History
Mrs. Marjorie Campbell (c. 1895-1967) of Victoria bequeathed this quilt to a member of her family. Marjorie may have been a descendant of one of the artists. In 1998 the Canberra Quilters Inc. purchased it from a close relative of Marjorie Campbell. In the same year, the Canberra Quilters Inc. donated the quilt to the National Gallery of Australia in memory of Jim Logan, the former Curator of Australian Decorative Arts. There is little information about the fabrication of this quilt. It is remarkable for its use of fabrics that are contemporary to the Rajah quilt and the wonderful use of a rather wild chinoiserie lining reflects the fashion of the times. The stitching indicates two makers of differing skill, which implies that the fabric may have been brought out from England and cut out by one generation, then sewn and finished by the next. [NGA]
Description
"This is not a true quilt but a pieced coverlet with a lining. The entire front face of the quilt is of pieced hexagonal and part hexagonal printed cotton patches. Pieces are joined with hand sewn over casting stitches of many different coloured cotton threads. The joining of the patches forms a 'daisy' pattern in some areas and in others it is random. The edge of the front face of the quilt carries a 40mm strip of cotton Chinoiserie which is then folded to the reverse of the quilt and becomes part of the lining. The template for the hexagon patches remains in many of the patches: writing paper and news print. The work is not padded. The lining at the edge of the quilt (for approximately 175mm) is a plain weave fabric of a Chinoiserie design. The centre field of the lining is a rectangular panel of a twill weave brushed cotton fabric with a striped floral design." [NGA]
2215 x 2070mm
