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
Wangaratta Historical Society
Quilt No.488WHS - Wangaratta Historical Society
9 large blocks of crazy patchwork in silks and velvets. The blocks are divided by strips of deep ruby coloured silk. There is a wide ruby border with peaks to which is attached cream lace. The backing is beige silk. The main blocks are outlined with feather stitch in gold thread and many individual patches are outlined in fancy stitches and have embroidered motifs some of which are Australian eg centre patch has Sturt's Desert Pea flowers, parrots, wattle. There are also English flowers, Japanese motifs, flags, domestic objects and Marianne's initials. Embroidery is in a variety of threads including chenille.
2250 x 2180mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Crazy, Typically Australian
Bob Sloan
Quilt No.491BS - Bob Sloan
Double sided quilt made from all wool worsted suiting samples. Machine construction. There is no padding.
1840 x 1330mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
National Gallery of Australia
Quilt No.971NGA - National Gallery of Australia
"The coverlet is of cream cheesecloth, highly decorated with applied figures and pieced fabric bands. The appliqué bands follow the edge of the coverlet for some time and then become circles radiating from the centre. The bands form two framed circular areas that carry appliquéd images. A smaller area lower centre of the cloth depicts birds and insects. In the centre of the work is a bordered oval with two aboriginal figures, an angel, kangaroo, emu and kookaburra, with the words 'Advance Australia Fair' embroidered in black thread. The stitching and construction of the coverlet is quite crude." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1640 x 1550mm
Embroidered and/or Appliqued, Motifs or Names, Pictorial, Wholecloth, Typically Australian
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.598PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
The top is a wholecloth piece of twill type cotton and the backing is a wholecloth piece of finer patterned cotton. The padding is a layer of pieces of used clothing stitched together, including part jumpers, some darned. These are inside an old folded blanket.
1540 x 950mm
Wholecloth, Re-used clothing or blanket, Utilitarian, Typically Australian