Quilts

Helen Sparkman
Suffolk Puff quilt in a wide variety of cotton materials patterned and plain. There is no backing.
11900 x 1350mm
Wholecloth quilt made from dusty pink brocade with an all-over large leaf pattern. It is all hand stitched with quilting of parallel lines forming the border. Both sides are the same material. The padding is cotton wool.
2060 x 1770mm
"The quilt is made entirely from over 7300 hexagons cut from scrap materials, and is hand stitched throughout using the 'English' method of quilting. Scraps of plain unbleached calico were used for the background with the pattern pieces cut from plain and floral fabrics in shades of blue. The design is medallion style, with a large central diamond surrounded by two concentric diamond borders beyond which are scattered different sized hexagonal rosettes, all made from hexagon patches in the same size. The pattern patches were cut from the offcuts of dresses and dressing gowns made at a friend's factory and from another friend's dress material scraps." [PHM] There is no padding. The backing is 'Actil' unbleached sheeting dyed pale blue and attached with a blind stitch to the quilt top. A central rosette set within a large diamond of hexagons decorates the back and is stitched through to hold the 2 layers together.
2720 x 1880mm
Domestic Wagga, floral patterned rayon cover with jute lining.
2000 x 1000mm
White cotton quilt of gathered hexagons. Hand embroidered roses in the centre of each hexagon. It is quilted.
2395 x 2286mm
Wholecloth quilt with the top a patterned material of red and yellow carnations. The backing is red and there is a wide red border. The quilting pattern is mainly parallel lines. The padding is cotton grown by Maria's family on the island of Rhodes.
2040 x 1670mm
"Welsh wholecloth quilt - red on top and cream on back. Combination of traditional Welsh patterns including circles and diamonds. Quite large quilting stitches (due to thickness of quilt I think). Top (red cotton) just about worn away, and was cut in half by my grandfather in the 1950s to make it fit 2 single beds." [Anita Phillips]
The padding includes pieces of wool suiting, jumpers and a piece of mohair and the backing is cream cotton.
Each piece measures approx. 2000mm x 1000mm.
Double sided quilt, machine pieced from large rectangles of used clothing in various materials including wools and suitings. The sides are turned in and machined to make a firm edge. It is machine quilted. The padding is 3 old sheets and a blanket.
1370 x 1040mm
The top of this quilt is made from men's suiting samples and the backing is cream cotton. It is machine stitched. There is no padding and no quilting.
2160 x 1550mm
National Parks & Wildlife Service of SA
Patchwork quilt of square and lozenge patches of silk, taffeta and ribbed silk patches in purples, greens, blues and reds, and pastels, in brocades, stripes, checks and plains. The block pattern is four lozenge patches around a centre square patch. A group of these patches in the dark bright colours form a central diamond, with pastel groups around. The darker colours are used to form the border of 'square' patches. Hand sewn, machine quilted. Backing of [silk], padding is cotton.
2450 x 2100mm
National Parks & Wildlife Service of SA
Child's cot quilt of crazy patchwork, with patches of velvet, silk brocade and satin, all seams embroidered with feather stitch in different coloured threads. There is a wide border of peach-brown velvet. Backing is a floral cotton. Has been in poor condition, conserved by Artlab SA.
1490 x 1000mm
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
"All handsewn. Quilt in fragile condition. Hexagonal patches in blocks of 19 patches & joined together with diamond and triangle patches. All patches recycled cotton material. The centre patch is one material, the 6 patches around are another material and the surrounding 12 are white sheeting. The diamonds and triangles are pale blue. No padding. Cotton sheeting backing. Patches sewn onto a ? old cotton ? damask weave tablecloth or bedspread. This is woven in strips. The backing sewn on."
[K.D.H.S.1997] 2500 x 2450mm
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
Quilt made from patchworked curtain materials, machine stitched and patched at a later date by hand.
1700 x 1600mm
Quilt made of squares of calico joined together. These have embroidered signatures of army personnel and names of battles zones, from World War I. It is lined with muslin.
2000 x 1500mm
Quilt. White linen, autographed, hand embroidered with names of early Methodist Ministers and parishioners' names in white embroidery cottons.
Double bed size quilt, which the owner calls 'Devon Puffs', with main pattern in centre. 2100 x 1800mm.
Wholecloth quilt with replacement cover (1958) of green damask type synthetic sateen. The padding is 2 old blankets with staples of cross bred wool hand tacked to one blanket.
1400 x 1210mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Quilt in patchwork and applique. Patchwork is in an all over pattern based mainly on triangles in floral and plain cottons. The centre and the inner border are appliqued. It is not quilted. There is no padding and the backing is calico. It is believed to be an 1840 - 1860 design.
2800 x 1500mm

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