Quilt No.965NGA - National Gallery of Australia

National Gallery of Australia
Owner: 
National Gallery of Australia
Location: 
ACT
Maker
Maker: 
Sophia Wilbow
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Date: 
1881 - 1900
Description: 
"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...
History: 

The quilt was made by Sophia Mary Wilbow between 1893 and 1896 for her youngest daughter Jane. Jane Wilbow did not marry and upon her death in 1956 the quilt was passed on to a niece, Victoria, who in turn passed it to her daughter Mrs Joyce Hedges, New South Wales. Joyce Hedges donated the quilt to the National Gallery in 1992.

Story: 

"Sophia Mary Wilbow nee Payton (Australia 1829-1924, who was born in Pitt Town near Windsor, made this quilt. Sophia married Thomas Mitchell Wilbow in 1846 and spent most of her life in the Hawkesbury River district where her husband was a farmer and hotelkeeper. She had fourteen children and made a patchwork quilt for each of her seven daughters. This quilt was the last one she made and was given to her youngest daughter Jane. It is believed Sophia worked on the quilt whilst she sat at the side of her dying husband who suffered a long illness prior to his death in 1896." [NGA]

Related Quilts:

National Gallery of Australia
" This is an unfinished section/piece of crazy quilting. Ribbons divide the piece horizontally into three sections; between these are bands of pastel fabrics and embroidery in the crazy quilt tradition. The fabrics and threads employed are very luxurious: laces, satin ribbons and silk velvets. The embroidery is very fine, employing a wide variety of stitches and threads. This patchwork piece is padded with cotton wadding and backed with tarlatan." [NGA] 1170 x 1020mm
Arlene Crane
Cotton patchwork quilt in double wedding ring pattern in pastel prints. Quilted in a design of geometric flowers. Padding is probably cotton wadding, backing is cream calico. 2270 x 1970 mm.
Alyce Wright
Cotton scrap quilt in a pattern known as 'Grandmothers Fan'. It is hand quilted. The padding is hand carded cotton and the backing is muslin.
2235 x 1880mm
Heather Roobol
Patchwork quilt has three centre squares, one in blue/white/brown in a cross pattern, one in framed square, one with diagonal strips in a pink frame. The rest of the quilt is made from strips of rectangles in different sizes sewn in rows. There is a narrow pieced frame, then an outer border of pieced rectangles. Mostly pastel colours. No padding. Backing is calico. There is a little embroidery.
2160 x 1601mm
Eileen Dinning
Double sided silk quilt. One side is paisley designs and the reverse plain silk . Machine pieced. There is a thin padding possibly sheeting.
2694 x 2287mm
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