Quilts
By type
By tag
By pattern shape
By origin
This utilitarian quilt has a top of mainly woollen used clothing randomly pieced in different sizes and shapes. It includes parts of a jumper, a pocket, a sleeve, the back of a coat, a trouser leg, a piece of 'railway issue' blanket. There are many layers and each layer is stitched together by hand. There is no difference between the padding and the top, it is all layers of pieces of clothes. The backing is an old cotton sheet.
1620 x 1300mm
1620 x 1300mm
Kangaroo skin cloak of seven gores is made from the skins of eight grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). The skins vary in size and shape, the inner five are roughly triangular. The extra skin has been used to make a collar.The two skins on the edge of the cloak are roughly rectangular. The cloak edges are untrimmed.
The skins are sewn together by means of a small hem which was turned back on to the fur, so stitches went through two layers of skin on each gore. The skins have been sewn together with thread, the older thread is natural coloured linen, then the resewn areas have been stitched with black thread. The skins are a creamy yellow in colour.
Longest part: 750mm approx.
[From S. Meagher MA Thesis 1973 'A Reconstruction of the Traditional Life of the Aborigines in the SW of Western Australia']
Cotton material, pink one side and orange the other. Hand quilting is in a geometric pattern in parallel lines. Padding is raw cotton. 2000 x 1460 mm
"�..quilt of silk hexagonal patches with a velvet panel as the centrepiece with petit point embroidery. The silk materials are a valuable source of textile history being very variable in weaves and patterns. The patchwork templates are still in situ and are of a ? linen gauze. The whole quilt is backed with mercerised cotton."
[Maggie Myers 21.5.1986]
2650 x 2330mm
[Maggie Myers 21.5.1986]
2650 x 2330mm
Wholecloth quilt mainly made from material with a green and yellow leaf pattern on a black background. This material was also used in another quilt. The backing has a large centre panel of checked material with panels either side of the leaf pattern from the top. The owner wrote that the uneven thickness of this quilt may indicate that old garments were used as 'batting' similar to her mother's (Matilda Pitt) quilts.
1520 x 850mm
1520 x 850mm
Quilt of [cotton], with geometric pattern of squares and triangles in primary colours. Tassels attached.
2320 x 1490mm
2320 x 1490mm
Patchwork quilt made of hexagonal patches of variously patterned cottion chintz. The fabrics are printed with floral, geometric and striped designs in brown, blue, pink and cream stitched together by hand in no fixed pattern. There is a cream cotton backing.
1940 x 1410mm
1940 x 1410mm
Patchwork quilt made from very large pieces of cotton material on one side, with a 100mm yellow border, and on the other side it is almost entirely blue flannelette.
1660 x 1400mm
1660 x 1400mm
" This quilt is in the Suffolk puff tradition. The quilt consists of 1,518 white plain weave 'puffs'. Unlike some quilts where the puffs have been made from blue bags, here they are from circles of fabric with the edge turned with a gather stitch, which has been pulled and secured. The quilt is entirely hand sewn. The edge of the quilt is decorated with a 35cm band of crochet; producing a net with scalloped edge. The crochet is executed in a thick cotton thread." [NGA] There is no padding or lining. 3230 x 2120mm
Quilt, in 2 parts, made from samples of different coloured velvets. It has 2 layers and is machine made. It became too heavy to sew on a domestic sewing machine so was constructed in two separate pieces. There is no padding.
2370 x 1550mm and 2230 x 800mm
2370 x 1550mm and 2230 x 800mm
Wagga, made from 2 jute bags split and hand-bound along the seams.
1870 x 1130mm
1870 x 1130mm
Quilt of cotton [pieces], machine and hand stitched, with black knitted [wool] insert.
1940 x 1000mm
1940 x 1000mm
Patchwork quilt. An old sheet was used as the base for the quilt then garments no longer suitable for wearing were stitched to the sheet. Then pieces of old tablecloths, curtains and dressmaking scraps were used to make the quilt top and back. Hand stitched and quilted with long stitches. It is a heavy quilt.
1600 x 1120mm
1600 x 1120mm
Patchwork quilt of hand sewn hexagons in a variety of print and plain cotton fabrics from 1950-1960. Colours are mainly pinks, blues, greens and yellow, with some red, and white. Quilt has a wide border of yellow poplin, which also forms the backing. No padding.
2280 x 1520mm
2280 x 1520mm
Wholecloth quilt of floral cretonne with ballerina design. Top and backing are the same material. The padding is old blankets. It is machine stitched. 1430 x 1170mm
The Wilmington Wagga' 1934. Wool and cotton. Hand and machine pieced. Machine quilted. The wagga is made of parts of several worn coats, carefully pieced together so that the linings are visible in places. One coat sleeve has a fur fabric trim and worn areas are patched.
1600 x 1200mm
1600 x 1200mm
Hand appliqued and quilted white cotton quilt with Hawaiian type design in pink. There is a scalloped border also in pink and the backing is fine pink cotton. The padding is 'Mountain Mist'.
2300 x 1600mm
2300 x 1600mm
Wholecloth quilt of cream cotton embroidered in lemon thread with names of teachers and students. No filling. Backing is of cream cotton.
1830 x 1250mm
1830 x 1250mm
Patchwork quilt made of fine pieces of silk from ballgowns and cut into small triangular pieces, sewn together to form a pinwheel pattern. Quilt has a wide border with a quilted feather motif and is edged with red silk.
No padding, backing is of cotton.
2500 x 2500mm
No padding, backing is of cotton.
2500 x 2500mm
This rug is made from brown kangaroo skins. 10 whole backs and 4 half backs stitched in a diamond pattern with 4 whole skins in the centre. Machine construction. The backing is red baize with 40mm scalloped edge showing.
1740 x 1270mm