Quilt No.803EK - Effie Kalenderidis

Effie Kalenderidis
Owner: 
Effie Kalenderidis
Location: 
ACT
Maker
Maker: 
Unknown
Made in
GREECE Lemnos
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Wholecloth quilt made from blue satin with turquoise blue cotton backing. The padding is cotton wadding. The quilting pattern is a large central motif of a daisy with a fan design in each corner. The in fill pattern is of curved and straight parallel lines and the border straight parallel lines. It is all hand quilted.
2000 x 1660mm
History: 

The quilt was made in the late 40s or early 50s by a quilt maker (name unknown) on the Greek island of Lemnos. Eleni Kalenderidis, mother-in-law of the present owner, collected some quilts for her family. When the family migrated to Australia the quilts came with them. This one was owned by Steve Kalenderidis and now by his wife Effie. It is still used.

Story: 

"Effie's Paploma
Effie Kalenderidis was two years old when she arrived in Australia in 1955 with her parents Chrisoula and Trifonas Karpouzos. They came from the village of Kamenitsa, Arcadia, in the Peloponnese, the southern peninsular which is joined to mainland Greece by the Corinth Canal.
There were several quilts around the Kalenderidis household, even a small cot quilt. They all originated from Atsiki on the island of Lemnos where Eleni Kalenderidis (Effie's mother-in-law) had collected them for her family. These two were most probably made by a local quilt-maker, as was the custom in those years. In 1955, Lucas Kalenderidis (Effie's father-in-law) migrated to Australia to begin a new life and hopefully create a better future for his family. When Eleni and their three sons Steve (Efstratios), Ross (Garifalos), and Theo (Theodoraos) arrived in 1956 to join him, their quilts came with them.
The blue quilt, still in excellent condition, was originally owned and used by Steve, as he grew up. He left his quilt at home in Goulburn when he began his training as a high-school teacher. He then took up a teaching position in Canberra and later married Effie. When their first daughter Helena (Eleni) was born, Lucas gave this blue quilt to Effie as a sentimental gift. She in turn, will hand it down to Helena when she marries.
The pink quilt was a special gift to Effie from Aunty Mary Kalenderidis, who was married to Lucas' brother George, and was also from Atsiki, Lemnos. This quilt also will be handed down - to daughter Christine (Chrisoula) when she marries. So already these lovely 'paplomata' represent three generations in the family. Over the years, Effie has had much pleasure in using and caring for them; she has always loved the traditional handcrafts which are so much part of Greek life and culture.
Effie grew up in Wollongong and later trained in secretarial work in Sydney. When she and Steve married, they moved to Canberra where their daughters were born and educated. Helena is a chartered accountant and Christine is currently studying commerce and law at ANU."
[Written by Lula Saunders and Effie Kalenderidis. Adapted from interview 10.1.01 for the National Quil Register]

Effie Kalenderidis, 2001
Effie Kalenderidis, 2001
House belonging to the Kalenderidis Family, Limnos
House belonging to the Kalenderidis Family, Limnos
View of the village of Atsiki, island of Limnos
View of the village of Atsiki, island of Limnos

Related Quilts:

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.
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.
Guna Naoumidis
Wholecloth quilt made of gold satin with a backing of beige coloured cotton. The padding is wool. The quilting pattern is an all over diamond pattern, framed in a border of straight and wavy parallel lines. It is hand quilted.
2000 x 1820mm
Effie Kalenderidis
Wholecloth quilt made from blue satin with turquoise blue cotton backing. The padding is cotton wadding. The quilting pattern is a large central motif of a daisy with a fan design in each corner. The in fill pattern is of curved and straight parallel lines and the border straight parallel lines. It is all hand quilted.
2000 x 1660mm
Alysoun Ryves
Red Applique on an off white background. All applique is by hand using herringbone stitch. Three different red materials are used for the applique each printed with a different tiny all over pattern. There are 3 different applique shapes: the 9 major shapes have 8 points; the daisy pattern has 8 petals; the edge pattern is used along the top, left and half of the bottom edge of the quilt and sometimes has 4 points, sometimes 3 and sometimes 2. There is a tiny red piping around the quilt along the bottom and both sides. It is hand quilted in 100mm long zig zags 12mms apart all over the quilt. The quilt is signed twice on the front, once in ink and once in embroidery. It is signed 'Anna Edwards Jan 1858'. There is no padding and the backing material is similar to the off white background material of the top.
2270 x 2180mm
Ida Blenkiron
Wholecloth quilt made from turquoise and red plaid brushed cotton, with a filling of a marcella bedspread with cut up pieces of knitted and crocheted garments stitched on top by hand and machine. Garment pieces are pink, red, yellow, black and pastels. Sleeves, collar and pockets can be clearly seen. Backing is an old blanket.