Woollen Wagga

History

I found this wagga at a local op-shop in Brunswick, Victoria in 2014. I paid $12.00 for it. Its age is unknown but possibly made during the 1950s.

[Janette McInnes, June 2018]

Description

The wagga is a simple design consisting of forty-eight 20 cm squares stitched together in rows of squares 6 x 8. It is made of wool and a good variety of fabrics were available to the maker. There is no batting in the wagga. Its overall condition is very good although there are a few little moth holes in one or two squares.

The fabrics consist of tartan, check, plaid, plain, wool crepe, tweed and one block with a metallic thread in it. One of the fabrics is a machine knitted fabric. A red middy braid* has been machine top stitched directly over the vertical seams before the backing was attached. The wagga is lovely with a good amount of bright colours to offset the neutral tones. The colours include red, green, grey, beige, brown and terracotta.

The backing is a good quality plain grey wool, possibly a wool flannel. First thoughts were that it may have been an army blanket however I think it is too light weight for that. The colour is similar however. The backing is folded to the front to create a border and to finish the quilt. It is machine top stitched in place. The corners are neatly folded on the mitre and machine top stitched to finish.

*Middy braid is a narrow braid used for decorative effects on clothing and decorative arts and was usually made from Rayon.

1650 x 1250 mm