Mosaic Quilts
Random pattern of whipstitched hexagons surrounding central hexagonal frame with radiating rows in turkey red. Many papers are still in place. The materials are thought to date from about 1880 to 1900 and are subtle colours in reds, blues, purples and creams. There is no padding. The backing is beige linen machine stitched at the edge.
2060 x 1740mm
2060 x 1740mm
Unfinished piece of hexagon patchwork with letters as templates still in place. One hexagon has date '1876' and one has a 2p postage stamp. Wide variety of materials, mainly cottons, a few printed wools, linens, some glazed furnishing fabrics, some block prints. All hand stitched.
560 x 510mm
560 x 510mm
Double sided quilt made from mainly rectangular pieces of woollen tailors' samples and suiting materials. It is machine sewn and there is no padding.
1000 x 940mm
1000 x 940mm
Woollen patchwork, mostly 17mm squares, in a heavy closely woven felt like material in red, black, yellow, blue, green and pink. Some larger motifs of pieced stars and crosses, some outlined with a narrow appliqued braid. There is no padding apparent. The backing is a khaki coloured cotton twill fabric. It may originally have had a border or fringe, now removed.
2280 x 1380mm
2280 x 1380mm
Unfinished silkTumbling Block quilt top, pieced over papers many of which remain. Some are parts of hand written letters with dates, one piece of newspaper has the date '1885' and the words 'Adelaide Milling' and 3/6 to 3/9'.
2630 x 1430mm
2630 x 1430mm
Quilt top of hexagon rosettes each with 4 rows of hexagons around one in the centre. It is hand pieced over papers and the papers include cut up old letters and envelopes and several of the papers are dated 1830 and 1831. In the centre of the quilt is a small square of chintz depicting a cupid amongst flowers. Materials include cambrics, chintzes, muslins and dimities and the quilt owner noted that these types of materials were imported into Australia from England around the 1830s.
2740 x 2310mm
2740 x 2310mm
"The quilt has been machine- pieced from rectangular swatches of men's woollen fabrics in shades of blue, grey and black, and in various weaves including stripes, checks, chevrons and spots. The swatches are offset at right angles to each other in such a way as to create strong zigzag bands of light and dark along the length of the quilt. The join at the corner of each swatch is marked with a hand-stitched cross in red cotton. The backing has been removed, showing the pinked edges of the suiting swatches. A yellow-brown piping band, possibly the remains of the backing, is sewn around all four sides." [PHM]
2080 x 1620mm
2080 x 1620mm
"A double-sided patchwork quilt machine-pieced from plain and patterned rectangular woollen patches, each 130 x 200mm. The fabrics came from a tailor's swatchbook of men's, and possibly women.s, suiting samples and are mainly in tonings of olive green, brown, blue and cream. The two layers are bound together with a pieced border strip that forms the outside edge. There is no filling or quilting." [PHM]
2140 x 1660mm
2140 x 1660mm
"A rectangular quilt made from hexagonal cotton patches, pieced in the traditional 'Grandmother's flower garden' design of scattered rosettes on a plain ground. The rosettes are made from six patterned hexagons around a seventh cream hexagon, which forms the flower centre. The patterned fabrics are a mix of small floral prints with some checks and geometric designs, and the colours are mainly shades of brown, blue maroon, pink and lilac. The ground fabric is plain cream. The quilt was made the English way and is hand sewn. Traces of the paper templates still remain." [PHM] There is no padding or backing.
2170 x 1975mm
2170 x 1975mm
Quilt of hand pieced (running stitch) hexagons formed into rosettes or 'flowers'. This pattern is commonly known as 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. The materials are calico, plain and floral prints, some thought to be dress materials and some from flour'sacks'. The padding is cotton and the backing calico.
2160 x 1780mm
2160 x 1780mm
Double sided quilt made from mainly rectangular pieces of woollen tailors' samples and suiting materials. It is machine sewn and there is no padding.
1670 x 1220mm
1670 x 1220mm
Part patchwork quilt of hand sewn hexagon patches in a variety of coloured cottons including seersucker, gingham and headcloth. Hexagons are grouped in rosettes each of 7 hexagons. It is incomplete but in worn condition.
2050 x 1280mm
2050 x 1280mm
Hand pieced hexagon quilt in the pattern known as 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. It is hand pieced over papers and hand quilted.
2150 x 1500mm
2150 x 1500mm
Hand stitched hexagon quilt in a wide variety of patterned cottons. Made completely from dressmaking scraps from clothes made for the maker's children and grand children. The hexagons are randomly placed. There is no padding and the backing is fawn cotton. 2260 x 1430mm.
Silk quilt of rosettes of 6 hexagons round a central one, plain and patterned materials. Hexagons are in rows with dark colour between. Backing is also silk.
2465 x 1779mm
2465 x 1779mm
Hexagon quilt in the form of rosettes often called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. Wide variety of materials including solid coloured homespuns, floral prints and American feed sacks. There is a padding of soft cotton and a backing of calico. 1930 x 1540mm
Small quilt of mixed fabrics in cotton and wool with patterns similar to men's suiting samples. Wool backing and cream binding. Joins are over embroidered with silk thread in herringbone stitch.
1271 x 1067mm
1271 x 1067mm
Quilt of white cotton octagonal patches made from bleached flour bags. Each patch has 8 segments which are stitched so that the middle of the segments puff up. Quilt has a frilled edging and a cotton backing.
It was made to suit a narrow single bed.
It was made to suit a narrow single bed.
Hand stitched quilt of hexagon shapes in a random pattern and using a wide variety of materials including satins, cottons, underwear material, curtain pieces. There is no padding and it is backed with black silk. 1500 x 1000mm.
Probably originally a quilt, now part is a wall hanging. Hexagons randomly placed and backed with black cotton added later. There is a padding of carded cotton stitched by hand. The hanging has a twisted cord around it, once crimson, now brownish. 580 x 400mm