Quilt No.424AM - Alys Mercer
2019 x 1144mm
The maker was Elizabeth Hart (born Schunke) 1862-1947 while living on a farm at Yalangor north of Toowoomba. It was made in 1933 and passed by maternal descent to L. Bach and then to Alys Mercer (born Hart) Elizabeth's grand- daughter. It is not used now.
"As mentioned, this quilt was entirely hand made. My grand parents had settled here on the Darling Downs in 1902, previously having lived in South Australia. They still had the Adelaide Chronicle sent weekly and this is where my grandmother obtained the wild flower designs, getting a different one each week as they were published. There was no electricity on the farm so this would have been worked with the aid of a kerosene lamp. Daylight hours were certainly not used for such frivolities as fancy work and not a stitch would be sewn on Sunday."
[Barbara Bullock 24.11.97]
Related Quilts:
The coverlet is decorated with rows of pieced work surrounding appliquéd and embroidered scenes. A panel down the LHS of the quilt and a smaller panel lower RHS depict animals and floral images. In the centre RHS an elderly couple sit beneath a tree. In the upper left a bride and groom accompanied by three flower girls are showered with petals from a wicker basket carried by a very large angel. Glass beads, sequins and a button have been used to highlight the appliqué and embroidery.
As with all of Mary Jane Hannaford's quilts, the work is stitched by hand and quite crudely, but the naivety of the images is overwhelming with their charm." [NGA] The quilt is not padded or lined. 1950 x 1690mm
1730 x 1700mm
1270 x 950mm