Tumbling Block Quilts

Friends of the Hawkesbury Art Society
Patchwork Quilt consisting of diamond shapes forming a Tumbling Block pattern. All cotton, mainly patterned pieces, with signs of blotting paper templates. Hand sewn. The outer border of patches consists of off-cuts from nurses' uniforms of the times as 2 of the maker's daughters were nurses. It is thought most other squares were probably from material samples from large city stores such as Anthony Horderns. Backing is red cotton in a paisley design.
2030 x 1890mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Wool patches in large Tumbling Block pattern. Plain colours, blues, orange, gree, red. Seams are over embroidered with silk thread in herringbone stitch. Backing is 'Molleton', red with yellow pansy design.
2490 x 2236mm
Gundagai Historical Museum
Patchwork cot or pram quilt made of diamond patches in the Tumbling Block pattern. Patches are made from cotton, corduroy and velvet, with red, black, teal blue, green, brown and cream predominating. No padding. Backing is of green wool and the quilt is bound with dark red crushed velvet.
780 x 560mm
Pioneer Settlement Authority
Centre medallion of hexagons surrounded by blocks of tumbling blocks. Rows of triangles around the edge. Each corner has a star within a hexagon. Hand stitched with the traditional 20 stitches to the inch. There is a silk tassle in each corner. Materials include: silk, silk ribbon, taffeta, brocade, velvet, striped silk, faille. The backing is cream holland.
1580 x 1510mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt in the Tumbling Block pattern in light and dark silks in bright colours. On both sides and at the bottom is a wide border in Tumbling Blocks, the pattern vertical at the sides and forming a triangle centre bottom, with an edge on both sides of two black bands with pieced diamonds between. Made for a poster bed. Hand sewn.
1790 x 1750mm
National Trust of Australia (VIC)
Double sided patchwork quilt. One side has small 'Tumbling Block' pattern. The other side has larger pattern of pieced stars. It is made of silks, some printed, some solid colours mainly blues, greens cream and black. There is no padding.
2100 x 1800mm
Narelle Grieve
Silk quilt in diamonds with hexagon border. "Toward the edge of the quilt, the design of diamonds made into blocks offers an optical illusion, where the diamonds can be seen to form stars. The border is made up of these stars and half-diamonds, and the entire quilt is trimmed with lace and triangular flaps made of tiny hexagons." [extract unidentified magazine article supplied by quilt owner.]
The backing is maroon cotton. 1600 x 1600 mm.
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Patchwork quilt made from diamond patches in a variety of cotton materials set in a 'tumbling block' pattern. Patterns include geometrics, stripes, a 'Kate Greenway' print and colours are largely soft pastels, dark browns, with some reds and blues. The quilt has been cut down and a later border added. There is no padding and the backing is cream cotton.
2279 x 2000mm
Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Burnett
Tumbling Block quilt made from pure silk ribbons, patterned and plain. The quilt edge follows the block shapes. The backing is polished cotton printed with flowers.
2743 x 2439mm
Annette Gero
Unfinished silkTumbling Block quilt top, pieced over papers many of which remain. Some are parts of hand written letters with dates, one piece of newspaper has the date '1885' and the words 'Adelaide Milling' and 3/6 to 3/9'.
2630 x 1430mm
Derene McGregor
Tumbling Block quilt constructed over papers in the English method. Some papers are still inside the quilt including envelopes and stationery headers with dates '99 and 1898. The blocks are in a variety of silks and brocade fabrics, primarily black with rich purples and some pinks. There are stripes, tartans and small prints. The quilt has a border of 20cm hand made lace with a twisted cord between the quilt and lace. There is no padding and the backing is rust coloured cotton with a small black stripe. 1750 x 1550mm
Junee & District Historical Society
Pure silk hand sewn Tumbling Block quilt incorporating a great variety of silks in plains, florals and stripes. The backing is large rectangles of striped silks or polished cottons. It is hand quilted in a simple square cross hatch.
790 x 1470mm
Gundagai Historical Museum
Patchwork quilt made of diamond patches in the Tumbling Block pattern. Fabrics used are velvet, corduroy, brocade, crepe, with dark bright colours predominating, also cream and pastels. Each patch is lined or backed with various fabrics such as crepe or lining fabric. Hand and machine sewn.
2070 x 1500mm
National Trust of Australia (QLD)
Silk quilt in tumbling block pattern. Central panel of blocks arranged a different way. Backing is paisley cotton brought to the top and bound in place with 3 cm wide silk ribbon.
2707 x 2515mm
Rita Ruchel
Quilt of cotton diamond shaped pieces feather stitched together with the pieces slightly overlapping. There is no padding and the backing is a light white cotton
1900 x 1060mm
Upper Murray Historical Society
This patchwork quilt in the Tumbling Block pattern is hand sewn from silks. The quilt has a border of elongated hexagons outlined with black silk fabric, the gaps betweewn each black edged hexagon filled with a triangle. The edge of the patchwork has been tacked on to a white material backing. The papers behind each patch are old docket books from 'The Great Northern Railway'
.
1829 x 1220mm
Patchwork quilt top in Tumbling Block or Robbing Peter to pay Paul pattern, in printed cottons. No lining or backing.
2690 x 2640mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Unfinished patchwork quilt top of silks and velvets in 'Tumbling Block' arrangement of diamonds. There is no padding or backing. Template papers are still in place and have been cut from magazines and letters from Melbourne.
1420 x 1210mm
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
"A rectangular patchwork quilt made in the 'tumbling blocks' pattern using dark and lighter patterned silks. In 'tumbling blocks', one light, one medium and one dark toned diamond piece are joined to form a hexagonal shape. The hexagons are pieced with the different tones regularly oriented so that they create a three dimensional illusion of rows of cubes or blocks. The quilt is hand pieced throughout and bordered with a tobacco-coloured glazed chintz. The backing papers have been removed." [PHM]
There is no padding or backing.
3012 x 2002mm

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