Quilt No.567IR - Irini Repaci

Owner: 
Irini Repaci
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Unknaown
Made in
GREECE, Island of Ikaria
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton material, pink one side and orange the other. Hand quilting is in a geometric pattern in parallel lines. Padding is raw cotton. 2000 x 1460 mm
History: 

The quilt was given to Irini by her mother Despina in the early 1950s to be part of her dowry. It is still owned by Irini. It is sometimes used as a portable mattress for the babies.

Story: 

"Five Quilts From Ikaria
These two quilts, owned by Irini Repaci and Nellie Magloveris, are part of the order for five quilts which their mother, Despina, gave to the local mattress-maker on the tiny Greek island of Ikaria, in the early 1950s; one quilt for each of her four daughters and one for herself. This was to be the girls' dowry, made especially to order for the 'great trek' to Australia, and hopefully for her daughters to take into their marriages.
The cotton fabric used is in three colous, pink, yellow, orange - and each quilt is a combination of two of these colours. The quilts are padded with raw cotton, grown on the island by Irini and Nellie's grandmother Kalliope. Although Ikaria is not a natural cotton growing area, Kalliope somehow managed it, having learnt many skills from a time of working in Egypt.
For whatever reason, Ikaria seems not to have such a strong dowry tradition, as in most other parts of Greece, so Despina's order placed with the 'mattress man' was somewhat unusual for that small island community. But the order was duly completed and the quilts eventually travelled to Australia.
When the family arrived at Sydney airport, the Customs officials, circa 1954, decided that, out of all the luggage, one particular trunk looked suspicious, and within the few minutes that Despina was away attending to one of the children, they smashed it open - only to find it jam packed with the five new quilts.
The quilts have been much used and much loved in the various families. Irini has three children: Natasha, Marrianna and Vince, as does Nellie: Ali, Danny and Christine. Both women tell stories of their 'paploma' being part of their lives as young women, travelling with them through marriage, new babies, toddlers, and still today, occasionally being called into service!
But for both Irini and Nellie, these quilts speak more deeply of their mother, and the extraordinary difficulties she has overcome as part of her life's journey - the turmoil and havoc wrought by the Second World War and the civil was in Greece, coming to Australia alone with her four daughters aged from eight to three years (her husband had come earlier), and then having her son here; the many years of very hard work, and her struggle to learn English and be part of her children's life outside, as well as inside, the home. These quilts are symbolic of the tribute they pay to her."
[Written by Lula Saunders, adapted from interview 3/11/98, for the National Quilt Register]

Irini is on the right and Nellie on the left 1998
Irini is on the right and Nellie on the left 1998

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt made for a child. All cotton with cotton padding. White blocks have embroidery depicting different nursery rhymes eg Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary ; Old Mother Goose. These blocks are separated by rectangular strips of teal cotton. The quilt is hand stitched and heavily quilted.
1677 x 1271mm
Julie Atkinson
Reversible wholecloth cotton quilt with elaborate hand quilting. One side is cream patterned material and the other plain pale yellow. It is padded but the type of padding is unknown.
2450 x 2000mm
Annette Gero
Double sided cretonne quilt, red floral one side, green floral the other. The padding is layers of blanket pieces and pieces of woollen clothes tacked flat. It is machine quilted in squares from the centre outwards.
1270 x 1060mm
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Unfinished small quilt top of pale blue linen with squares of embroidery and silk patches appliqued and embroidered. The centre has embroidered coat of arms of the Baillie (or Bayley)family. Embroidered motifs are flowers, domestic items, anchor, butterfly, fan, basket, gardening implements. Total of 99 patches in silk, linen and cotton.
873 x 845mm