Quilt No.602PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Owner: 
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Lucy Gallagher
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
The top is machine pieced patches of used clothing. The backing is large pieces of dress materials and either end patches similar to the top. The padding is a chaff bag or similar with patches of worn, matted children's jumpers sewn directly on to it.
1400 x 1150mm
History: 

This quilt was made by Lucy Gallagher at 'Eringoarrah' (a property near Wagga Wagga NSW) c.1940. It was one of many Lucy made for general use on beds. Lucy moved to Wagga after her husband Walter died and in 1986 donated the quilt to The Pioneer Women's Hut. It is occasionally displayed at the museum.

Story: 

Lucy's husband Walter (deceased) worked as a general labourer at 'Eringoarrah', a large property near Wagga Wagga, for 39 years. Lucy identified where most of the patches came from: "That's part of Mr. Sawyer's overcoat" (Mr. Sawyer was the owner), "That's part of dear Mrs. Wishart's frock". Lucy referred to it as a Wagga rug.

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.
Hazel Jarmyn
Patchwork quilt made from cotton hexagon patches in the 'grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, in bright prints and plains, with cream 'paths' made from dress material. Padding is flannel sheeting, and backing is the same cream material as the 'paths'. The centre of the 'flower' patches are autographed with friends' names and dates, as are some 'petals' and cream patches, in black ink.
1550 x 1400mm
Mary and Max Robertson
Traditional Wagga rug made from 3 wheat bags joined along the long side by sewing with bag needle and twine. Machined twill cover was put on later in the 1960s. Originally no padding but now the bags are the padding. One of a pair(identical).
1790 x 1160mm
Pearl Holland
This is one of two single bed quilts in a pattern the owner calls 'Martha Washington's Flower Garden'. Flowers are in six hexagons in a variety of prints with a plain coloured centre. The background is cream, and the backing is calico. 2500 x 1800 mm.
Cressida Mary Webb Challis
Quilt of machine pieced squares and rectangles using a wide variety of materials in plain colours and patterns. It is one of a pair. There is no padding and the backing is 90cm strips of calico.
2500 x 2130mm