Utilitarian Quilts

Rosemary Blake
Single bed quilt made from sugar bags stitched together covered with a ticking type fabric. This inner layer is then covered with muslin, dyed yellow. It is similar in construction to 80RB but much lighter as the sugar bags are lighter than the heavy jute potato bags.
1520 x 990 mm
Mary Robertson
Domestic Wagga made from 3 bags joined (the bags feel lighter than the jute wheat or flour bags) and covered back and front with floral cotton featuring large roses in red and oranges. The cover is machined.
1750 x 840mm
Kaniva District Historical Society
Wholecloth cot quilt of pink silk with an overall paisley pattern in grey and black. Pink-purple fringe along one edge.
1677 x 1677mm
Annette Gero,
Wholecloth quilt originally covered with cretonne and recovered with orange satin. Machine quilted. Padding of wool.
1270 x 1160mm
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Wholecloth cot quilt, reversible, both sides pale pink rayon printed with small bunches of pink roses, blue flowers and green leaves. Outside edge is machine sewn except for opening for filling which is slip stitched. Quilted by hand with large stitches in pink thread along width and length of quilt. The padding is wool.
815 x 570mm
Denise Frahn
Wholecloth quilt, machine sewn, made from cotton chintz with a pale green background and a floral pattern of bunches of pink roses and blue flowers, reversible. The centre is stitched in a diamond pattern with two outside borders, then filled with feathers, using a broom handle to force the feathers through. Cover made from 36" fabric, the pattern matched exactly. Excellent condition. Feather filling was collected by the makers from backyard poultry, geese, ducks, fowls. Called an eiderdown.
1830 x 1480mm
Muriel Hartmann
Domestic Wagga made from sugar bags joined together and covered with army blankets. Machine construction. Patching evident. Sugar miller's brand visible on one bag: " M--AQUIN, 70lbs, --- SUGAR, BUNDABERG"
1753 X 1347mm
Heather Leonard
This 'Quilt' is made from an army great coat from the second world war. The seams have been unpicked and pieced together by machine zig-zagging the flat edges (with Singer treadle sewing machine). The pocket slits are turned back and seamed rather than being pared off. The outside edges are turned over and blanket stitched in red. It does not have a backing.
1620 x 1180mm
Agnes Pratten
Wholecloth quilt covered front and back with the least worn parts of old curtains. The padding is a carded wool sheet from Ipswich Woollen Mills placed between layers of cheesecloth.
1800 x 1225mm
E Shuttle
Wholecloth quilt made from orange cotton cretonne for back and front. Padding is made from old blankets stitched together. The quilt weighs 16 lb.
1423 x 1118mm
Margaret Lyons
Padding for a utilitarian quilt that originally had a wholecloth cover. The padding is up to 3 layers of woollen scraps and pieces of used clothing, including hand knitting. White cotton tacking and overcast stitches hold all layers in place. The backing is a cream wool blanket with woven stripes.
1580 x 1200mm
Agnes Pratten
Thick padding for a wholecloth quilt constructed from pieces of old woollen clothing. The backing is a calico sheet. Originally had a cretonne cover.
Nancy Stinson
The padding consists of layers of pieced used clothing including; part of machine knitted child's wool dress (Nancy had this when she was 3 or 4); part of father's cardigan; parts of 'neck to knee' bathers in light green and dark green wool. The padding is all hand pieced and machined around the edge. There have been 2 wholecloth cotton covers to this quilt. It is one of a pair.
1870 x 1020mm
Muriel Hartmann
Old jute wool pack opened out and joined together selvedge to selvedge. Ends bound with recycled curtain material.
1550 x 1321mm
Ida Blenkiron
Wholecloth quilt made from turquoise and red plaid brushed cotton, with a filling of a marcella bedspread with cut up pieces of knitted and crocheted garments stitched on top by hand and machine. Garment pieces are pink, red, yellow, black and pastels. Sleeves, collar and pockets can be clearly seen. Backing is an old blanket.
Yvonne Renfree
One side of this wholcloth quilt is a single piece of cretonne or similar with a pattern of autumn leaves. The other side is patched pieces of curtaining. The padding is old clothing, mainly knits, tacked to random pieces of curtain material. The quilt is tacked together to hold all the padding in and machine stitched to the backing.
1850 x 1100mm
Joan Bradford
Utility quilt with wholecloth top and backing of twill upholstery material. Machine construction. Padding is 2 layers of wool blanket. Stitched through all 4 layers.
1474 x 1093mm
West Tamar Historical Committee
Wholecloth quilt with both sides of floral cotton. The padding is thought to be hessian bags.
2060 x 1300mm
Ida Blenkiron
Wholecloth cot quilt of floral cotton in a pattern of pink roses, green leaves, and blue ribbons. Paddiong is old blanketing, and backing is a soft fawn twill. The cotton was the same fabric as the bedroom curtains. No quilting.
1010 x 840mm
Verna Doak
Cot quilt made in rows of crochet in treble clusters. Backed with blue cotton fabric. Backing replaced with another backing of blue fabric in 1970. Colours of rows are green,yellow, blue, pink and red.

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