Quilt No.92JM - Jeanne Mims

Owner:
Jeanne Mims
Location:
QLD South West
Maker
Maker:
Nancy Melvina Kelso
Made in
USA
Patterms
Date:
1921 - 1940
Description:
Quilt top is 35mm squares of white, pink, green and blue plain cotton set asymetrically within blue diamonds. The back is plain white cotton. Each square is hand quilted. There is a blue binding.
2591 x 2160mm
2591 x 2160mm
History:
The quilt was made in Iowa or North Dakota in the 1920s by Nancy Melvina Kelso who was the great aunt (on the paternal side) of the present owner. It was brought to Australia in 1975 by Jeanne Mims Mother on one of her visits to their sheep property near Winton, Qld.
Story:
The maker, Nancy Melvina Kelso, was born in 1874 in Wayne County, Iowa, and died in 1964 in the same place. She was one of 8 children of Daniel and Fannie Kelso. Nancy was the daughter who stayed at home to look after aged parents. In north Dakota she worked for many years as a secretary in a flour mill (Minot) and made quilts in her spare time.

The Kelso family c.1895. Nancy back row left.

Nancy Melvina Kelso c.1888
Related Quilts:
One side of this quilt is large pieces of check and striped material surrounding a small patterned supper cloth with a border of scrap pieces. The other side is small, floral, check, spotted, striped and plain cotton pieces surrounding a tablecloth. It is machine sewn and is not quilted. The padding is an old woollen blanket.
1825 x 1625mm
1825 x 1625mm
The top of this utility quilt is machine pieced rectangles of woollen materials joined in strips. It includes corduroys and velveteens and woollen tartan. The backing is an Indian cotton blanket.
1651 x 1271mm
1651 x 1271mm
Quilt with hexagons forming lozenge or honeycomb pattern. Predominantly greens and pinks in brocatelle (rayon brocade). All hand stitched. The backing is lime green rayon. The padding is probably dacron.
1800 x 1630mm
1800 x 1630mm
Crazy patchwork quilt made from silk, cotton and velvet in pastels and rich dark colours with a wide border of dark burgundy silk velvet. Decorative embroidery stitches including straight, herringbone and feather edge each piece. Most pieces have embroidered motifs including crown, flowers, horseshoe and Australian motifs of wattle and emu. Date '1891' worked in cross stitch on one piece. The padding is wool and the backing dark red satin and these are joined by diagonal machine stitching in yellow thread.
1750 x 1100mm
1750 x 1100mm
Handsewn quilt pieced in red, blue, green and yellow print cottons in 'Lone Star' pattern, with diamond shaped patches. The main star is edged with a red and cream sawtooth border. In each corner is a star made up of 4 rows of diamonds, surrounded by small 8 point stars in red and green. The background material is a cream and brown spot print. The backing is a printed cotton in a small all over purple leaf and bud print on cream. Quilting is in an all over wave pattern.
2320 x 2320mm
2320 x 2320mm
Quilt made from furnishing materials, mostly velour type or uncut moquette. The colours are dusty pinks and beige/camel/blue. It has been put together by making wide strips of various sized rectangles sewn together and any missing piece in a rectangle added by using another piece of material to complete the shape. There is no padding and the backing is winter cotton.
2000 x 1650mm
2000 x 1650mm