Quilt No.49EB - Elsie Bennett

Owner: 
Elsie Bennett
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Elsie Bennett
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Domestic Wagga made from bags with a top of irregular patches of cotton material, mainly from dress scraps, and a backing of calico.
1578 x 1094mm
History: 

Made by Elsie Bennett around 1952, and currently used by her at Ariah Park, NSW.

Story: 

"� around 1952 I made one [Wagga rug] from wheat bags and made a cover of patchwork pieces from frocks I had made for my daughter or worn out pillow slips or other items. The patchwork is not in patterns but whatever shape suited the bit of material. I still use the Wagga rug on my bed. It is a 3/4 bed size as that was the size bed we had in the spare room when we were first married and since the death of my husband I moved into that size bed."
[Elsie Bennett]

Related Quilts:

National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagons in a random mix of colours and prints, the predominant colours being blue, red, green, light yellow and pastels. Patches hand sewn. There is no padding and the backing is a grey wool blanket. The top is machine stitched around the edge to the blanket.
1645 x 1060mm
National Gallery of Australia
"The coverlet is of cream cheesecloth, highly decorated with applied figures and pieced fabric bands. The appliqué bands follow the edge of the coverlet for some time and then become circles radiating from the centre. The bands form two framed circular areas that carry appliquéd images. A smaller area lower centre of the cloth depicts birds and insects. In the centre of the work is a bordered oval with two aboriginal figures, an angel, kangaroo, emu and kookaburra, with the words 'Advance Australia Fair' embroidered in black thread. The stitching and construction of the coverlet is quite crude." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1640 x 1550mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Large double sided quilt of rectangles and squares of men's suitings, patterned and plain on both sides. The top has a central motif of a circle of three segmented rings radiating from a single hexagon. The outer ring is all tailors' samples and the inner rings are a variety of materials. There is some featherstitching in red. The quilt is sparsley machine quilted.
Margery Creek
This utility quilt is mainly constructed from long strips of cotton seed sack material. It is machine pieced and quilted by hand in a diagonal pattern. There is a red border. The backing is cotton flannelette and the padding is cotton.
1601 x 1525mm
Billie Briggs
Hand pieced crazy quilt in a variety of plain coloured velvets. All seams are over embroidered in a variety of stitches. There is no padding and the backing is heavy black cotton. 1900 x 1630mm.
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Crazy patchwork quilt of pieces of plain and patterned silks in bright and pastel colours, each patch edged and decorated with a variety of embroidery stitches, including star, spider, french knot and feather and herringbone variations. 2 patches of early aniline dyed blue silk. Motifs of tennis racquet, horse shoes, fan and some embroidered flowers. The patches are stitched to coarse linen. There is a wide border of red plush velvet turned to the underside. There is no padding. The backing is red polished cotton.
1550 x 1435mm