Quilt No.986VD - Virginia DeFriest
Owner:
Virginia DeFriest
Location:
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker:
Virginia DeFriest
Made in
KENYA
Patterms
Date:
1941 - 1970
Description:
The quilt consists of 9 large rectangles each depicting a house in which the owner and her husband lived in overseas. Each house and location is identified. The houses are appliquéd and embroidered detail has been added to the houses and gardens. Plain cotton rectangles are in between the appliquéd houses. The padding is an old woollen blanket and the backing is pale green cotton percale. The quilt is tied at intervals through the 3 layers. 2180 x 490 mm
History:
The quilt was made by the present owner and is still owned by her. It is still used.
Story:
Virginia and her husband married in 1950. Her husband's work took them to many countries including Kenya, Sierra Leone, New Zealand and Ghana. Virginia appliquéd and embroidered representations of 12 of the houses in which they lived. The quilt was started in 1964 and houses were added as they moved. In 1964 it was awarded second prize in the Royal Agricultural Society of Kenya's show in Nairobi. The certificate reads "Most interesting quilt. Delightful."
Virginia DeFries about the time she made the quilt.
The house in Accra, Ghana depicted on the quilt second from the bottom on the right.
Related Quilts:
The body of this quilt is hexagons. This centre piece is surrounded by an applique border of birds and flowers and donkeys on see-saws. The flowers have been elaborately pieced from a great variety of materials. Some of the birds have pres studs for eyes.
Patchwork Quilt, all cotton including filling. Pattern is "squares and diamonds". Quilt is faded but blue is probably the predominant colour. Hand stitched and hand quilted.
1624 x 1194mm
1624 x 1194mm
Patchwork top with a centre frame of a mauve cross outlined in black within a square bordered with pink. The rest of the top is rectangles and squares in a wide variety of materials. There is no padding. The backing is brown, possibly curtain material.
1910 x 1480mm
1910 x 1480mm
Patchwork quilt of hand sewn hexagons in a variety of print and plain cotton fabrics from 1950-1960. Colours are mainly pinks, blues, greens and yellow, with some red, and white. Quilt has a wide border of yellow poplin, which also forms the backing. No padding.
2280 x 1520mm
2280 x 1520mm
Patchwork quilt made from squares of cotton prints in florals, stripes, spots and checks, joined together in rows. Colours are predominantly blues, reds, yellow and pastels. Binding is of turquoise blue fabric. Materials appear to be from the 40s or 50s. Patches caught in the middle with a woollen knot - red, yellow, blue wool. No quilting. Backed in blue fleecy flannel.
Single bed length and width.
Single bed length and width.
Pieced construction, repeat block format, American Blue Grass pattern. Hand stitched and quilted with a machined edge. Mauve check stars, 8 points, surrounded by 16 point stars in yellow floral. One star per block plus green squares and red strips. The background is yellow cotton and so is the backing. There is a dacron type padding.
1980 x 1740mm
1980 x 1740mm