Signature Quilt Alert - Pambula, NSW

Historically, signature quilts in Australia were primarily fund raising quilts. Red embroidered signatures on white backgrounds was a standard layout around the world to raise funds during WWI.  The Red Cross provided guidelines to organise such a quilt but they were made by many community groups.

Romsey Quilt - Red Cross Collection, Victoria

Cheltenham State School - Red Cross Collection, Victoria

Not a lot of these Australian quilts are still in existence.  There seems to be less than two dozen documented quilts but they are not often on display.

Recently I discovered a reference to another one of these Red Cross quilts.  This newspaper article was first published in the Pambula (New South Wales) 'Voice' on 26th March 1937, and then appeared in the Delegate (New South Wales) 'Argus' on 1st April 1937.

Historic Quilt

Presented to Hospital

At last Saturday night's Red Cross meeting, the president (Mrs. D. V. Hart) handed to Mrs. C. A. Woollard (secretary of Pambula Hospital Auxiliary) a quilt of historic interest. It appears that, away back in the early days of the war, the late Mrs. J. W. Haywood, then president of the local Red Cross and a foremost patriotic worker, suggested the idea of raising funds by working names of soldiers, local people and visitors on a quilt at a charge of 1/- (one shilling) each. The intention, Mrs Woollard stated, on Saturday, was to present the finished article to the hospital for the use of returned soldier patients from time to time. Scores of names were duly worked on the quilt by local ladies, and many memories of other days and people who have left the district were revived by a look at the finished article on Saturday night. Among them we noticed the names of Professor Peden and the late Sir Austin Chapman, once Federal member for the electorate. Mr. Graham, Red Cross Commissioner, suggested that as the quilt was an article of great sentimental value is should be placed in a glass case and kept at the hospital entrance as a memento, but it was decided to observe the original intention. Mrs. Hart therefore made the presentation, and Mrs. Woollard suitably acknowledged it on behalf of the auxiliary.

What a great story - but so many questions!  If the quilt was started in 'the early days of the war', say 1915, why was it being presented in 1937?  Did it take 22 years to make, or was it waiting for Mrs. D. V. Hart to finish the quilting? How long did the quilt last in a hospital laundry? And what is the likelihood that it still exists?

I haven't found any other references to this quilt.  Both Professor Peden and Sir Austin Chapman had very productive and interesting lives. Pambula is a lovely place for summer holidays, next time I am there I will look for some answers.

The Godey's Lady's Best Bits Book

My newest e-book is live and ready to roll.

The Godey's Lady's Best Bits Book: March 1854

It's collection of some of the best bits of the Godey's magazine and demonstrates what it was like to be a woman of the 19th century.  

"This is the ‘Lady’s Book’ par excellence. We admire this work, for the plain and simple reason that, like refined, polished, and virtuous female society, it powerfully tends to improve the manners and mend the heart"

It's a Kindle book but you don't need a Kindle to download it - I download to my phone.

Prices are US $2.56 / Aust $3.53 / UK £1.96.  

And if you do get a copy, please let me know if you like it.

London Square

This week's block is a mystery block. This week's block has found a name as the post was being written.

London Square

As you can see, the seamstress found all those bias triangles a bit of a problem.  The block doesn't sit flat and there are little tucks all over the block to join the larger triangles with the pieced sections. The top right hand quarter was pieced first with uniform scraps.  Moving counter-clockwise each quarter adds more prints as the maker running out of material and perhaps patience.

Reverse of London Square - very even stitches

It is hard to search for a block when you don't know what it is called.  I started with a block I did know, Corn and Beans.

Corn and Beans

As I looked though references for blocks similar to Corn and Beans I found a block called Linton from the Ladies Art Company.  It was close to my block, just one more triangle in each row.

This is Linton from BlockBase. BlockBase also has a block called London Square with even more triangles.

More Googling; this time I found London Square in Barbara Brackman's Civil War blog.  This London Square is one quarter of my mystery block but the triangles are the same in number.

Barbara Brackman says that London Square is a variation of Ocean Waves - which coincidentally was my last blog post.  My Little Linton block is now christened London Square. No more mystery.