Quilt No.648NG - Norma Gilchrist
Description:
Quilt entirely made of hexagons joined to make 'flowers', 6 hexagons form the petals and one in the centre. The quilt is all cotton in a wide variety of colours in plains, checks and florals. The hexagons are all hand stitched using stranded cotton. There is a plain blue border of headcloth machined around the edge to the backing material. It is not quilted The materials were almost all from the scrap bag. Brown paper templates were used. This arrangement of hexagons is one variation of a pattern commonly called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'.
2040 x 1720mm
2040 x 1720mm
History:
The quilt was made by Sylvia Schliebs and her daughter Norma in the Temora district NSW c.1845. It is now owned by Norma (Gilchrist). It is still used.
Story:
Sylvia Schliebs (1898-1995) and her daughter Norma sewed this quilt in the wintertime after tea at night. They lived on a mixed farm, 'Spring Valley', and Sylvia's life was like that of many farmers' wives with farm jobs to do including milking cows and looking after many chooks. She sold butter and eggs and bunches of violets and made most of her own and Norma's clothes. She was thrifty, practical and a good cook.
Sylvia Violet Schliebs c.1946
Related Quilts:
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
1400 x 1150mm
Small rectangular bed cover, probably child's or even doll's, made from rectangles of cream linen stitched together with hand sewn french seams. The top surface is decorated with small squares and rectangles of coloured silk, velvet, wool and cotton attached approximately 25mm apart, with 3 stitches in centre of patch to attach to background. Bright pink wool patches stand out.
935 x 635mm
935 x 635mm
Quilt consisting of 30 blocks 360 x 360mm each (5 x 6). Each block consists of squares and rectangles arranged diagonally and edged with triangles. Each block is made from 2 or 3 different cotton materials, different colours but mainly pastels. It has not been quilted but tied with pink wool with 5 ties per block. Machine sewn with a folded and machine stitched edge. Padding appears to be coarse open weave cotton. The backing is printed flannelette.
2210 x 1850mm
2210 x 1850mm
Repeat block quilt top based on hexagons, each 350 mm diameter. Six hexagons and a centre one make a 'flower' and these are set in rows against a plain calico background. Patterned cotton fabrics are used for the hexagons, small prints, fine stripes and tiny flowers. As it is a quilt top only, there is no lining or padding. 2100 x 1800 mm
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
1550 x 1420mm
Pieced hexagons, English paper method. Large hexagons form the centre with a border of smaller hexagons. The fabrics are all cotton in a wide range of colours and patterns. There is no padding. The backing is cotton, large white floral design on dark blue. The hexagons are hand pieced and the edges machined.
2480 x 1420 mm
2480 x 1420 mm