Patchwork Quilts

The front face of this quilt consists of rows of rectangles and squares of multicoloured prints pieced together. The fabrics are cotton and include a few early synthetics such as rayon, and all work is machined. The back is fully lined with an olive green moire synthetic fabric. The lining has been brought around to the front face of the quilt for approx 5cm to provide an edge border. The quilt is a wonderful showcase of the fabrics of the 20's and 30's." [NGA]
The quilt is not padded. 2160 x 1910 mm
Quilt of men's suitings. Machine stitched, red backing.
1800 x 1100mm
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles and squares of wool fabric, sewn into strips and then sewn together. Both sides are pieced using family clothing, cut up and reused.
1449 x 1017mm
"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
Quilt made from suitings and cloth patchwork, hand stitched with blanket insert and pieces of knitting from garments.
1900 x 1190mm
Norma Gilchrist
Cotton quilt made entirely of hexagons joined to form 'flowers'. Flowers are not formed into a pattern. All hexagons are hand stitched including on to the blue headcloth border which is then machined on to the same backing material. The quilt is made from dressmaking scraps, mainly offcuts from the children's clothes including from pyjamas, dresses and uniforms. It is not quilted.
2180 x 1710mm
Quilt top. "Handsewn (edges machine sewn only). Quilt, poor, faded, torn. Red and white patches. Red star and white circle with 4 diamonds in centre. Red and white triangle pieces and plain border. No padding or backing."
[K.D.H.S. 19.2.1997]
2030 x 1941mm
Norma Gilchrist
Cotton cot quilt in checkerboard pattern. 30 squares each 180mm machined together. Alternate squares have Australian birds fancyworked in stem stitch and chain stitch using 2 threads of coloured stranded cotton. Alternate squares are plain royal blue and there is a royal blue border 120mm wide. The backing is the same royal blue cotton.
1340 x 1070mm
This is an Adelaide Chronicle pattern reprinted in 'The Weekly Times'.
Machine pieced patchwork top of Tailor's samples with a backing of patches of furnishing materials. There is no padding.
1930 x 1530mm
Helen Sparkman
Patchwork quilt made of hexagon patches from satin scraps. Hexagons are in solid colours and joined to make rosettes. Hand sewn.
1800 x 1025mm
"This is a crazy quilt consisting of nine panels of crazy patchwork joined together with bands of olive cotton sateen fabric. The fabrics of the patchwork are a rich variety of silk brocades, silk ribbons, fabrics with metallic threads and velvets. The embroidery is of a variety of silk threads, including chenille.
The quilt is padded with a layer of cotton wadding backed with a piece of tarlatan. The padding is only present beneath the patchwork panels and the bands that join them. There is no padding in the edge border of the quilt. The layers are quilted with machine sewing.
The quilt is fully lined with the olive sateen fabric used to join the patchwork panels on the front face." [NGA]
Child's coverlet, made from suiting samples sewn in a patchwork effect.
1000 x 1000mm
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 of rectangles (150 x 100mm) of patterned materials in various colours and textures. Many patterns in different colourways as quilt was made from a bag of material samples. The plain off white backing has been machined to the top of the quilt and turned through then a row of zig zag sewed to the top edge. There is no padding.
2440 x 2120mm
Hand sewn quilt in red and white cotton and some linen in a nine-patch variation, the pieced squares set edge to edge. The quilt is bound in red cotton, the binding approximately 2 cm deep. It is closely quilted in a wave pattern. The backing is white twill cotton and the padding is thin wool.
2193 x 1960mm
"�..quilt of silk hexagonal patches with a velvet panel as the centrepiece with petit point embroidery. The silk materials are a valuable source of textile history being very variable in weaves and patterns. The patchwork templates are still in situ and are of a ? linen gauze. The whole quilt is backed with mercerised cotton."
[Maggie Myers 21.5.1986]
2650 x 2330mm
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern in print and plain [cottons], each patchwork square divided on the diagonal into two colours. When pieced together 4 half blocks form a large square in one colour. The log cabin blocks are sewn onto calico. The quilt is edged with a pleated frill in a pink and blue patterned fabric, and backed with a pink floral cretonne. The padding is blankets.
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.
Crazy patchwork quilt constructed from a wide range of floral, check and plain materials, mainly cottons. The backing is white cotton whole cloth.
2280 x 1380mm
Migration Museum
Crazy patchwork quilt of silk and cotton fabrics in velvets and brocades, with surface embroidery and appliqued motifs, and many seams embroidered, in a variety of stitches. Some metal thread embroidery. Centre patch has embroidered initials "F B". Quilt has been constructed from 30cm squares of crazy patwork which have been joined in bands and then stitched together in rows. Quilt has a border 12cm wide of red velvet. Backing (replaced backing) is of deep pink cotton, machine quilted. Hand and machine sewing.
1700 x 1430mm

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