Patchwork Quilts

Patchwork quilt of diamond shapes in cotton fabrics. Patterns include florals, spots and stripes, and colours are navy, red, pink and grey. No padding. Backing is of strips of cotton in pinks and fawns sewn together.
2236 x 1931mm
The quilt is made from dark coloured tailors' samples. There is no padding and the backing is pieced scraps of cotton.
1950 x 1650 mm
The top is suit samples or remnants cut in squares and machined together. The centre panel is bordered with cotton tape. Each square is also bordered and forms a grid. There is no padding and the backing is a white cotton sheet with a floral pattern. It is hand stitched along the edges.
1500 x 1500mm
Patchwork quilt made of gathered circles stitched into a square shape. Made of scraps of fabrics from the depression period. The maker called the shapes 'squirkles'. No padding. Quilt is lined.
2100 x 1400mm
Val Bensen
A scrap quilt constructed in blocks, each block pieced differently and all linked by the same printed cotton. Machine pieced and hand quilted with thread saved from 'feed sacks'. The padding is cotton and the backing is brown checked cotton twill.
2033 x 1677mm
Cotton quilt, hand pieced from dress type materials with the backing applied by machine. The backing is calico and has maker's signatures embroidered on it. There is no padding.
2460 x 2300mm
Large cot size or single bed quilt with the top of different size and shaped pieces arranged in a random fashion. The padding is old blankets stitched together and the backing is floral cotton.
2100 x 1400mm (approx)
Quilt of Suffolk Puffs made from blue bags joined together. No padding or backing. The quilt has two matching pillowcases with lace trimmings.
2060 x 1980mm
Hand sewn frame quilt featuring appliqué. There is a centre square surrounded by two wide borders. The design consists of a large basket in each corner of the square with leaves and buds scattered at random. The 2 borders have flowers and leaves and the outer wide border has a small basket in each side. Colours are pale and strong pinks, blues shading to indigo, browns-beiges and dusty red. The centres of the flowers are all reverse appliqué. There are signs that there has been a backing but it is now one layer. 2700 x 2700 mm.
"A rectangular patchwork quilt made in the 'tumbling blocks' pattern using dark and lighter patterned silks. In 'tumbling blocks', one light, one medium and one dark toned diamond piece are joined to form a hexagonal shape. The hexagons are pieced with the different tones regularly oriented so that they create a three dimensional illusion of rows of cubes or blocks. The quilt is hand pieced throughout and bordered with a tobacco-coloured glazed chintz. The backing papers have been removed." [PHM]
There is no padding or backing.
3012 x 2002mm
Hand and machine pieced top and back using irregular pieces of men's hand and machine knitted jumpers and navy serge. The backing is mainly serge, part of an uncle's bus conductor's uniform. The pockets from the uniform have been left as is. There is no padding.
1850 x 970mm
Mirgation Museum
Unfinished patchwork of hexagon patches in cotton, linen and other fabrics. Hexagons have 3cm sides. Fabrics are a mixture of prints and plains, in bright shades and pastels, with reds, greens, blues and pinks predominating. Paper templates are still in place in sections.
980 x 950mm
Helen Sparkman
Suffolk Puff quilt in a wide variety of cotton materials patterned and plain. There is no backing.
11900 x 1350mm
"The quilt is made entirely from over 7300 hexagons cut from scrap materials, and is hand stitched throughout using the 'English' method of quilting. Scraps of plain unbleached calico were used for the background with the pattern pieces cut from plain and floral fabrics in shades of blue. The design is medallion style, with a large central diamond surrounded by two concentric diamond borders beyond which are scattered different sized hexagonal rosettes, all made from hexagon patches in the same size. The pattern patches were cut from the offcuts of dresses and dressing gowns made at a friend's factory and from another friend's dress material scraps." [PHM] There is no padding. The backing is 'Actil' unbleached sheeting dyed pale blue and attached with a blind stitch to the quilt top. A central rosette set within a large diamond of hexagons decorates the back and is stitched through to hold the 2 layers together.
2720 x 1880mm
"The quilt is of plain weave white cotton, quilted with white cotton thread. The design is 288 squares following the log cabin design. The lining is a fine white cotton.
The edges of the front face and the lining have been turned, and positioned within this seam is a ruffle. This ruffle is of very fine muslin with 2 rows of pin tucks along the edge. The ruffle runs along all edges of the quilt." [NGA] The quilt is not padded and is lined with white cotton fabric. 2400 x 2140mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
This quilt has white cotton bands of hand quilting in between strips of squares in printed cotton, placed on the diagonal. The padding is cotton and there is a cotton backing.
2440 x 1940mm
Quilt, Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern, has hexagon flowers with plain centres and floral material for 'petals', and paths of mid to dark blue. Cotton fabric. No padding. Backing is of unbleached calico.
Quilt in crazy patchwork, in velvet, silk and cotton, decorated on seams and patches with embroidery. Padded with flannelette, and backed with damask. Quilt has an olive green frill around the edge.
190 x 1500mm
Helen Sparkman
Patchwork quilt. An old sheet was used as the base for the quilt then garments no longer suitable for wearing were stitched to the sheet. Then pieces of old tablecloths, curtains and dressmaking scraps were used to make the quilt top and back. Hand stitched and quilted with long stitches. It is a heavy quilt.
1600 x 1120mm
Machine pieced patchwork top of Tailor's samples with a backing of patches of furnishing materials. There is no padding.
1930 x 1530mm

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