Patchwork Quilts

"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
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
Patchwork quilt of hand sewn hexagons in a variety of print and plain cotton fabrics from 1950-1960. Colours are mainly pinks, blues, greens and yellow, with some red, and white. Quilt has a wide border of yellow poplin, which also forms the backing. No padding.
2280 x 1520mm
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
Helen Sparkman
Patchwork quilt made of Suffolk Puffs mainly in cottons. It has a light green wholecloth backing.
2100 x 950mm
Travelling rug. Wool, cotton and velvet. Handsewn, partly filled with wool blanket and hessian. The top of this rug was originally a green crushed velvet overcoat. Various parts of the garment have been unstitched and spread out to form a flat surface.
2100 x 1050mm
The top of this quilt is large pieced rectangles of herringbone wool in greys and browns. The backing is pieced check wools.
1210 x 1690mms
Handworked patchwork quilt. Pattern of squares as diamonds. Woollen materials.
1520 x 1520mm
Canadian Log' design (log cabin?). It is a hand stitched quilt constructed from 6,240 pieces of silk, satin, velvet, cotton, brocade and corduroy. The type of padding is unknown and the backing is cotton with a floral design. 1920 x 1900 mm
Quilt, in 2 parts, made from samples of different coloured velvets. It has 2 layers and is machine made. It became too heavy to sew on a domestic sewing machine so was constructed in two separate pieces. There is no padding.
2370 x 1550mm and 2230 x 800mm
Quilt/rug of show ribbons. 40 woollen 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th prize ribbons sewn together. Colours are blue, red, yellow and white. Backing is blue cotton.
1600 x 1600 mm
"This unusual quilt is comprised of bands of horticultural show ribbons machined onto a blue lining. The ribbons are royal blue in colour and printed in gold/bronze with two inscriptions.
KYOGLE P.A & H SOCIETY and TWEED RIVER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
The quilt has been formed so the two inscriptions alternate down the face of the quilt. The ribbons appear to be of rayon. White cotton machine thread was used in the construction. Accompanying the quilt is a carry bag; a rectangular bag made of the same show ribbons as the quilt with a single drawstring at the top." [NGA] The quilt is not padded. 1833 x 1410mm
National Trust of Australia (SA)
Patchwork quilt in the Tumbling Blocks pattern, made of silk fabrics in brocades, stripes, checks and plains, including some woven ribbons. Colours are mixed, each alternate row of diamonds being black. Backing is of fawn coloured cotton twill. Handsewn and hand quilted in an all over square grid. Half sized blocks form the binding edge. Padding not known.
2000 x 1940mm
Migration Museum
Patchwork quilt in the Double Irish Chain pattern, made from deep pink and white cotton fabrics, with two borders, of pink then white, and bound with the dark pink. Cotton backing. Filling unknown. White squares appear to be outline quilted, white blocks between the chains have an intricate quilted star pattern, and the two borders are quilted with a single cable.
2500 x 2110mm
Margaret-Anne M Thomas
Multi coloured square cotton pieces used to form a 'postage stamp' pattern. The squares are 25mm and the quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. There is a thin edge of brown on all sides. There is no padding and the backing is joined pieces of floral cotton.
2330 x 2130mm
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
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
Quilt of brown woollen patchwork on both sides.
1770 x 1750mm
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
Patchwork Quilt, silk patchwork on one side with dark ground, constructed of five pieces joined to form a floral motif. The reverse is quilted pink silk. The padding is cotton.
2700 x 2400mm

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