Quilt No.908UB - Una Braby

Una Braby
Owner: 
Una Braby
Location: 
QLD Brisbane
Maker
Maker: 
Amelia Brown
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1851 - 1880
Description: 
Frame quilt pieced from square, rectangular and triangular pieces from plain and patterned cotton. The central motif of the rooster is appliqued in red cotton on white background with a border of red triangles. There is a white cotton backing.
2000 x 1925mm
History: 

The quilt was made by Amelia Brown (1817-1905) at Bowning NSW probably between 1856 and 1880. The quilt has only been in the Brown family linen cupboard, first at Bowning where Amelia lived with her youngest son John Brown until he died and then Binalong where she lived with William Brown, father of the present owner Una Braby, at 'Emu Flat'. Una has owned the quilt for the last 20 years. It is not used now.

Story: 

Amelia Brown was born in Devon, England, the daughter of James and Mary Parsons. She married John Brown in 1836 and they came to Sydney in 1857, at the height of the goldrushes, with their 7 children. They settled on a property called 'Oakvale' at Binalong near Yass NSW. "The original old home was burnt during a bush fire about 1938. 1 1/2 miles further down Banjo Paterson's father lived, he is buried in Binalong cemetery."
"I never met my grand-mother Amelia Brown of Bowning as I am the only surviving member of a family of 7 children, and I am now approaching the age of eighty years." [Una Braby 15.2.2000]

Related Quilts:

West Australian Quilters' Association
Repeat block in Dresden Plate pattern using various cotton fabrics from the 1920s. Quilted with a flower in the purple/pink centre and squares elsewhere. Border is furnishing fabric. The padding is cotton that is disintegrating and the backing is calico. 1980 x 2100mm
Margaret Wright
Crazy patchqork quilt, handsewn, composed of six large squares of patches in brocade, velvet and silk in random shapes and sizes. Patches are stitched to others by blanket stitch in yellow thread. Some patches have surface embroidery, e.g. a dragonfly, flowers, music notes, and names, 'Minnie', 'Loyetta' (house in Ballarat), 'Diana'. There are also five small cream bobbles. Colours are red, gold, brown, pinks, greens and blues. Padding is flannel, and quilt is backed and edged with maroon or burgundy ribbed silk.
1461mm x 687mm
National Trust of Australia (WA)
Patchwork top made of cottons, constructed with 5 by 5 rows of squared 8 point pieced stars alternating with white cross-shaped blocks (made from 4 pieces). On all sides are borders of half stars. The outer border is of rectangles of cotton prints appliquéd on to cotton to form a plaited pattern. The border only is backed with a band of cream cotton. All patches are whip stitched together.
2645 x 2615mm
Mrs. L. M. Chick
Hexagon quilt made by hand from a wide variety of cotton materials. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2286 x 915mm
Rozanne Andrew
Quilt, single bed size, made from reused clothing roughly handstitched on to a backing of a wool/linen blanket type fabric in green, cream and brown stripes. Clothing is fronts and backs of old jumpers, vests etc as well as opened out sleeves in red, brown and grey. They are stitched together in several layers with long stitches. Another top may have been intended to cover the stitched down layers of clothing.
1500 x 1040mm
National Gallery of Australia
"A medallion or framed quilt in design. There is a central field of small patchwork diamonds, and from this radiates plain stripes of fabric bordering areas of patchwork panels. The edge of the quilt carries bands of red cotton, which are slightly larger at the top and bottom edges, and here the band is additionally decorated with appliqué diamonds. The fabric of the patchwork is cotton in fine plain weave of pale coloured florals and small geometric designs. The framing and border stripes are of bright red twill weave cotton. The small diamonds of the central field are hand sewn, with more use of machine stitching around the outer edge of the quilt.
The quilt is not padded. The patchwork is fully lined with a printed plain weave cotton fabric with a design commemorating Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The design is based on a repeated grid of circles. In the centre of each circle is a cameo of Queen Victoria, surrounded by images of the national flowers of England, Scotland and Ireland: the rose, the thistle and the shamrock. The edge of the front face of the quilt is trimmed with a red and white cotton braid." [NGA] 2380 x 2220mm