The quilt is constructed in the popular hexagon pattern of silk off-cuts of an earlier period. Hexagon patchwork quilts were typically constructed of individual hexagons, which were formed using paper or card templates. Where these are visible, it would indicate that writing paper was used to form the templates. The quilt is unlined and has

Hexagon quilt constructed over papers; all seams oversewn with featherstitch embroidery. The materials are vyella* and clydella** scraps from childhood dresses of the maker’s first four children, augmented with scraps from the dressmaker and a book of samples. There is no wadding. The backing is plain, pale blue, brushed cotton. The quilt is in good

Patchwork quilt of hexagons in pattern known as ‘Grandmother’s flower garden’. All cotton. Rosettes are set in a white ‘path’ with the centre and first ring in solid colours and the second ring prints. There is a yellow border and an outer border in pink. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. The padding is

52 hexagons representing one for each week of the year. All blocks 9” diam. Each block is appliqued then backed with another wool hexagon, forming an edge around the appliqued block. The blocks are all hand sewn, no machine work anywhere, and the blocks are put together using a herringbone stitch and using pearl threads.

The coverlet consists of small hexagons stitched together in a manner similar to the construction of a yo-yo (Suffolk Puffs) quilt. The maker whipstitched the hexagons together at 2 points. In one instance the hexagons are stitched together on a straight edge and in the other instance at the points. The maker’s intention was clear

The quilts have been in constant use since finished. “I collected dress material scraps for years & quilts have pieces of first frock made for myself when 14 years old. Started handsewing hexagons after buying “Introduction to Patchwork” by Elizabeth McCosh, & “Patchwork Quilts” by Averil Colby followed – books I still have. Still enjoy

Bundidjarie’ is now demolished, replaced by a motel. “My father Gordon Sides, an engineer, meticulously cut all the hexagons for my mother. My mother, maiden name ‘ISER’, was the fifth child the youngest of German parents who came to Bendigo in the early 1870s from Hamburg.”

Betty Searle “Born in Yackandandah & lived nmost of her life there. The maker was left the job of bringing up 5 girls who had lost their mother. Betty was a good sewer & made all their clothes in the 1930s. She lived in retirement in a Stone Cottage in Yackandandah & spent every Sunday

“Sophia Mary Wilbow nee Payton (Australia 1829-1924, who was born in Pitt Town near Windsor, made this quilt. Sophia married Thomas Mitchell Wilbow in 1846 and spent most of her life in the Hawkesbury River district where her husband was a farmer and hotelkeeper. She had fourteen children and made a patchwork quilt for each

“Donor’s family emigrated from Cornwall England in 1910. Quilt was made by her mother prior to emigration. Maker later became a domestic science teacher. Family lived in Brisbane, Queensland from 1910 for 30 years before moving to Melbourne – donor brought quilt with her. According to the donor, the quilt ‘had many years hard wear’.”

“The hexagons are all of my childhood clothes, school uniforms, glory box clothes, wedding dress and bridesmaid dress, school sewing fabric, Mum’s aprons, brother’s shirts, my and sister’s dresses.”

“The quilt has the unusual feature of having been used to record the initials and dates of members of the Chester family, ie ‘W.C. Died Jan 15 1838’ and ‘A.J.C. Born July 24 1862’. Legend has it that the central patch, which is a deep pink shade, and shows the Prince of Wales feathers motif,

Doris Channells made this quilt/cover from pieces of old clothes including dresses and her husband’s old shirts when they were worn out. She was the grand-daughter of David Jones’ first tailor, James Conniff, who was brought to Australia to work in D.J’s first shop in George street.

“I was given some black and white striped material & wondered what I could do with it. I had only then taken an interest in some kind of needlework, after our children had grown up. I used the above material, it became the main part of the quilt, with lovely pieces from friends it became

“It was not unusual for the European sailors of previous centuries to engage in the art of quilting. They needed to be able to sew in order to mend their sails, and quilting was a way of passing time while developing their sewing technique. Most sailors were talented needle people, as the fine stitches and

“Both quilts were bought when living in the USA in the 1960s. Until that period I had not heard about quilts. Many friends showed me their quilts which had been handed down for generations or were made specifically for the individual. The majority had the maker and the date sewn on the quilt, in some

Babs Taylor migrated to Australia from England after the war. She died in the late 1970s.