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:

Margery Smith
Patchwork cot quilt made from hexagons 63mm across in a variety of cotton prints and plains. The bright coloured patches came from children's clothes and dressmaking scraps. No padding. Backing of unbleached calico. Hand sewn.
1524 x 1169mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Cotton quilt , octagons of printed floral joined with squares of printed and plain. Yellow floral border. Cotton backing with very intrictae pattern in machine stitching.
2540 x 2490mm
Wendy McPhail
Repeat block in Ohio star pattern. Wide border of triangles, pieced blocks and stripes. Stars are in greens, pinks, mauves (all now very faded) and white. Wreath quilting in squares with smaller wreath quilting in triangles. There is padding and the backing is a poly/cotton sheet. 2500 x 2450mm
National Gallery of Australia
"This quilt follows the traditional hexagon patchwork pieced pattern, which are then joined and sometimes edged with a contrasting border. The edges of the quilt have been turned and then scalloped edges made of identical patches to the main body of the quilt have been attached to the edge. The quilt is fully lined, and the lining is visible front the front face through the gaps between the scalloped edge. The lining is attached to the patchwork with a row of stitches along the edges; there are no stitches in the centre field. The fabrics of the quilt are plain weave cotton in simple floral and geometric designs. Most of the fabrics are monochromatic. Several different colour ways of the same fabric are evident which could suggest some fabrics were from manufacturer samples. The lining is a William Morris print.
Each of the patchwork pieces (there are several thousand present) are sewn together with very fine overcasting stitches. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. There is some evidence that templates from the hexagon pieces possibly blotting paper, remain in situ���The quilt is not padded or quilted. The lining is fine twill weave cotton printed in pink and pale purple. The design follows William Morris's 'Strawberry Thief design'." [NGA] 2075 x 1911mm
Ella Jarvis
Quilt made with a rectangular centre panel of cotton fabric printed with red poppies and black flowers in a japanese style. The panel is surrounded by a wide black satin border. The backing is of black cotton, covering a previous backing of green floral cotton fabric. The padding is feathers.
1700 x 1370mm
Barbara McCabe
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles and squares of woollen fabrics from dress making projects. Colours are mainly grey, blue, brown, green, with some red and yellow. Fabrics are plain, cheks and stripes. No padding or quilting. Backing is made of white flannelette sheets. The quilt has been lengthened after it was completed, and the backing sheet has been added to at the same place.
2470 x 1320mm