Quilt No.475GW - Glenda Wilkinson
The quilt consists of 2 layers of random pieces of woollen coating and suiting materials machined together, very dark colours on one side and a mixture of dark and lighter on the other. The 2 layers are quilted together with a row of machining and has a folded and machine stitched edge. There is no padding.
1270 x 950mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Bundaberg & District Historical & Museum Soc. Inc.
Quilt No.664BHM - Bundaberg & District Historical & Museum Soc. Inc.
World' quilt of linen squares , autographed, embroidered in stranded cotton and the squares sewn together.
2000 x 2000mm
Embroidered and/or Appliqued, Motifs or Names, Signature, Wholecloth, Typically Australian
Helen Cornish
Quilt No.276HC - Helen Cornish
Patchwork quilt in the Log Cabin pattern, each square 14cm x 14cm, made of used cotton fabrics with a fine wool fabric as the centre square of each. Colours are mainly reds, blues, greens and maroon, and pastels, in prints and plains. Quilt has a wide border of dark blue cotton with mitred corners. The padding is black and white mattress ticking, and the backing is the same dark blue cotton as the border. Machine stitched.
1770 x 1170mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Log Cabin, Pieced Random
June Johnson
Quilt No.1041JJ - June Johnson
Hand sewn cotton cot quilt with pattern of red and white lozenge shaped hexagons measuring approximately 65mm from top to bottom. A centre flower is constructed from 2 circles of 19 hexagons in red and white. This is surrounded by 8 smaller hexagon flowers. Additional single red hexagons are scattered at random on the white background around the rows of flowers. The quilt is not quilted or tied but is attached at all 4 edges. Writing on the back of the quilt (probably added later) reads "Made by Sarah Hodge, Newport, Wales UK for her first child John." There is no padding and the backing is white cotton. 1000 x 1250 mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon