Quilt No.755PHM - Powerhouse Museum

Description:
"A double sided rectangular patchwork quilt with blanket inlay. On the face side, the patchwork pieces are arranged in long rectangular strips, laid 'log cabin style' and dimishing in size, around the rectangular medallion. This is composed of a column of 5 patches with narrow strip borders. The colours are strong in the centre of the quilt and become softer toward the edge. The patches that make up individual strips are the same toning with a variety of dot, stripe, check and small floral patterns. The quilt has been hand and machine stitched.
The reverse of the quilt has been similarly...
The reverse of the quilt has been similarly...
History:
"In 1983 the quilt was brought to Elizabeth Bay House by an elderly man who had seen their 'Good Housekeeping' exhibition. He called the quilt a 'wagga wagga', and asked that a suitable place be found for it if it could not be kept at Elizabeth Bay House. With his permission and with the proviso that he remain annonymous, the quilt was then given to the Powerhouse Museum.
"The donor indicated that the 'wagga wagga' was made from an old woollen blanket and material scraps. It seems likely that his mother made it about 1900." [PHM]
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Frame quilt in cottons with a centre motif of pieced 8 point star surrounded by borders, 2 from red/white material printed to represent Tumbling Block patchwork. The remaining borders are, one plain, one of pieced squares, one of pieced large triangles with squares in the corner. The outer border is plain. The padding is wool and the backing is cream cotton. It is elaborately quilted.
2400 x 2260mm
2400 x 2260mm
Hexagon quilt made from dressmaking scraps, nearly all woollen. The hexagons measure 150mm. It is hand stitched.
1170 x 1100mm
1170 x 1100mm
Quilt has a centre panel of white velvet roses and green leaves with embroidered spider webs, on red velvet. Two side panels are in crazy patchwork in plain and patterned silks and velvets. All patches are edged with feather, herringbone or blanket stitch. Many patches are embroidered, including 'Minnie', 'Good Luck', birds, flowers, anchor, boat, fish, shell, spider web, crown,, 2 crossed flags, tennis racquets, Australian motifs including wattle. The centre panel has a row of ruched olive green ribbon each side and the whole quilt has a border of dark blue velvet. The padding is cotton wadding and the backing is cream cotton printed with red and pink chrysanthemums and green leaves.
2113 x 1995mm
2113 x 1995mm
The centre of the quilt is a small blue 6 pointed star surrounded by a larger blue star. Blue stars also form a border to the quilt. The background material is a multicoloured small floral pattern on white cotton. The quilt is all hand worked over templates. The padding is cotton and the backing is polyester sheeting with a border of stars.
2650 x 2475 mm
2650 x 2475 mm
Machine stitched quilt made from tailors' samples cut into squares. The colours are mainly greys, browns and fawns. There is no padding and the backing is a grey herringbone heavy woollen material with a white fleck. This is folded back to the front to make a 75mm border and finished with a dark grey braid where it meets the patchwork top. 1525 x 1225mm
Patchwork quilt with alternate squares of green and fawn cotton headcloth. Various Australian wild flowers are embroidered in coloured threads in the green squares. In the fawn squares there is a stylised flower and leaf pattern outlined in embroidery. The border, front and back is green headcloth. The backing is printed cotton with a floral design. There is some padding.
1610 x 1610mm
1610 x 1610mm