Quilts

Utilitarian quilt made from roughly square patches of tailors' samples and men's suitings. The backing is calico and a border has been formed by turning the top under. The padding is ticking and pieced reused clothing.
2000 x 1400mm
Migration Museum
Patchwork quilt in the Double Irish Chain pattern, made from cotton fabrics in white and a brown print (possibly green originally), with a wide border of cream fabric. The border is quilted with a four cable pattern, and the main part is cross hatch quilted , in a diamond pattern. Backing of cotton. Hand sewn and quilted. Padding unknown.
1970 x 1740mm
Wholecloth utilitarian quilt with velour type material top and cottage weave curtain material on the back. The padding is a 'bush blanket'. The quilt has been tufted with green wool. Machine sewn.
1626 x 1093mm
Josie Pappalardo
Wholecloth quilt of cotton sateen. Pink one side and red the other. Elaborate all over quilting pattern with the quilting thread tightly twisted thickish cotton and quilted at 3 stitches to the inch. A piece of the quilt has been cut off at some stage. The padding is kapok.
2337 x 1499mm
Patchwork quilt made of gathered circles stitched into a square shape. Made of scraps of fabrics from the depression period. The maker called the shapes 'squirkles'. No padding. Quilt is lined.
2100 x 1400mm
The quilt is made from pure silk scraps from Queen Victoria's dresses. The owner estimates there are about 4000 diamond shapes. There is a square of yellow silk as a centrepiece with the initial 'W' on it.
2033 x 1829mm
Kangaroo skin rug with pelts arranged so that the largest and palest are in the centre and the smaller towards the outside. There are 34 large pelts and 31 half pelts, all rectangular. The backing is maroon felt, scalloped and pinked. 1850 a 1600mm
"This coverlet is of white cheesecloth, decorated with bands of appliquéd patchwork, figures and poetry. The sides carry vertical bands and down the left hand side these are interspersed with small diamonds. Down the centre are several panels of appliquéd images. Animated and floral motifs decorate the top and lower two panels. The upper central panel has a family image: dad with cane, mum with parasol, followed by two daughters, the larger one carrying a small baby. A poem 'A Last Day' is inscribed in the lower LHS�.."Each day is a test day And may decide My fate for aye Beyond deaths tide."
Primarily cotton fabrics have been used for the appliqué work. The embroidery of the inscription is in black wool. All stitching is by hand and quite crudely executed��In addition to the embroidery, there are tassels. Sequins and ribbon embroidery used to decorate the illustrated sections." [NGA]
Quilt made from suitings and cloth patchwork, hand stitched with blanket insert and pieces of knitting from garments.
1900 x 1190mm
"The quilt is of plain weave white cotton, quilted with white cotton thread. The design is 288 squares following the log cabin design. The lining is a fine white cotton.
The edges of the front face and the lining have been turned, and positioned within this seam is a ruffle. This ruffle is of very fine muslin with 2 rows of pin tucks along the edge. The ruffle runs along all edges of the quilt." [NGA] The quilt is not padded and is lined with white cotton fabric. 2400 x 2140mm
The Adelaide Chronicle 'International Quilt'. Squares of fawn cotton with alternate squares embroidered with scenes from different countries using coloured threads in a variety of stitches. The alternate squares have a pattern of feathered circle and this is back stitched in beige embroidery thread. The backing is turquoise cotton blend attached to the quilt with pale blue herringbone stitch. The quilt is padded.
2430 x 1440mm
The Pioneer Women's Hut
The top is a wholecloth, coarse, bluish cotton, furnishing weight material, probably part of a curtain. The backing is half the same material and half is part of a brown travelling rug. The padding is 2 heavy pieces of coarse jute bag roughly sewn together with twine.
1600 x 1360mm
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
"A double bedspread composed of Suffolk puffs of fine white cotton, each puff measuring 50mm in diameter. The puffs are hand stitched together, with crochet worked in the spaces in between. A deep frill of white cotton has been added to three sides of the quilt. Two matching pillow shams have been made from 30mm puffs; each sham is edged with a generous bias cut cotton frill on all four sides." [PHM]
2770 x 2560mm
Cot quilt with both sides of faded blue cotton sateen with pale brown moire effect lines. Piped edges. Machine quilted to form two borders around a central rectangular panel, which has a simple but decorative stitched design with six points, at each of which is a small eyelet, finished with cream thread. The padding is feathers.
Tailors' samples quilt. Random sized rectangles joined in rows. There is a 3cm wide pleated frill of navy woollen material. The padding (synthetic) and the backing (green and white striped cotton) are recent. 1900 x 1850mm.
Quilt, Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern, has hexagon flowers with plain centres and floral material for 'petals', and paths of mid to dark blue. Cotton fabric. No padding. Backing is of unbleached calico.
Quilt of three layers with matt insert and floral cover.
1300 x 680mm
Julie Bos
All over pattern of cotton rectangles mainly in borders with the outer border grey cotton. There is no padding. The backing is wholecloth of pink and red printed cotton.
1200 x 1290mm
The quilt is made from dark coloured tailors' samples. There is no padding and the backing is pieced scraps of cotton.
1950 x 1650 mm

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