Quilt No.734MF - Maria Finlayson

Maria Finlayson
Owner: 
Maria Finlayson
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Margaret Smith
Made in
AUSTRALIA Sydney
Patterms
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Crazy patch with frame centre set on point; worked in silks. Surrounding area pieced mainly in velvets and corduroys, with some more silks. A wide border of bright turquoise corduroy. Seams are covered with feather stitch. Quilt includes boy sout badge, union jack badge, Indian type medallion and initials 'IOR' in metallic thread. There is no padding and it is backed with green gingham.
1730 x 1325mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Margaret Smith (1857-1950) probably in Sydney and probably in the 1920s or 1930s. The quilt was owned in the past by Victoria Caines (maker's daughter) then Walter and June Caines (maker's grandson) and now Maria Finlayson, great-grand-daughter of the maker.

Story: 

"My Father (maker's grandson) was in the Boyt Scouts, so I suspect the Scout badge on the quilt was his. Margaret Smith was the generation that was devoted to the royal family and thought of England as the Mother country, though they were born and bred in Australia and had never been there. This could explain the union jack.
She had a hard life. She returned to Australia with her only child (my grandmother) after some time in New Zealand. Her husband was supposed to meet her on the wharf but her didn't show up and was never heard of again. She worked as a cleaner to support herself and her daughter. She was a strict Methodist and a very gentle person. My father had very fond memories of his tiny grandmother."
[Maria Finlayson 28.4.00]

Margaret Smith c.1940
Margaret Smith c.1940

Related Quilts:

Mrs M Batts
Quilt No.667MB - Mrs M Batts
This quilt is allover crazy patchwork not done in squares. Many pieces are awkward shapes. In the centre is a 150 x 150mm square of squares each 25mm repeating some of the materials in the quilt. Most of the materials are velvets, satins and silks. There is a border of red and green patterned wool and all seams are feather stitched in a thick gold thread. The padding is thought to be flannelette and the backing is polished cotton in faded red and green.
2560 x 2160mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
Tongarra Bicentennial Museum
Quilt No.345TBM - Tongarra Bicentennial Museum
Patchwork cot quilt top made from cotton hexagon patches, featuring a centre rosette with 7 rows of patches around it forming an elongated shape, with rosettes and patches randomly placed on the sides. Quilt has a border of triangles pieced to form squares. Cotton prints with over 50 different patterns. Colours are faded, with red and brown (may be faded green) and mostly pastels. Hand sewn using whip stitch. No padding or backing.
990 x 825mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Pauline Munro
Quilt No.494PM - Pauline Munro
Quilt of woollen rectangles, probably tailors' samples. Machine pieced. The backing is floral cotton similar to curtain material.The backing has a french seam down the centre back and is folded over to the front to form a binding. There is no padding.
1440 x 1260
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Nancy Dunlap
Quilt No.1098ND - Nancy Dunlap
Repeat block in wedding ring pattern. All cottons with cream background and mainly pale mauve and green dressmaking prints in wedding rings. Green border and cream calico backing. The padding is cotton. 1800 x 210mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Kaniva District Historical Society
Quilt No.171KHS - Kaniva District Historical Society
Patchwork quilt of hexagons in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, consisting of a dark centre hexagon, a row of light patches, then a second row of dark patches in the same colour as the centre. Each group of patches or 'flower' is joined by white paths. Colours are predominantly red, blue, brown and pale or faded colours. Some fading; some dark colour fabrics have deteriorated. Backing. Hand sewn. Border of quilt and backing sewn edge to edge.
2236 x 1829mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt No.877NTNW - National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Handsewn quilt of hexagon patches in cotton prints in 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern. Each flower consists of double rows of print hexagons around a yellow centre and these are joined by 'paths' in plain green and white cotton. Backing is green cotton and there is a wool padding. There is outline quilting around all green and white hexagons and centre and first row of hexagons in flowers.
1885 x 1750mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon