Quilt No.495TD - Tess Davidson

Tess Davidson
Owner: 
Tess Davidson
Location: 
VIC North East
Maker
Maker: 
Teresa Blennett Hassett
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Hand stitched quilt of suiting materials. Centre rectangle also suiting materials but arranged with a smaller scale, is edged with a cord of red fabric covering string. The outer red border has been renewed by the owner and closely matches the original. The backing is ticking. There is no padding.
2390 x 2110mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Mrs.Teresa Blennett Hassett (1876-1948) in Northern Victoria in 1940. It was made for her grand-daughter Tess when her first child was born. It is not used now.

Story: 

This is Tess's story. "My Grammie was born in 1876, died aged 72 buried in Devenist cemetery. She was Mrs.Teresa Blennett Hassett.
I was very young and always interested in her making this Wagga as she called it. The name seemed so strange to me, (why Wagga? I have never found out). Gran always was sewing, stitching by needle and thread, I never seen a sewing machine,ever. As children every Sunday we always went up to her farm, it was always delightful to my two elder sisters and myself at Devenish, Vic. Then she came to live in Benalla in the late forties, with my mother and our family. Now this is where the lovely story of the Wagga starts. She gave it to me, what a surprise to get such a lovely gift, she put it in my new baby's pram. I have always treasured it so much. Over the years, the red binding was getting tattered and not looked as I liked, then the problem began, how and where could I get red to match, it seemed such a big job to do and had to be all be needle and thread." [Tess Davidson 16.9.1999]

Rust marks on the quilt indicate it has been under a mattress and on top of the wire base of the bed at some time.

Teresa Blennett Hassett
Teresa Blennett Hassett
Tess Davidson 1998
Tess Davidson 1998

Related Quilts:

The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Hexagon rosettes of printed and plain cotton in a flower pattern. Incomplete, top layer only.
2439 x 1981mm
Lyn Uppill
Patchwork quilt in crazy pattern, with pieces of silks, corded silks and velvets in prints, plaids and plains. Nearly all pieces are edged with embroidery, and many pieces have embroidered names and motifs. There are a variety of embroidery stitches. The backing is of slub cotton in a plaid pattern in yellow, grey, red and white. No padding. Quilt has a gathered edging of dark red organdy and silk. Names and dates embroidered are: Bert, Milly, Toots, Verdi, Ida, and 1893, 1895, 1894.
1550 x 1420mm
Margaret Wright
Crazy patchqork quilt, handsewn, composed of six large squares of patches in brocade, velvet and silk in random shapes and sizes. Patches are stitched to others by blanket stitch in yellow thread. Some patches have surface embroidery, e.g. a dragonfly, flowers, music notes, and names, 'Minnie', 'Loyetta' (house in Ballarat), 'Diana'. There are also five small cream bobbles. Colours are red, gold, brown, pinks, greens and blues. Padding is flannel, and quilt is backed and edged with maroon or burgundy ribbed silk.
1461mm x 687mm
Lois Ryan
Log Cabin quilt made from a variety of cottons and silks. There is no padding and the backing is calico bags. 1500 x 1250 mm.
Flora Noyce
Log cabin quilt consisting of 36 blocks each 200mm square. Light and dark arrangement with a variety of small patterned cotton materials (floral, spotted, striped) and plains. The blocks are hand stitched on to fine cotton and then joined by machine. There is a 120mm double gathered frill of floral cotton with a beige background. The backing is 2 pieces of cream cotton with repeat floral and musical motifs interspersed with forget me nots.
1500 x 1500mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork top made of cottons, constructed with 5 by 5 rows of squared 8 point pieced stars alternating with white cross-shaped blocks (made from 4 pieces). On all sides are borders of half stars. The outer border is of rectangles of cotton prints appliquéd on to cotton to form a plaited pattern. The border only is backed with a band of cream cotton. All patches are whip stitched together.
2645 x 2615mm