Patchwork Quilts

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
Patchwork quilt made up of machine pieced squares and rectangles of cotton dress materials. The backing is a large piece of furnishing material. The padding is an old cream blanket.
1750 x 1350mm
Patchwork rug made from tailors' samples, each sample 340 x 200mm. Each piece is edged in green wool blanket stitch, and then each piece is crocheted together using the same green wool. No padding or backing.
2130 x 1280mm
"This patchwork is pieced from twelve contained panels of Crazy Patchwork. Each panel is formed of rich silks of various weaves and textures couched on to a calico ground, each patch overlaid to create interesting 'artistic' shapes and contrasts. The rug is backed with gold polished cotton and bordered in blue and green cotton to three edges, maroon to the fourth. Embroidery in several colours, but predominantly gold, is used to advantage in the variety of stitches which define the edges of the pieces, and occasionally on the patches themselves."
[Historic Houses Trust ' Sydney Quilt Stories' catalogue]
1880 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
Hand pieced quilt with geometric repeat pattern on both sides. One side has a wide red border and geometric piecing in red, blue and pale coloured printed cotton fabric. The other side has a similar geometric pattern but is worked in paler fabrics in pink, brown and pale blue prints. Pieced sides attached to cream woollen blanket [filling] with parrallel rows of machine stitching.
2160 x 2160mm
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)
Child's coverlet, made of woollen squares from suits and jackets.
980 x 700mm
White cotton quilt of gathered hexagons. Hand embroidered roses in the centre of each hexagon. It is quilted.
2395 x 2286mm
Patchwork quilt made of hexagon patches in a variety of materials, including velvets, corduroy, cotton, underwearmaterial. No padding. The backing is made from scraps in squares and rectangles, including voile, cotton and probably old curtain material.
2134 x 1777mm
"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
Helen Sparkman
Patchwork quilt, reversible, with both sides constructed from rectangles of cotton materials. These have been joined in strips and then the strips joined.
1900 x 1680mm
Quilt, machine construction using rectangles of mainly woollen materials with some corduroy and mohair. Initially 14 rows and then 2 rows added for extra warmth. 25mm bias cut yellow poplin binding. The padding is an old army blanket and the backing is printed cotton.
1500 x 1093mm
Patricia Galbraith
Fur fabric quilt made from scraps cut into squares and put together randomly. Colous are black, several greys, browns and some blacks and dark greys are astrakhan. There is no padding and the backing is a grey cotton bush blanket. The quilt is tied with buttons and wool.
1753 x 1251mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Hexagon shaped patchwork cover in an all over design based on very small hexagons in plain colours and prints. It is unfinished and there is no backing. Papers are still in place. Some of the materials have been dated to the 1830s and it is thought they came from old garments. This is similar to another cover in the Guild's collection.
1280 x 1280mm
Double bed size quilt, which the owner calls 'Devon Puffs', with main pattern in centre. 2100 x 1800mm.
Machine pieced top and back made from large irregular pieces of calico and sheeting including part of a 70lb Colonial Sugar Refinery calico sugar bag. The padding appears to be old cream blanket, whole or pieced.
1720 x 1030mm
Pauline Rogers
Machine constructed patchwork quilt of mainly cotton materials in squares. There is feather stitching as decoration along the seams. There is no padding and the backing is a wholecloth of gold damask like material.
2515 x 2312mm
The top is mainly squares of flannel machined together with patches of dress materials stitched randomly on top. There is no padding and the backing is calico. The top and backing are held together by a binding only. It is one of a pair.
2010 x 1680mm
Handmade cotton patchwork quilt in 'Double Wedding Ring' pattern on a cream background. The padding is cotton and the backing is calico.
2130 x 1830mm

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