Quilts

Santa Maltese
A 'foot' quilt, "copri piedi" used on the bed. Pink satin top and blue satin backing. The pink top is hand embroidered in a trellis pattern in shadow stitch and within each section there are hand embroidered sprigs of flowers in silk threads. The whole top is elaborately quilted. The silk cord binding is twisted into four decorative loops at each corner. There is a thick padding of cotton grown locally in Sicily.
1260 x 650mm
June Brown
Rectangular cot quilt of green floral cretonne with pleated frill. Machine made. The backing is the same material. It is tied not quilted. The padding is old woollen jumpers.
1050 x 610mm
National Gallery of Australia
" A coverlet of 7 pieces of cream muslin. The edges of the work are secured at the top and sides with bands of green and floral strips. The lower edge has been turned and hemmed. The 'quilt' is highly decorated with bands and diamonds of appliqué fabric. The upper centre field is appliquéd with images depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden surrounded by trees and a variety of animals and insects. In the centre is a smaller appliquéd image of the manger with mangel and cows. The quilt is not signed or dated, but each of the imaged areas is accompanied by a descriptive text. The writing is executed in black chain stitch. Beads and sequins have been used to depict the eyes of some of the animals in the Garden of Eden. As with all of Mary Jane Hannaford's quilts all work is hand sewn and quite crude and coarse in execution. The quilt is not padded or lined." [NGA] 1810 x 1590mm
N.S.W. Parks and Wildlife Service
Double sided square quilt mainly in cottons. Side 1 has been made in 4 squares each consisting of different sized strips and rectangles. With side 2 there appears to have been 2 stages as if the quilt was extended perhaps to match side 1. It is also squares, rectangles and strips. Sparsley machine quilted. There is no binding but side 2 has been turned over to side 1 and stitched by machine.
1525 x 1525mm
Muriel Thompson
Hexagon quilt in pattern known as 'Grandmother's flower garden'. Hexagons of prints and plains with yellow centre to each flower, and plain pink outlines. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. Padding is cotton, backing is cream cotton. 2200 x 2000 mm.
Heather Roobol
Patchwork quilt has three centre squares, one in blue/white/brown in a cross pattern, one in framed square, one with diagonal strips in a pink frame. The rest of the quilt is made from strips of rectangles in different sizes sewn in rows. There is a narrow pieced frame, then an outer border of pieced rectangles. Mostly pastel colours. No padding. Backing is calico. There is a little embroidery.
2160 x 1601mm
Alicia Murdoch
Cotton quilt with central frame and radiating borders mainly in squares in pinks and blues, printed materials and plain. The padding is cotton wool and the backing is off white cotton.
2040 x 1800mm
Angela Smith
Durham quilt made of cotton sateen, mainly gold on one side and yellow green on the other. Top, pillow fold, has been removed. The straight sides have tiny pin stripe added border. The quilting pattern is large tree of life (palm like), swags and cable on top and bottom border. Fill in is slightly elongated diamonds. 1880 x 1520mm
Art Gallery of South Australia
Patchwork quilt made of hexagons in cottons in a variety of prints. The patches are arranged in the 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, with dark patches around a light centre patch. The 'paths' are cream cotton. The border is made from diamond shapes placed alternately vertical and horizontal, between two edges of red striped fabric, with mitred corners.
No padding. Backing is red cotton, embroidered 'M.A. Wilson 1863'. Handsewn.
2500 x 2170mm
Name withheld
Wallaby skin rug backed with checked cotton material. 1220 x 610mm
The Queensland Women's Historical Assoc.
Frame quilt in cotton with cotton backing. Centre square of floral chintz surrounded by 8 smaller squares with floral and probably Egyptian motifs. 4 surrounding frames of plain and patterned cotton in squares, diamonds and strips. Hand stitched and hand quilted. Has been used as a curtain and has metal rings attached to one edge.
