Quilt No.665DC - Diana Cameron

Diana Cameron
Owner: 
Diana Cameron
Location: 
QLD South West
Maker
Maker: 
Jane Cobbold
Made in
AUSTRALIA VIC
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
Cotton quilt of patterned and plain hexagons with central design and borders of hexagons radiating from it. It is hand sewn and most patterns are of roses. Backing is pink sateen and is a replacement backing put on in 1939. Pieced over papers, remnant love letters were found when the new backing was put on.
1981 x 1525mm
History: 

The quilt was hand sewn by Jane Cobbold (Cain) c.1880 at 'Yarra House' in South Yarra, Melbourne and passed to the present owner's great aunt and then to her mother and is now owned by Diana Cameron. It is used occasionally.

Story: 

Diana Cameron's grandmother, Jane Cobbold, was born in England and came to Australia as William Cain's bride c.1875. 'Yarra House' in Anderson Street, South Yarra was built by William Cain who was mayor of Melbourne (before it was a city so he was not Lord Mayor) about 1890. It is opposite the Botanic gardens and the Cains entertained lavishly for over a decade. 'Yarra House' is now Merton Hall and part of the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School.
Diana Cameron, the present owner, went to the Goondiwindi district as a young bride and the quilt has always been part of her married life.
[Compiled from notes supplied by the owner]

Related Quilts:

Albury Regional Museum
Patchwork cot quilt, machine pieced, rectangular, 5 x 4 squares. Assorted fabrics including seersucker, corduroy, printed and plain cottons. White ric-rac braid and zigzag machine stitching accentuate rows. Edge of white cotton tape. Backing is single flour bag, calico, with maker's printing visible through patchwork: 'Tiger. Best Australian Roller Flour. Mala Foot. Sole Supply. Part of Kuala Lumper' and Chinese characters.
674 x 540mm
Gwen Cordinglay
Patchwork quilt made from hexagon patches in silks and rayons, in pinks, blues, red, yellow mainly, with pastels. No padding. Bordered and backed with green satin.
1829 x 1372mm
National Gallery of Australia
" Reversible patchwork quilt of woollen suiting/upholstery fabrics in khaki, greys, blues and browns. Both sides have different designs. The front of the quilt has 13 rows of 12 vertical rectangles flanked on either side by a column of 22 horizontal rectangles. The reverse has a more interesting and complex design of small and very large rectangles, squares and triangles; with khaki contrasting with the duller greys and blues. The patchwork layers are joined at the edges with machine stitching and the quilt is machine quilted along 3 horizontal lines following joins in the patchwork; therefore not being totally straight. These lines are more noticeable on the reverse. The reverse face has been on display at the NGA." [NGA] There is a cotton blanket used as padding. 2054 x 1451mm
Bill & Barbara Meynink
Patchwork quilt made from brightly coloured printed cotton fabrics in hexagon patches hand sewn together in rosettes, and stitched by machine onto a border of green moire taffeta. No padding. Backing is green cotton satin curtain lining. There is a matching pillow sham.
2591 x 2540mm
Phyllis Dowling
Hand pieced cot quilt made from small rectangular shapes of a great variety of materials including cottons, silks, wools and velvets. The backing is cotton sateen in 3 colours and is brought to the front to form a border of pink, cream and yellow.
1170 x 920mm
Amanda Smith
Unfinished crazy parchwork quilt using a wide variety of mainly cotton scraps in patterns and plains. Machine sewn on to calico base.
1956 x 1677mm