Quilt No.521FW - Fran Williams
Description:
Hand pieced cotton quilt in Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern. Shirtings, chintzes, roller prints. 240mm ruffle in paisley pattern on 3 sides, probably a later addition. The backing is a heavy Indian cotton possibly also put on later. There is no quilting at all. There is no padding.
2000 x 2240mm
2000 x 2240mm
History:
The maker is unknown. The present owner and others believe the materials date the quilt around the 1880s. It was originally purchased in the 1950s, with a cedar bed, by Mrs. Ada Ball from a Mr. Hortin, antique dealer, Tasmania. Ada gave it to her friend Dr. Geraldine Archer, a well known gynaecologist. When Gerry adopted a thalidomide boy Ada became his nanny. Gerry didn't like the quilt so it was put in a pillow case and into the linen closet for 40 years. On her death in 1991 there was a huge sale but as the quilt was one of the things Ada had given her she took it back. The Greens wanted a donation for a fund raising auction so she gave it to them. Fran Williams purchased it at the Greens auction.
It is not used.
Related Quilts:
Quilt of scrap hexagons. Hand pieced over papers with some papers still in place. Materials used include seersucker, plisse, chambray and various other textured cottons used in dressmaking. The owner has restored the quilt. The backing is a soft cotton in indigo blue and the padding is flannelettte. "I machine tied the quilt in its restoration using cream cotton at the intersections so that it doesn't impinge on the interesting fabrics and the overall scrap effects." [Marie Pye]
2590 x 2170mm
2590 x 2170mm
Hexagonal piece of patchwork made up of 9 rows of rosettes of hexagons in a wide variety of colours and patterns mainly in silks and velvets. It is incomplete. Backing papers are still in the outside rows and also basting threads. Hexagons are joined by fine whip stitching. It is unlined.
1370 x 1220mm
1370 x 1220mm
Suffolk Puff quilt made from a variety of scraps of dress materials including cottons and terylene. It is backed with white cotton sheeting and edged with a frill of white terylene. There is a matching pillow sham.
1740 x 1300 mm.
1740 x 1300 mm.
Quilt made from furnishing materials some with mettalic flecks. It is machine sewn.
160 x 135mm
160 x 135mm
Unfinished patchwork top made from hexagon patches in the 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, in glazed and unglazed cottons and some twill fabrics. 7 patches for flowers with white and some cream patches forming paths. All fabrics are patterned and date from c.1825-1840, including pieces of toile de jouy, stripes and florals. Colours are predominantly reds and blues with some green, brown, purple; one flower is in chrome yellow, 8 flowers are in turkey red indicating probably the latest fabric. The quilt is hand sewn and the papers are in tact in most patches.
1508 x 940mm
1508 x 940mm
"The quilt consists of 12 blocks of crazy patchwork with an embroidered border. The quilt is made of 167 different fabrics; most of these are silk. These velvets, printed silks and satins are beautifully embroidered with flowers, household items and Kate Greenway images of children at play. Many of the motifs have a strong influence from the Aesthetic Movement. The edge of the quilt carries a border in maroon silk decorated with tendrils and daisies in very fine embroidery.
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm
The patches are joined with hand sewing and embroidery, however the 12 panels are joined with machine stitching (chainstitch machine stitching). The blue silk lining was hand sewn into position with silk thread." [NGA]
"The quilt does consist of three layers but the central layer is not padding. The crazy patch pieces were sewn together and this was lined with white cotton fabric prior to the embroidery at the edges of the 12 panels being placed. This in turn was lined with a fine blue silk." [NGA] 1810 x 1460 mm