Quilts

"This patchwork is pieced from twelve contained panels of Crazy Patchwork. Each panel is formed of rich silks of various weaves and textures couched on to a calico ground, each patch overlaid to create interesting 'artistic' shapes and contrasts. The rug is backed with gold polished cotton and bordered in blue and green cotton to three edges, maroon to the fourth. Embroidery in several colours, but predominantly gold, is used to advantage in the variety of stitches which define the edges of the pieces, and occasionally on the patches themselves."
[Historic Houses Trust ' Sydney Quilt Stories' catalogue]
1880 x 1500mm
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.
Quilt of men's suitings. Machine stitched, red backing.
1800 x 1100mm
Utilitarian quilt with the top made from machine pieced different shaped patches of floral cottons. The backing is machine pieced patches of navy blue and grey serge, some darned, probably from men's/boy's pants. The padding is not visible but is very lumpy and very thick making the quilt very heavy.
1460 x 1300mm
Migration Museum
Crazy patchwork quilt of silk and cotton fabrics in velvets and brocades, with surface embroidery and appliqued motifs, and many seams embroidered, in a variety of stitches. Some metal thread embroidery. Centre patch has embroidered initials "F B". Quilt has been constructed from 30cm squares of crazy patwork which have been joined in bands and then stitched together in rows. Quilt has a border 12cm wide of red velvet. Backing (replaced backing) is of deep pink cotton, machine quilted. Hand and machine sewing.
1700 x 1430mm
Hand sewn frame quilt featuring appliqué. There is a centre square surrounded by two wide borders. The design consists of a large basket in each corner of the square with leaves and buds scattered at random. The 2 borders have flowers and leaves and the outer wide border has a small basket in each side. Colours are pale and strong pinks, blues shading to indigo, browns-beiges and dusty red. The centres of the flowers are all reverse appliqué. There are signs that there has been a backing but it is now one layer. 2700 x 2700 mm.
Quilt top. "Handsewn (edges machine sewn only). Quilt, poor, faded, torn. Red and white patches. Red star and white circle with 4 diamonds in centre. Red and white triangle pieces and plain border. No padding or backing."
[K.D.H.S. 19.2.1997]
2030 x 1941mm
Children's coverlet, has a floral covering with chenille layered insert with Italian black cloth.
Patchwork quilt made in Log Cabin blocks from silk velvet and grosgrain. The pattern variation is known as 'straight furrow'. No padding. The backing is made from cream silk with a floral monogram embroidered in satin and stem stitch, featuring the letter 'M'.
1620 x 1620mm
Wholecloth quilt of cotton material, pink one side and yellow the other. The padding is raw cotton. Hand quilted in an all over geometric pattern of parallel lines.
2000 x 1460mm
"A rectangular patchwork quilt made in the 'tumbling blocks' pattern using dark and lighter patterned silks. In 'tumbling blocks', one light, one medium and one dark toned diamond piece are joined to form a hexagonal shape. The hexagons are pieced with the different tones regularly oriented so that they create a three dimensional illusion of rows of cubes or blocks. The quilt is hand pieced throughout and bordered with a tobacco-coloured glazed chintz. The backing papers have been removed." [PHM]
There is no padding or backing.
3012 x 2002mm
Patchwork quilt made from darned cardigan sleeves in green, grey, cream and black [wool] stitched to a top layer with a blue wool running stitch. No padding. Backing is a green and cream bedspread.
"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
Patchwork quilt made from hexagon patches in cottons. No filling or padding. Backing is of green cotton.
2050 x 1600mm
"The front face of this quilt consists of panels of multicoloured prints pieced together into squares set between a grid of machine embroidered bands in yellow and maroon on white muslin. The fabrics are cotton and include a few early synthetics; all work is machined. The back is fully lined with yellow cotton flannelette, machined at the edge and 5cm in from the edge. The quilt is a wonderful showcase of the fabrics of the 20's and 30's." [NGA]
The quilt is not padded or quilted. 2370 x 2340mm
Animal skin rug made from squares of kangaroo skins placed in a diamond pattern, with a row of dark brown fur diamonds along one side. Original backing was red felt; there is some remaining along the egde of the rug. The rug was machine sewn. 1423 x 1169mm
Quilt in crazy patchwork, in velvet, silk and cotton, decorated on seams and patches with embroidery. Padded with flannelette, and backed with damask. Quilt has an olive green frill around the edge.
190 x 1500mm
California Rose applique in green and pink on cream background. The central block is set on point with the same decorative grape leaf and grapefruit design used as a border. The quilt is hand sewn and finely quilted. There is no padding and the backing is calico.
2450 x 210mm
Embroiderers' Guild Victoria
Hexagon shaped patchwork cover in an all over design based on very small hexagons in plain colours and prints. It is unfinished and there is no backing. Some of the materials have been dated to the 1830s and it is thought they came from old garments.
1600 x 1800mm
"�..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

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