Quilt No.780NL - National Library of Australia

Owner: 
National Library of Australia
Location: 
ACT
Made in
AUSTRALIA WA
Patterms
Patchwork, Frame
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
Patchwork quilt with centre frame of 4 pointed starwith radiating borders of pieced squares and rectangles. Materials are cottons and some linen and it is constructed using the English hand piecing method. There is no padding and it is backed with cotton sheeting joined by machine so it is a later addition.
1400 x 1050mm
History: 

The quilt was made in Western Australia c.1845 by aboriginal children under the instruction of Miss Elizabeth Irwin. In 1854 the family returned to England and the quilt was kept there by a former family nursemaid, Jane Nixon. It passed to Mrs. Mary Willis ( a friend) in 1921 and much later was donated to the National Library of Australia by Mrs. Willis together with a letter detailing what she knew about the hsitory of the quilt.

Story: 

According to Mrs. Willis the quilt was made by aboriginal children at the Swan River settlement WA under the direction of Miss Elizabeth Irwin who it is thought may have taught the children sewing, reading and given them religious instruction.
Elizabeth Irwin was the neice of Colonel Frederick Irwin commandant of Western Australia and sometimes acting Governor of the colony.

Related Quilts:

Alice Lemon
Quilt No.347AL - Alice Lemon
Patchwork quilt made from hexagon patches on one side, and squares and rectangles on the reverse. Cottons are used, mostly from dressmaking, in bright and light colours. The hexagons form an indented edge on all sides; on the back the rectangles have been cut at the edge to match the hexagon shapes. Hand sewn, the edge machine sewn.
No padding.
1551 x 1373mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Quilt No.809QVM - Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Patchwork quilt made from silk and challis and velvet hexagons set to form diamond shapes. The centre shape has 8 hexagons surrounded by a row of 16 hexagons. The outer border of the quilt is 2 rows of 'Tumbling Blocks' set amongst a variety of black silk and satin patches. There is a wide fringe in red, green, blue and yellow. There is no padding and the backing is a recent addition in red cotton, synthetis mix.
1770 x 1740mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Nancy Dunlap
Quilt No.1099ND - Nancy Dunlap
Grandmother's flower garden pattern. All cottons with plain centres to 'flowers' then row of prints and outer row of plains. One hexagon flower has been repaired. Scalloped edges bound with yellow. Hand quilting around the hexagons. The backing is cream cotton and the padding is thin cotton. 2140 x 1780mm.
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
June Brown
Quilt No.460JB - June Brown
This quilt has been strip pieced with no regular pattern. It seems a large quilt has been made then folded in half. The materials used are woollen skirting pieces in a variety of colours. It could be used either way. There is no padding and it is very heavy.
2100 x 1950mm
Patchwork, Strip
Julie Pearce
Quilt No.43JP - Julie Pearce
Rectangular quilt of print and plain
cottons pieced in squares and rectangles within 2 frames, the inner border or frame of blue/green check material, then 2 rows of squares and rectangles, the outer frame of a grey and red geometric pattern and 2 rows of squares or rectangles. Backing of plain fabric. Machine stitched on a treadle machine.
Patchwork, Frame
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.622PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
Patchwork top with a centre frame of a mauve cross outlined in black within a square bordered with pink. The rest of the top is rectangles and squares in a wide variety of materials. There is no padding. The backing is brown, possibly curtain material.
1910 x 1480mm
Patchwork, Frame