Quilt No.760PHM - Powerhouse Museum

Powerhouse Museum
Owner: 
Powerhouse Museum
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Hannah Reed
Made in
ENGLAND Northumberland
Patterms
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
"A wholecloth hand quilted Northumberland quilt made from fine white cotton. The design features a large centre medallion of flowers, shells and leaves with more foliate designs in the corners and edges; the remaining area is quilted in a diamond pattern. The blue lines of the quilting pattern are still visible on the surface. The quilt has been machine finished with cotton wadding and a cotton backing. A label with the words 'Mrs L McFadyen/Inverell' is sewn to the edge." [PHM]
This is one of three quilts by Hannah Reed in the Powerhouse collection.
2395 x 2220mm
History: 

"The maker of the quilt was Hannah Reed, nee Coulson. The quilt was made in Hannah's home and the name of the farmlet was 'Swinhope Mill' of Swinhop, Sparty Lea, Allendale, Northumberland, England.
"The quilt was passed down through the family. It was left to the donor's aunt, Phyllis Jane. Then it was passed on to the donor's brother, Thomas William Ritson, next to the mother Ruth Ritson. Ruth brought the quilt to Australia in 1914 and passed it down to Lavinia McFadyen in 1919, just before she died. The quilt was not used, but kept as a treasure and donated to the Powerhouse Museum in 1983." [PHM]
The quilt is used for research and exhibition only.

Story: 

"Hannah Reed died at the age of 77 in 1892. At that time she was living with her daughter Ruth; her granddaughter Lavinia was 12 years old. On 8 February 1983, Lavinia McFadyen wrote:
'My Grandmother Reed was a thrifty, hardworking lady and was left a widow when Grandpa died at 55 years. I'd say she made and helped make several quilts in her time. She died at 77. When you read the quilting history I'm sending you'll see it was very time consuming. My aunties were all very good needlewomen and my mother taught needlework at a girl's school until she married and I had a beautiful display of quilts and much fancy work at my 2 sales. I gave a lot away until friends asked me to sell it.' "
[Lavinia McFadyen for the Powerhouse Museum]

Hannah with daughters Phyllis and Mary and Mary's child Ruth,'Swinhope Mill'
Hannah with daughters Phyllis and Mary and Mary's child Ruth,'Swinhope Mill'

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Quilt No.1016YH - Yvonne Hamdorf
Wholecloth pram quilt with a top of pink cotton sateen, and the reverse is a more finely woven, ivory, fabric. All over quilting design as main feature, with stylised hearts, leaves and cross hatching. The padding is cotton batting. 870 x 660 mm.
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element
John Tomkin
Quilt No.1005JT - John Tomkin
Hand stitched, cotton, appliquéd, quilt in a flower pattern on a plain background. Colours are shades of green, apricot and browns. This quilt was known as a 'Bride's Quilt'. Padding is thought to be layers of white fabric raised almost like a wadding. The backing is cotton material. 2470 x 2020 mm.
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued
Stavroula Iouannou
Quilt No.777SI - Stavroula Iouannou
Wholecloth quilt with both sides in a cotton floral material with a dusty pink background. All over hand quilting is in loose parallel lines.
Stavroula re-covered this quilt with this material about 20 to 25 years ago. Originally the quilt had a yellow gold satin top with yellow gold cotton backing. Padding is cotton wadding.
1900 x 1600mm
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element, Greek
Melinda Smith
Quilt No.382MS - Melinda Smith
Wholecloth cover in synthetic rayon. Centre plain, drop slightly gathered, edging border is large saw tooth appliqued pieces in flannelette, striped seersucker, crepe de chine. Materials typical of the 30s through to the 50s. The appliqued triangles are chain stitched in yellow thread which also anchors them to the backing.
2450 x 1940mm
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued
Romsey/Lancefield & Districts Historical Society
Quilt No.186RHS - Romsey/Lancefield & Districts Historical Society
Wholecloth quilt made of royal blue satin, squares around a central panel. Seam lines are covered with a faggoting stitch. All names are embroidered in satin stitch, the central motif is hand painted. The border is quilted with a repeat scroll ing pattern in hellow thread, and edges are trimmed with a fringe of small pom-poms in burgundy, gold, blue and yellow, the colours mixed in each pom-pom. Quilt is backed with yellow satin cotton. Centre has embroidered: "Lancefield/ Presbyterian/ Sale of Gifts/ February, 1896'.
1880 x 1330mm
Embroidered and/or Appliqued, Motifs or Names, Signature, Wholecloth, Typically Australian
Illawarra Historical Society Inc
Quilt No.582HIS - Illawarra Historical Society Inc
Wholecloth quilt, both sides cretonne in different rose patterns. 120mm double frill matches each side. Padding is possibly hessian bags. It is hand quilted in large stitches in white/cream cotton in strips with circles, diamonds and scrolls repeated.
2070 x 2030mm
Wholecloth, Utilitarian