Silk Hexagon Quilt

History

The quilt was made by the aunt of Mrs Sarah Edith Hode, the grandmother of Laura Harrison. The aunt was a milliner to Queen Victoria's court. The tradition was to hand the quilt down to the eldest daughter, but in the last generation, it came to the younger daughter. Donated to Kalamunda & District Historical Society Inc. WA by the owner Mrs Laura Harrison.

"The quilt was sent out to Western Australia in 1912 to Mrs Sarah Edith Hode (nee Horne), Mrs Trainer's grandmother. Mrs Hode was given the quilt by her aunt who had made it and was a milliner to Queen Victoria's court. She had made the quilt out of remnants of ladies of the court's dresses. The velvet embroidered centrepiece was a piece left over from the making of the coronation footstool thus dating the quilt to around 1837. The quilt had traditionally been handed down to the eldest daughter in the family but in the last case was given to Mrs Harrison, the younger daughter. The family remember the quilt being stored in a blue pillowcase and being brought [out] on very special occasions." Information received from Mrs Elizabeth Trainer, the sister of the donor Mrs Laura Harrison on 12 August 1985.

[Maggie Myers 21 May 1986 for Kalamunda & District Historical Society Inc. WA]

Description

"…..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 [possibly] of a [type of] linen gauze. The whole quilt is backed with mercerised cotton."

[Maggie Myers 21 May 1986]

2650 x 2330 mm