Quilt No.75HAS - Friends of the Hawkesbury Art Society

Friends of the Hawkesbury Art Society
Owner: 
Friends of the Hawkesbury Art Society
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Sophia Wilbow
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic, Tumbling Block
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
Patchwork Quilt consisting of diamond shapes forming a Tumbling Block pattern. All cotton, mainly patterned pieces, with signs of blotting paper templates. Hand sewn. The outer border of patches consists of off-cuts from nurses' uniforms of the times as 2 of the maker's daughters were nurses. It is thought most other squares were probably from material samples from large city stores such as Anthony Horderns. Backing is red cotton in a paisley design.
2030 x 1890mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Sophia Mary Wilbow (1829 - 1924) in the Windsor district of NSW between 1890 and 1896 and passed by maternal descent to her great grand-daughter. Sophia gave birth to 14 children 9 of whom were girls. She made a patchwork quilt for each daughter and this one was made for Grace. Grace never married and after the death of her younger sister Jane the quilt passed to Victoria who was the only daughter of Louisa (third daughter of Sophia). Victoria married Austin Gruber and they had one child, Joyce (later Hedges) who inherited the quilt after her Mother died in 1962.
In 1998 Joyce Hedges donated the quilt to the Hawkesnury Art Society

Story: 

Sophia M. Wilbow was born in 1829 at Pitt Town NSW to William Henry Payton and his wife Mary, nee Ward. Mary Payton died in 1837 aged 27 when Sophia, the eldest,was still a child. Sophia married Thomas Mitchell Wilbow in 1846 and she gave birth to 14 children, 9 of whom were girls. One was very retarded and one died when young. Sophia and Thomas lived in the Windsor district (near Sydney) where Thomas was a farmer and hotelier.
"Sophia was a great needlewoman, and did embroidery as well as plain sewing, and never used a sewing machine. She made a patchwork quilt for all of her daughters���the last quilt she made was for her youngest daughter Jane and it was 'special'. It was the only one she made with the hexagon pieces, each piece being only the size of a 10 cent piece�." This quilt has over 7000 pieces and in 1991 Joyce Hedges (great grand-daughter of the maker) donated it to the National Gallery. Another of Sophia's quilts, the one made for Elizabeth b.1866, is part of the collection of the Yass and District Historical Society Inc.
After Sophia Wilbow's death in 1924, aged 95, two of her unmarried daughters, Grace and Jane, lived on in their home "Colmier", 17 Dalhousie Street, Haberfield, Sydney.
In 1998 Joyce Hedges donated this quilt of Sophia's to the Hawkesbury Art Society at Windsor NSW.
[Family information from Joyce Hedges 27.3.97]

Sophia Mary Wilbow
Sophia Mary Wilbow
Joyce Hedges, great grand-daughter of Sophia 1998
Joyce Hedges, great grand-daughter of Sophia 1998

Related Quilts:

Wendy Springbett
Quilt No.294WS - Wendy Springbett
Patchwork quilt made from alternate squares of light green and medium green cotton headcloth. The light green squares are hand embroidered with Australian native birds, the medium green squares are decorated with pulled thread designs. No padding. Backing and binding of medium green headcloth. Made from patterns published in The Adelaide Chronicle.
2650 x 1573mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square, Typically Australian
Narelle Grieve
Quilt No.1033NG - Narelle Grieve
Silk quilt in diamonds with hexagon border. "Toward the edge of the quilt, the design of diamonds made into blocks offers an optical illusion, where the diamonds can be seen to form stars. The border is made up of these stars and half-diamonds, and the entire quilt is trimmed with lace and triangular flaps made of tiny hexagons." [extract unidentified magazine article supplied by quilt owner.]
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Diamond, Tumbling Block
Patricia Cmielewski
Quilt No.291PC - Patricia Cmielewski
Crazy patchwork quilt made from silk and cotton fabrics, in patterns and plains, in bright colours. Patches are arranged around a central diamond shaped patch in yellow which is bordered with light blue. All seams are covered with featherstitch and herringbone stitch. Patches were stitched onto a calico backing. A recent calico backing ahs been added and dark blue binding attached to the edge. No padding.
1555 x 910mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy
June Johnson
Quilt No.1041JJ - June Johnson
Hand sewn cotton cot quilt with pattern of red and white lozenge shaped hexagons measuring approximately 65mm from top to bottom. A centre flower is constructed from 2 circles of 19 hexagons in red and white. This is surrounded by 8 smaller hexagon flowers. Additional single red hexagons are scattered at random on the white background around the rows of flowers. The quilt is not quilted or tied but is attached at all 4 edges. Writing on the back of the quilt (probably added later) reads "Made by Sarah Hodge, Newport, Wales UK for her first child John." There is no padding and the backing is white cotton. 1000 x 1250 mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.600PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
Machine pieced top of squares of part jumpers, most hand knitted. The padding is a blanket. The backing is an old curtain.
1735 x 1350mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Quilt No.831NTC - National Trust of Australia (TAS)
Patchwork quilt of cotton hexagons in a random mix of colours and prints, the predominant colours being blue, red, green, light yellow and pastels. Patches hand sewn. There is no padding and the backing is a grey wool blanket. The top is machine stitched around the edge to the blanket.
1645 x 1060mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon