Patchwork Quilts

Frame quilt in linen has a centre motif in broderie perse applique of a blue urn topped with a blue basket of flowers, and perched on the basket handle a parrot. This is in a blue oval, with butterflies, a ribbon at the top and several posies of roses. Either side is a panel of broderie perse flowers. There is a narrow frame of patterned fabric, then a border of triangles pieced to make squares, with octagonal printed patches at each corner. The outer border is of appliqued circles of printed fabric on a dark background. Hand sewn.
1770 x 1730mm
.
Patchwork quilt made of fine pieces of silk from ballgowns and cut into small triangular pieces, sewn together to form a pinwheel pattern. Quilt has a wide border with a quilted feather motif and is edged with red silk.
No padding, backing is of cotton.
2500 x 2500mm
Utilitarian quilt with the top made from machine pieced different shaped patches of floral cottons. The backing is machine pieced patches of navy blue and grey serge, some darned, probably from men's/boy's pants. The padding is not visible but is very lumpy and very thick making the quilt very heavy.
1460 x 1300mm
Patchwork quilt made of hexagonal patches of variously patterned cottion chintz. The fabrics are printed with floral, geometric and striped designs in brown, blue, pink and cream stitched together by hand in no fixed pattern. There is a cream cotton backing.
1940 x 1410mm
Migration Museum
Patchwork quilt in the Double Irish Chain pattern, made from cotton fabrics in white and a brown print (possibly green originally), with a wide border of cream fabric. The border is quilted with a four cable pattern, and the main part is cross hatch quilted , in a diamond pattern. Backing of cotton. Hand sewn and quilted. Padding unknown.
1970 x 1740mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Cotton quilt of hexagonal pieces joined to form rosettes or 'flowers' in a pattern often called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. Hand pieced. Colours are mainly pink, brown, amethyst and cream. There is no padding and the backing has been added recently.
2140 x 1550mm
White cotton quilt of gathered hexagons. Hand embroidered roses in the centre of each hexagon. It is quilted.
2395 x 2286mm
" This quilt is in the Suffolk puff tradition. The quilt consists of 1,518 white plain weave 'puffs'. Unlike some quilts where the puffs have been made from blue bags, here they are from circles of fabric with the edge turned with a gather stitch, which has been pulled and secured. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. The edge of the quilt is decorated with a 35cm band of crochet; producing a net with scalloped edge. The crochet is executed in a thick cotton thread." [NGA] There is no padding or lining. 3230 x 2120mm
Quilt of pieced printed cottons in the 'Le Moyne Star' pattern with the blocks set on point with sashing in a turkey red cotton print. Patchwork prints for the diamond shapes include spots, small prints, plaids, florals. The backing is another turkey red print and it is folded over to the front to form a border. The padding is cotton. The quilting outlines patches with some additional diagonal lines.
2595 x 2565mm
Norma Gilchrist
Quilt entirely made of hexagons joined to make 'flowers', 6 hexagons form the petals and one in the centre. The quilt is all cotton in a wide variety of colours in plains, checks and florals. The hexagons are all hand stitched using stranded cotton. There is a plain blue border of headcloth machined around the edge to the backing material. It is not quilted The materials were almost all from the scrap bag. Brown paper templates were used. This arrangement of hexagons is one variation of a pattern commonly called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'.
2040 x 1720mm
"The front face of this quilt consists of panels of multicoloured prints pieced together into squares set between a grid of machine embroidered bands in yellow and maroon on white muslin. The fabrics are cotton and include a few early synthetics; all work is machined. The back is fully lined with yellow cotton flannelette, machined at the edge and 5cm in from the edge. The quilt is a wonderful showcase of the fabrics of the 20's and 30's." [NGA]
The quilt is not padded or quilted. 2370 x 2340mm
"A double bedspread composed of Suffolk puffs of fine white cotton, each puff measuring 50mm in diameter. The puffs are hand stitched together, with crochet worked in the spaces in between. A deep frill of white cotton has been added to three sides of the quilt. Two matching pillow shams have been made from 30mm puffs; each sham is edged with a generous bias cut cotton frill on all four sides." [PHM]
2770 x 2560mm
Jenny Loder and Rosemary Hart
Log cabin quilt with logs made from silks (including moire), velvets, brocades and tartan ribbons. Each square is separately backed. There is no padding.
2020 x 1460mm
Quilt made from suitings and cloth patchwork, hand stitched with blanket insert and pieces of knitting from garments.
1900 x 1190mm
Utilitarian quilt made from roughly square patches of tailors' samples and men's suitings. The backing is calico and a border has been formed by turning the top under. The padding is ticking and pieced reused clothing.
2000 x 1400mm
Double bed size quilt, which the owner calls 'Devon Puffs', with main pattern in centre. 2100 x 1800mm.
Double sided quilt, machine pieced from large rectangles of used clothing in various materials including wools and suitings. The sides are turned in and machined to make a firm edge. It is machine quilted. The padding is 3 old sheets and a blanket.
1370 x 1040mm
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
Crazy quilt with one large panel. Materials include wools, velvets, silks and crepes. Each piece embroidered in herrigbone stitch to the adjoining piece. 25mm blue border chain stitched on, then 75mm border of black wool crepe with a crocheted edge. The padding is an old blanket and the backing is red/brown printed cotton.
1730 x 1040mm
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)

Pages