Quilt No.983VD - Virginia DeFriest

Virginia DeFriest
Owner: 
Virginia DeFriest
Location: 
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker: 
Mother Bryant'
Made in
USA Arkansas
Patterms
Patchwork, Mosaic
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Called an 'Easter Egg' pattern by the owner. Whole quilt is pieced from the same small shapes in printed and plain cottons. It is all hand stitched. The padding is cotton wadding and the backing plain white muslin. 2220 x 1840 mm
History: 

This quilt is thought to have been made by 'Mother Bryant' in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas USA c.1925. It was made for the present owner's husband, James Ellis DeFriest, at the time of his birth in 1925 and was to be a wedding quilt when he married. In 1950 he and Virginia were married in California. Following her husband's death, the quilt is with Virginia in Australia. It is used occasionally.

Story: 

"I was told it had been made by 'Mother Bryant' who lived somewhere in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas, USA. It had been presented to my late husband when he was born in 1925. 'Mother Bryant' was not a relation but presumably a close family friend. My husband was born in Springdale, Arkansas.
I first saw it when my husband and I married in California, 1950. We slept under it in many countries as my husband's work moved us to Kenya, Sierra Leonne, New Zealand, Ghana and Australia. As the older (previously used?) pieces wore out I have been replacing them and have put new edging around the quilt." [Virginia DeFriest]

James Ellis DeFriest as a baby c.1926. Next to him, Virginia and James son, Jim. Below, the owner's mother and father-in-law in 1950.
James Ellis DeFriest as a baby c.1926. Next to him, Virginia and James son, Jim. Below, the owner's mother and father-in-law in 1950.
Thought to have been taken on the Arkansas family property c.1925
Thought to have been taken on the Arkansas family property c.1925

Related Quilts:

Annette Gero
Quilt No.857AG - Annette Gero
This domestic Wagga is two layers of woollen army blankets with the top layer in rectangles joined in rows. The backing is hessian bags that originally contained meat meal.
11650 x 1130mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Domestic Wagga
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Quilt No.557NPW - N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Large double sided quilt of rectangles and squares of men's suitings, patterned and plain on both sides. The top has a central motif of a circle of three segmented rings radiating from a single hexagon. The outer ring is all tailors' samples and the inner rings are a variety of materials. There is some featherstitching in red. The quilt is sparsley machine quilted.
Patchwork, Typically Australian, Tailors' samples
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.601PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
Single bed quilt made up entirely of hexagons in 'Granny's Flower Garden' pattern. The rosettes are made up of 8 hexagons and a central one. Native flower prints, including wattle, on a white background. Plain hexagons in white, yellow and blue form a scalloped border. Hexagons are hand stitched and the 2 layers are quilted in running stitch. The backing is a pieced sheet.
2400 x 1500mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block, Typically Australian, Motifs or Names
Annette Gero,
Quilt No.842AG - Annette Gero,
Wholecloth quilt originally covered with cretonne and recovered with orange satin. Machine quilted. Padding of wool.
1270 x 1160mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random, Wholecloth, Utilitarian, Typically Australian
The Pioneer Women's Hut
Quilt No.609PWH - The Pioneer Women's Hut
Utility patchwork quilt made up of mainly squares of furnishing material machine pieced. It is backed with machine pieced patches of woollen jumpers, mainly machine not hand knitted. The back is possibly the top. There is no padding.
1950 x 1270mm
Patchwork, Pieced Random
Leila Craig
Quilt No.174LC - Leila Craig
Patchwork quilt of hexagon patches in a variety of colours and fabrics, including cottons, wool, lace, nylon. Edging is of yellow cotton. It is backed but there is no filling or padding.
2470 x 2100mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon