Quilt No.924CP - Connie Papalazaros

Connie Papalazaros
Owner: 
Connie Papalazaros
Location: 
QLD Brisbane
Maker
Maker: 
Panagioti Zoumbatli
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1941 - 1970
Description: 
Wholecloth quilt made from floral cotton material with a light green background. Hand stitched quilting pattern of diamonds in the centre and parallel lines radiating out from this. The padding is cotton wadding.
1940 x 1300mm
History: 

The quilt was made in Sydney by the quiltmaker Panagioti Zoumbatli c.1950. It was ordered by Evdokia (Eve) Kiossoglou for her daughter's 'prika' (dowry or trousseau). Her daughter Connie Papalazaros has always been the owner.

Story: 

"Connie's Two Quilts
While Connie Papalazaros was still quite young, her mother Evdokia (Eve) began assembling a 'prika' (dowry or trousseau) for her daughter, in preparation for getting married. Evdokia was being true to her Kastellorizian origins - her daughter's prika would not be complete without at least one 'paploma' (quilt) She ordered these two quilts from Panagioti Zoumbatli a Sydney-based 'paplomatas' (quilt-maker). He, like Connie's parents, had migrated from the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo.
Evdokia Kiossoglou came to Australia in 1935, married Agapitos (Peter) Pengly in the north Queensland town of Innisfail, just at the time that the Greek Orthodox Church was being established there. They had four children: Connie, Pauline, Thaao, and George. Soon after Connie was born, the family moved to Sydney and lived first in Surry Hills and later in Kingsford, which has always been a popular 'Greek' suburb of Sydney. 'Mum used to walk to the Cassie Club!' Connie recalls. Sydney's well known Castellorizian Club has played an important role in the life of the city's Greek Australian community.
Connie eventually returned to Brisbane (taking her 'prika', of course!) and married John, who had migrated from Kastellorizo in 1950. As with so many other Greek-Australian women in Queensland, Connie started off using her quilts, but the hotter climate meant that they were eventually replaced by lighter bedcovers. Connie and John have always owned their own snack bar business, and their traditioinal 'Queenslander' house where they still are today."
[Written by Lula Saunders, adapted from interview 6/9/00 for the National Quilt Register]

Connie Papalazaros at her Brisbane house, 2000
Connie Papalazaros at her Brisbane house, 2000

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.
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Wholecloth quilt with one side cream wool and one side faded red wool. Red wool is joined with 3 seams by loom length; red appears to be cochineal dyed. Cream wool side appears to have been made from a hand woven blanket with blue selvidge on 2 sides. It is hand quilted in red wool thread; Welsh patterns including clamshell, Welsh pear, snail or spiral. Centre frame has 2 cable borders and the centre corners have fans. The outer quilted border has alternate 4 petal flowers, clamshell, and spirals.
It is padded with hand carded wool.
1950 x 1935mm
Alexandra Magloveris
Wholecloth quilt in satin, crimson one side and yellow on the other. Hand quilted in an all over pattern. The padding is wool.
2300 x 1700mm
Muriel Hartmann
Domestic Wagga made from sugar bags joined together and covered with army blankets. Machine construction. Patching evident. Sugar miller's brand visible on one bag: " M--AQUIN, 70lbs, --- SUGAR, BUNDABERG"
1753 X 1347mm
 Hilary Williams
Wholecloth quilt of fine cream homespun embroidered with stranded cotton in 2 shades, brown and buff, with gold highlights. It is a cross stitch floral pattern which was stamped on the homespun. The self coloured quilting is mostly in straight lines with a fern design border. The quilt has a bound edge.
2460 x 1670mm