3759 x 2286mm
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Unfinished patchwork top made from hexagon patches in the 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' pattern, in glazed and unglazed cottons and some twill fabrics. 7 patches for flowers with white and some cream patches forming paths. All fabrics are patterned and date from c.1825-1840, including pieces of toile de jouy, stripes and florals. Colours are predominantly reds and blues with some green, brown, purple; one flower is in chrome yellow, 8 flowers are in turkey red indicating probably the latest fabric. The quilt is hand sewn and the papers are in tact in most patches.
1508 x 940mm
Lesley Stocker
Suffolk puff quilt with puffs in a variety of fabrics. Very little cotton. Fabrics are satin, polyester, organza, wool (now moth eaten), rayon and silk. There is no padding or backing. 2450 x 2100mm
National Gallery of Australia
"A medallion or framed quilt in design. There is a central field of small patchwork diamonds, and from this radiates plain stripes of fabric bordering areas of patchwork panels. The edge of the quilt carries bands of red cotton, which are slightly larger at the top and bottom edges, and here the band is additionally decorated with appliqué diamonds. The fabric of the patchwork is cotton in fine plain weave of pale coloured florals and small geometric designs. The framing and border stripes are of bright red twill weave cotton. The small diamonds of the central field are hand sewn, with more use of machine stitching around the outer edge of the quilt.
The quilt is not padded. The patchwork is fully lined with a printed plain weave cotton fabric with a design commemorating Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The design is based on a repeated grid of circles. In the centre of each circle is a cameo of Queen Victoria, surrounded by images of the national flowers of England, Scotland and Ireland: the rose, the thistle and the shamrock. The edge of the front face of the quilt is trimmed with a red and white cotton braid." [NGA] 2380 x 2220mm
Elsie Shephard
Double sided patchwork quilt/rug constructed from squares machined together in strips and then the strips joined. The squares average about 27cms. The materials are mainly woollens, fleck tweed, school jumpers, gren check, and chenille and all are from used clothing.
1800 x 1170mm
Julie Pearce
Rectangular quilt of print and plain cottons pieced in squares and rectangles, the centre group of pieces surround a larger piece of pale blue fabric, within a frame or border, of bright pink material, then 3 rows of squares and rectangles. Backing of plain fabric. Machine stitched on a treadle machine.
National Trust of Australia (SA)
Patchwork frame quilt made from cotton prints. Quilt centre has four pieced squares set within a star shaped border of square patches, set within a square frame (74cm square) edged with half triangles, then set within a red frame (114cm x 114 cm), diamond shaped or 'on point'. In the 4 triangles are double diamond shapes, then a wide border of squares and 'square within a square' patches with red triangles. Red binding. Padding is probably wool. Backing is a cotton print in browns in a floral paisley. All over quilting. Handsewn.
1880 x 1850mm
Mrs Joan McGregor
Large and small pieces, mainly rectangles and mainly cottons, machine sewn. One side has replacement materials in red check, brown, tan, blue and pink materials. The padding is an old woollen blanket.
1950 x 1327mm
Cobram Shire Historical Society
Patchwork quilt in Log Cabin pattern, arranged in 'furrows', and made from cottons, wool and suiting fabrics. Centres of blocks are pastel or dark; dark colours are black, brown, purple blue and red. Pastel side of blocks includes a bright pink. Quilt backing is pieced, with a centre rectangle of cotton surrounded by 5 borders of plain and alternate rectangular pieced strips, in wool and suiting fabrics. Colours are black, dark blue, brown, green, grey and pastels. Inner lining is of cotton pieces, to which the Log Cabin blocks have been machined.
1620 x 1360mm
Guna Naoumidis
Wholecloth quilt made of gold satin with a backing of beige coloured cotton. The padding is wool. The quilting pattern is an all over diamond pattern, framed in a border of straight and wavy parallel lines. It is hand quilted.
2000 x 1820mm

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