Quilt No.650NG - Norma Gilchrist

Norma Gilchrist
Owner: 
Norma Gilchrist
Location: 
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker: 
Norma Gilchrist
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Cotton quilt made entirely of hexagons joined to form 'flowers'. Flowers are not formed into a pattern. All hexagons are hand stitched including on to the blue headcloth border which is then machined on to the same backing material. The quilt is made from dressmaking scraps, mainly offcuts from the children's clothes including from pyjamas, dresses and uniforms. It is not quilted.
2180 x 1710mm
History: 

This is the third hexagon 'flower' quilt made by Norma Gilchrist in the Temora district of NSW. This one was made in the 1960s. It has always been used on beds at the family farm 'Spring Valley' and is still used now.

Story: 

Norma was married in 1953 and she and her husband then took over the running of the farm 'Spring Valley' and her parents retired to Temora to live. Norma and her husband had a family of 4, 3 boys and a girl. Life was very busy on the farm, shearing, milking cows, rearing lambs, calves etc as well as cropping but Norma still retained her interests in sewing, gardening and painting, all of which she continues to do.

Norma at 'Spring Valley' 1960s
Norma at 'Spring Valley' 1960s

Related Quilts:

Kay Jones
Quilt top with English piecing in a star in polygon pattern. English and French cotton fabrics in a wide variety of patterns and plains constructed over papers with the tacking still in tact. Papers are mainly part envelopes some with stamps and post dated 1898. 2200 x 1800mm
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
The body of this quilt is hexagons. This centre piece is surrounded by an applique border of birds and flowers and donkeys on see-saws. The flowers have been elaborately pieced from a great variety of materials. Some of the birds have pres studs for eyes.
Mare Carter
Patchwork Quilt, all cotton including filling. Pattern is "squares and diamonds". Quilt is faded but blue is probably the predominant colour. Hand stitched and hand quilted.
1624 x 1194mm
Marie Pye
Quilt of scrap hexagons. Hand pieced over papers with some papers still in place. Materials used include seersucker, plisse, chambray and various other textured cottons used in dressmaking. The owner has restored the quilt. The backing is a soft cotton in indigo blue and the padding is flannelettte. "I machine tied the quilt in its restoration using cream cotton at the intersections so that it doesn't impinge on the interesting fabrics and the overall scrap effects." [Marie Pye]
2590 x 2170mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Rectangular patchwork crazy quilt pieced in squares (3 across by 4 down), in silks and wool, with red sashing between blocks and red border, quilted. Colours are dark, with red and light blue. Embroidery includes double feather, rope, herringbone, satin, cross, sword edge, buttonhole and coral stitches, and French knots. Embroidered flowers include lily of the valley, rose, daisy, and sunflower, also butterflies. Backing is pieced in the frame style, with a large centre red square, within 10 frames or borders. Embroidered "In Most Loving Memory of My Darling 1883", "V.H.B." Hand sewn.
1900 x 1500mm
Joyce Lannin
A hand sewn quilt of more than 6,536 hexagon pieces in cottons, silks and polyester mix. There is a centre circular pattern of hexagons within a larger hexagon and small hexagons form larger hexagons in a random pattern on the quilt top. There is no padding and the backing is a plain fawn sheet with a floral edging in hexagons. 2880 x 2550 mm.