Tailors' samples Quilts

Marion Coleman
Quilt made of Tailors' wool samples in stripes, checks and plain,, rectangles in different sizes machined together in strips. Colours are grey, navy, brown, light grey and cream. Lining or backing is of patterned cotton, in three layers as it has worn and been replaced. Machine and zigzag quilting.
1626 x 1271mm
Josephine Curtis
Taylor's sample quilt made from men's suit swatches, mainly greys and blues. Edging is 6cms wide, of blue flannelette. Padding is an old grey blanket, and the backing is of printed pattern corduroy. 1680 x 920 mm.
Ann Hockey
Patchwork quilt made from rectangles of samples of men's woollen suitings, in greys and blues and some browns. The rectangles were machine sewn together and then sewn in rows or strips. Originally the quilt had a rabbit skin backing, removed due to deterioration. No padding. Machine sewn.
1550 x 1420mm
Pauline Munro
Quilt of woollen rectangles, probably tailors' samples. Machine pieced. The backing is floral cotton similar to curtain material.The backing has a french seam down the centre back and is folded over to the front to form a binding. There is no padding.
1440 x 1260
Bob Sloan
Double sided quilt made from all wool worsted suiting samples. Machine construction. There is no padding.
1840 x 1330mm
Annette Gero
Double sided quilt made from mainly rectangular pieces of woollen tailors' samples and suiting materials. It is machine sewn and there is no padding.
1000 x 940mm
Powerhouse Museum
"The quilt has been machine- pieced from rectangular swatches of men's woollen fabrics in shades of blue, grey and black, and in various weaves including stripes, checks, chevrons and spots. The swatches are offset at right angles to each other in such a way as to create strong zigzag bands of light and dark along the length of the quilt. The join at the corner of each swatch is marked with a hand-stitched cross in red cotton. The backing has been removed, showing the pinked edges of the suiting swatches. A yellow-brown piping band, possibly the remains of the backing, is sewn around all four sides." [PHM]
2080 x 1620mm
Annette Gero
Double sided quilt made from mainly rectangular pieces of woollen tailors' samples and suiting materials. It is machine sewn and there is no padding.
1670 x 1220mm
Annette Gero
Machine stitched quilt with the top constructed from men's woollen suiting pieces.There are many repairs and the cream patches are recent additions. The padding is layers of blanket pieces. The quilt is very heavy.
1800 x 1600mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
A buggy rug of machine pieced patchwork of men's suiting samples. There is a large diamond of patches in the centre, bordered by rectangles. There is no padding. The backing is wholecloth tartan wool.
1910 x 1580mm
Jean Gilbert
Patchwork quilt made from cotton, wool and synthetic upholstery fabrics cut in rectangles, stitched in strips then sewn in rows. Down each side is a wide border of beige wool. Colours are soft mainly pinks, blues and light browns, in florals and self patterns. No padding. Backing is blue cotton. Fabrics may have been used for bedspreads as well as for upholstery.
1956 x 1194mm
Annette Gero
Strips of mainly patterned cotton dress materials joined to form 3 blocks to make the quilt top. Each block is outlined with a plain deep blue border. The backing is calico. There is no padding and it is not quilted.
2300 x 1520mm
Jean Gilbert
Rectangular pieces made from tailors' swatches and machine pieced in strips. Some pieces darned. Main colours blue, grey and brown. No padding. Backing is floral cotton with orange and brown flowers.
1879 x 1220mm
Annette Gero
The top of the quilt is suiting samples arranged in rows and every second row has alternate dark and light cream rectangles. The back is a patchwork of dress materials. It is machine sewn. There is no padding and it is not quilted.
2160 x 135mm
Child's coverlet, made from suiting samples sewn in a patchwork effect.
1000 x 1000mm
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 from tailors' samples, constructed of 144 rectangles each approx. 100 x 160mm. Colours are greys, blues, browns, fawns, plains and patterned. At the top and bottom edges 16 same size rectangles have been folded in half. No filling. Backing is a cream and brown patterned flannelette.
1880 x 1260mm
Ladies samples coverlet. Machine stitching. Multicoloured patching on the back.
1730 x 1220mm
Quilt made of squares of suiting. Pink and blue curtain backing.
1760 x 1320mm
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

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