Wholecloth Quilts

"This is a coverlet of pale blue cotton muslin, highly decorated with appliquéd pieced bands, figures, and embroidery. The edge of the quilt is finished with bands of yellow, white and green cotton attached with ladder stitch.
Down the centre field of the design and 4 poems embroidered in quite crude chain stitch. Each piece of prose is accompanied by an appliquéd illustration. For example a large clock accompanies a poem of time. 'While shepherds watch their flocks at night�.'is illustrated with a beautiful scene of the manger watched by an angel, cows and sheep. The appliqué and embroidery is executed crudely with large stitches in running and overcasting. The quilt is signed, 'M.J.H. aged 84 yrs.1924.' " [NGA] There is no padding or lining. 1640 x 1540mm

Wholecloth Durham quilt of white cotton sateen front and backing. Handsewn. Padding is wool. Quilting patterns include a centre of 8 petalled flower within a double circle with radiating palmettes on a cross hatched background and borders of leaves and branches.
2330 x 19400mm

Wholecloth quilt made of deep cherry red satin with a cotton backing of a lighter red colour. The padding is wool. The quilting pattern comprises twelve squares, each approximately 350mm with a four leaf pattern in each. The border is straight and wavy parallel lines.
2000 x 1820mm

Wholecloth quilt originally covered with cretonne and recovered with orange satin. Machine quilted. Padding of wool.
1270 x 1160mm

Both sides of this wholecloth quilt are made from different floral cottons with a third pattern used to form borders. It is hand stitched and the quilting pattern is squares. The padding is raw cotton.
1740 x 1240mm

Wholecloth quilt made of deep cherry red satin with backing of sky blue satin. The padding is cotton wadding. It is hand quilted and the pattern is an all over one of four leafed clovers with a border of crescent shapes within straight parallel lines.
2000 x 1700mm

" The quilt is a patchwork of red cotton fabric. Each piece is decorated with embroidery in thick white cotton thread and with cotton appliqué. The edge of the quilt is decorated with a red cotton unlined border strip decorated with cutwork daisies, producing a scalloped edge. The images and inscriptions carried on each of the pieces of various sizes are a time capsule to notions and everyday life at the turn of the century.
In the centre is Queen Victoria surrounded by a garland of floral emblem of the Empire. (This square is dated 1901) Other squares carry scenes of daily life, farm animals and mottoes. "When a woman throws herself at a man head she seldom hit the mark." There are several spelling errors within the inscriptions. The latest dated piece is 'Dec 1903'. The embroidery is quite crude and large, and shows the work of two hands." [NGA]
The quilt is not padded. It is lined with pink cotton flannelette. 2230 x 1910mm

Wholecloth silk Welsh quilt. "The overall design containing the border, the central motif and corner motifs within lines of quilting is also typically Welsh. The bent leaf and leaf motifs used as mirror image pairs between the tulips in the outer border and inner border help to distinguish this Welsh quilt from those made in other parts of Britain. The scroll patterns contained within the inner border also help to establish this as a Welsh quilt." [Extract from unidentified magazine article supplied by the quilt owner.] 2560 x 2240 mm

Wholecloth utility quilt, the top made of good quality cotton printed with posies of pink, blue and green flowers and leaves, the backing of plain cream cretonne, with a flap of plain cretonne, coming over the top side. Padding is made from blanket and jumper pieces stitched to a blanket base. Cretonne has signs of wear, and the cream backing has some staining. Top and backing machine sewn.
1840 x 1220mm