Quilt No.627PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Owner: 
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Dorothy McMorran
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton quilt in pattern commonly known as "Double Wedding Ring'. Probably an American McCall's pattern. Hand stitched, florals, checks and plain pieces. The backing is pink cotton. Scalloped edge.
2300 x 1880mm
History: 

This quilt was made in Sydney in the 1940s by Mrs. Dorothy McMorran and other members of the Canadian Women's Association probably from a McCalls pattern The quilt passed to Dorothy's daughter, Norma McMorran,who donated it to The Pioneer Women's Hut. It is displayed occasionally in the museum.

Story: 

These quilts were made in the early 1940s by my mother, Mrs. Dorothy McMorran. She was a Canadian who lived in Sydney from 1924 onwards. She came here as a young bride when her husband was sent here to be assistant to the elderly gentleman who at that time represented the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in Australia. Although the appointment was initially for a period of 3 years, it was extended many times and eventually my parents lived in Australia longer than they did in Canada. While loving Australia, they remained very Canadian and thanks to generous 'home' leave were able to maintain their Canadian connections. My mother died in 1974.
She was a very energetic woman with a great interest in handwork - the bigger the project the better. I remember her knitting dresses (she became great friends with the head of the knitting wool department at Farmer's, her favourite store), hooking rugs, crocheting afgahns and in one phase collecting worn out woollen garments to make braided rugs. About 1940 or a little later she was looking for new fields to conquer and was given a McCall pattern for a Dresden Plate quilt by one of the other Canadians living here. It had been brought from Canada and not used.
�����..By this time it was 1946 or 1947 and many members of the group [The Canadian Women's Association] were war brides - Canadian girls who had married Australian R.A.A.F. men training in Canada and many of whom at this stage were battling homesickness, the problems of adapting to a new country and postwar conditions generally. Much homesickness was talked out over the quilting frame and many problems aired. The whole project proved an excellent therapy for these girls.
��..I don't have any clear recollections about how the Double Wedding Ring quilt came to be started except that once the Dresden Plate was finished she had to keep on going. The pattern, probably another McCalls, was likely sent by the friend in Oregon and many of the pieces in it look to have come from the same source."
[Norma McGorran, 1991]

Dorothy McMorran (centre) cooking at the World War 2 canteen, Sydney
Dorothy McMorran (centre) cooking at the World War 2 canteen, Sydney

Related Quilts:

The Pioneer Women's Hut
Machine pieced top of squares of part jumpers, most hand knitted. The padding is a blanket. The backing is an old curtain.
1735 x 1350mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Continuous 'sleeve' of hand sewn small hexagons, many woollen, some joined, some darned, plain and patterned. Several bands of plain coloured hexagons. The padding is ticking, an old cream blanket and part of a bedspread.
1960 x 800mm
Ann Hockey
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles of samples of men's woollen suitings, in greys and blues and some browns. The rectangles were machine sewn together and then sewn in rows or strips. Originally the quilt had a rabbit skin backing, removed due to deterioration. No padding. Machine sewn.
1550 x 1420mm
Queenscliffe Historical Society Inc
Patchwork quilt made of 1 inch hand paper pieced hexagonal patches (English technique), with plain and floral patterned blue fabrics in clusters at regular intervals throughout the taupe coloured patches. Centre of quilt has a cluster or 'flower' of 4 rings of patches, the centre group embroidered in blue satin stitch: 'MW 1938'. Border consists of 3 rows of medium, light and dark blue hexagons. No padding. Backing is of blue cotton sateen.
2185 x 1372mm
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
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
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Silk and velvet frame quilt with centre patchwork block of squares and triangles with a top and bottom border of silk in Royal Stewart tartan. This rectangular centre frame is surrounded by plain and 'saw tooth' (triangles) borders. The outer border is dark grey silk embroidered in pastels in stem stitch in a meandering vine and leaf pattern. There is no padding or quilting. Backing originally of mustard wool material machine stitched along turned in edges. Dark red cotton is attached to original backing.
2015 x 1320mm