Quilts

Travelling rug. Wool, cotton and velvet. Handsewn, partly filled with wool blanket and hessian. The top of this rug was originally a green crushed velvet overcoat. Various parts of the garment have been unstitched and spread out to form a flat surface.
2100 x 1050mm
Pieced hand sewn quilt of hexagons. All cotton. 4 Hexagons make up a diamond. Materials are scraps from family clothing. The background is caramel poplin and the backing is cream sheeting. The quilt is signed on the back (in satin stitch) "Isabel C.D.Portus 1974" and "Jean C.D.Portus 1976".
2580 x 1950mm
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 in a variation of the Log Cabin pattern, made of cotton fabrics in red and cream, set in alternate blocks. Backing is of quilted linen squares. Quilt is edged with cream cotton fringing, added at a later date.
2260 x 2000mm
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
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
Unfinished, hand stitched, polychromatic patchwork quilt in a tumbling block design. Constructed from silk fabrics and stitched with cotton yarns. Although crumpled and torn, the original paper squares are still in the back of the patchwork pieces. There is no padding. 1300 x 1300mm.
"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 in nine patch design. Thirty blocks, hand pieced in mixed cotton fabrics, solids, checks, flowers, stripes. Quilt is tied. Padding is Hobbs Heirloom (cotton 80%, polyester 20%); backing is cream muslin. 2100 x 1750 mm.
Patchwork quilt constructed of two panels, top and bottom, of squares in coloured fabrics with a single horizontal panel in the middle. Machine stitched. The backing is a black and white striped material similar to mattress ticking.
Single bed patchwork quilt made of rectangular or oblong patches in various colours in mainly floral patterns. Along each side and across the bottom of the quilt are strips of black piping 1" in width and approx. 1 foot in from the edge. The filling is old blankets, and the backing is blue cotton.
Patricia Galbraith
Fur fabric quilt made from scraps cut into squares and put together randomly. Colous are black, several greys, browns and some blacks and dark greys are astrakhan. There is no padding and the backing is a grey cotton bush blanket. The quilt is tied with buttons and wool.
1753 x 1251mm
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.
Migration Museum
Patchwork quilt in the Double Irish Chain pattern, made from deep pink and white cotton fabrics, with two borders, of pink then white, and bound with the dark pink. Cotton backing. Filling unknown. White squares appear to be outline quilted, white blocks between the chains have an intricate quilted star pattern, and the two borders are quilted with a single cable.
2500 x 2110mm
Machine sewn quilt made from 125mm squares of scraps left over from dressmaking joined in strips and then the strips joined. There is a border of fawn cotton and the backing is the same material. The padding is an old blanket and the border is padded with sheep's wool.
1400 x 925mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Cotton quilt of hexagonal pieces joined to form rosettes or 'flowers' in a pattern often called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden'. Hand pieced. Colours are mainly pink, brown, amethyst and cream. There is no padding and the backing has been added recently.
2140 x 1550mm
Quilt of three layers with matt insert and floral cover.
1300 x 680mm
Margaret-Anne M Thomas
Multi coloured square cotton pieces used to form a 'postage stamp' pattern. The squares are 25mm and the quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted. There is a thin edge of brown on all sides. There is no padding and the backing is joined pieces of floral cotton.
2330 x 2130mm
Verandah quilt. Floral and patterned cover encasing duck feathers. Silk organza conservation work reveals other materials.
1050 x 800mm

Pages