Quilt No.954AP - Agnes Pratten

Agnes Pratten
Owner: 
Agnes Pratten
Location: 
QLD South East
Maker
Maker: 
Mrs Ball
Made in
AUSTRALIA QLD
Patterms
Wholecloth, Re-used clothing or blanket, Utilitarian, Typically Australian
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Wholecloth quilt covered front and back with the least worn parts of old curtains. The padding is a carded wool sheet from Ipswich Woollen Mills placed between layers of cheesecloth.
1800 x 1225mm
History: 

This utilitarian quilt was made in Queensland by Nessie Pratten's mother, Mrs. Ball, when Nessie was 15 years old. It was made during the depression and Nessie used it for many years and it is still owned by her. "[it is used] when I have a full house, or if someone has to sleep on the floor [it is] used underneath." [NP]

Story: 

"The wool for this was brought out during the depression years, to help the wool industry and also to help keep people warm, as blankets were too dear to buy, think it would have been about 25 shillings, cheese cloth about 6 pence a yard. This would not have been its original cover, but it would have been covered with cretonne from curtains I am sure.
During the depression my father was a War Pensioner from first world war and due to war wounds was unable to work and my mother had to manage with 5/- five shillings to keep us on (State children got 10/- ten shillings). She thought it really did not pay to get married. But as you can imagine life was not easy, but would have been a lot worse if she had not been clever with her fingers and a good manager."
[Nessie Pratten, Queensland, October 2000]

Related Quilts:

Yvonne Hamdorf
Quilt No.1016YH - 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.
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element
John Tomkin
Quilt No.1005JT - 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.
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued
Julie Atkinson
Quilt No.669JA - Julie Atkinson
Reversible wholecloth cotton quilt with elaborate hand quilting. One side is cream patterned material and the other plain pale yellow. It is padded but the type of padding is unknown.
2450 x 2000mm
Wholecloth, Quilting as major design element
Josephine Curtis
Quilt No.1006JC - Josephine Curtis
Taylor's sample quilt made from men's suit swatches, mainly greys and blues. Edging is 6cms wide, of blue flannelette. Padding is an old grey blanket, and the backing is of printed pattern corduroy. 1680 x 920 mm.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Ida Blenkiron
Quilt No.269IB - Ida Blenkiron
Rectangular quilt with front and back made of rectangles of cotton samples of shirt materials, in checks, stripes and plains. Colours are soft muted reds, greens, blues, yellows and browns, and pastels. Construction is 3 to 4 rows of rectangles joined across the quilt. Padding is probably an old blanket. There is a row of hand quilting approximately the width of one patch in from the edge, holding the layers together.
1870 x 950mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Rectangle, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
Elsie Roberts
Quilt No.336ER - Elsie Roberts
Quilt made of white cotton with a diamond set applique pattern of brown tipped pink dogwood blossoms with green leaves in the centre. Hand appliquéd. The centre is hand quilted with cross hatching and the borders are quilted with feathered cables and circular patterns. Padding is Mountain Mist polyester, the backing is of white cotton. The quilt edges are bound with pink bias binding.
2180 x 1860mm
Wholecloth, Embroidered and/or Appliqued