Quilt No.639BJ - Betty Johnson

Description:
Pieced wool quilt, machined. Rectangles and squares, from a wide variety of materials including tartans, checks, tweeds, herringbones, joined in strips and then the strips joined. The backing is scraps of woollen material with a seal motif aookiqued on. There is no padding.
1350 x 800mm
1350 x 800mm
History:
Betty Johnson made this quilt/rug in 1954 when her son Kenneth was going to The Kookaburra kindergarten in Coleman Street Wagga Wagga NSW. The children had a sleep on canvas stretchers. The seal motif on the back was for easy identification and matched the symbol on Kenneth's locker.

Kenneth Johnson in 1954

Kenneth with his school rug, March 2000
Related Quilts:
Cotton quilt entirely of hesagons. Some are formed into rostttes or flowers and have a print border of 12 hexagons, an inner circle of 6 hexagons in a plain colour and a yellow hexagon centre. The padding is cotton wool and the backing plain off white cotton.
2210 x 1430mm
2210 x 1430mm
Silk quilt in diamonds with hexagon border. "Toward the edge of the quilt, the design of diamonds made into blocks offers an optical illusion, where the diamonds can be seen to form stars. The border is made up of these stars and half-diamonds, and the entire quilt is trimmed with lace and triangular flaps made of tiny hexagons." [extract unidentified magazine article supplied by quilt owner.]
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.
"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
Patchwork quilt of hand sewn hexagons in a variety of print and plain cotton fabrics from 1950-1960. Colours are mainly pinks, blues, greens and yellow, with some red, and white. Quilt has a wide border of yellow poplin, which also forms the backing. No padding.
2280 x 1520mm
2280 x 1520mm
Hexagon quilt made from dressmaking scraps from one neice. The quilt top only is complete and a few papers are still attached.
2250 x 2000mm
2250 x 2000mm
Pieced construction, repeat block format, American Blue Grass pattern. Hand stitched and quilted with a machined edge. Mauve check stars, 8 points, surrounded by 16 point stars in yellow floral. One star per block plus green squares and red strips. The background is yellow cotton and so is the backing. There is a dacron type padding.
1980 x 1740mm
1980 x 1740mm