Quilt No.982SB - Sheila Bruhn
Owner:
Sheila Bruhn
Location:
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker:
Changi Prison Girl Guides
Made in
SINGAPORE Changi Prison
Date:
1941 - 1970
Description:
Quilt constructed of blocks of hexagons with 72 'flower' rosettes made from plain and printed cotton scraps. The centre of each rosette has the name of one of the Girl Guides embroidered on it. The one in the centre of the quilt has the Trefoil insignia outlined in satin stitch. The background is white hexagons. There is no padding and it is backed with white cotton. 1880 x 960mm
History:
The quilt was made by Girl Guides in Changi prison camp in 1942. Elizabeth Ennis, who started the project, took the quilt to Scotland with her when she left the camp in 1945 after the war ended. 'Trish' Ennis gave it to the present owner, Sheila Bruhn, in April 2001 and it is now with Sheila in Australia.
Story:
This Girl Guide quilt was put together by a group of girls in Changi Prison. The guide group was started by Elizabeth Ennis, an army nursing sister, with the help of a young Dutch girl, Trude van Roode. There were about 20 to 30 girls between 8 and 13 and they collected oddments of material in the camp. The girls' names are recorded on the quilt.
Related Quilts:
Patchwork Quilt consisting of diamond shapes forming a Tumbling Block pattern. All cotton, mainly patterned pieces, with signs of blotting paper templates. Hand sewn. The outer border of patches consists of off-cuts from nurses' uniforms of the times as 2 of the maker's daughters were nurses. It is thought most other squares were probably from material samples from large city stores such as Anthony Horderns. Backing is red cotton in a paisley design.
2030 x 1890mm
2030 x 1890mm
" This coverlet is composed of two pieces of dark blue cheese cloth joined with a row of running stitches down the centre of the coverlet (the seam faces the front face of the coverlet but is hidden beneath a row of appliqué).
The coverlet is decorated with rows of pieced work surrounding appliquéd and embroidered scenes. A panel down the LHS of the quilt and a smaller panel lower RHS depict animals and floral images. In the centre RHS an elderly couple sit beneath a tree. In the upper left a bride and groom accompanied by three flower girls are showered with petals from a wicker basket carried by a very large angel. Glass beads, sequins and a button have been used to highlight the appliqué and embroidery.
As with all of Mary Jane Hannaford's quilts, the work is stitched by hand and quite crudely, but the naivety of the images is overwhelming with their charm." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1950 x 1690mm
The coverlet is decorated with rows of pieced work surrounding appliquéd and embroidered scenes. A panel down the LHS of the quilt and a smaller panel lower RHS depict animals and floral images. In the centre RHS an elderly couple sit beneath a tree. In the upper left a bride and groom accompanied by three flower girls are showered with petals from a wicker basket carried by a very large angel. Glass beads, sequins and a button have been used to highlight the appliqué and embroidery.
As with all of Mary Jane Hannaford's quilts, the work is stitched by hand and quite crudely, but the naivety of the images is overwhelming with their charm." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1950 x 1690mm
Utilitarian quilt. The top and backing are machine pieced scraps of curtain material and clothing pieces. The centre is an old blanket and possibly clothing pieces.
2033 x 1525mm
2033 x 1525mm
Patchwork quilt of hexagon patches (3.5cm sides approx), handsewn, in cotton fabrics in sprig prints, stripes, checks, florals and plains. Colours are pre-aniline dyes, in lavender, green, red, beige and purple. Centre of quilt is pastel colours with a central patch embroidered in red: 'Elsey Rowbotham her work May 1 1869'. Quilt has a wide border of squares and triangles.Padding is thin cotton. Backing is off white calico. Quilted in parallel lines.
2693 x 2490mm
2693 x 2490mm
Hexagon quilt made by hand from a wide variety of cotton materials. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2286 x 915mm
2286 x 915mm
Repeat block in Dresden Plate pattern using various cotton fabrics from the 1920s. Quilted with a flower in the purple/pink centre and squares elsewhere. Border is furnishing fabric. The padding is cotton that is disintegrating and the backing is calico. 1980 x 2100mm