The Antiques Roadshow would probably call this vintage hexagon quilt top, made here in Australia in the 1950s/1960s, 'slightly bonkers'.
It was made by the late mother of a friend of her sister, and rescued by Marilyn recently, when she discovered her sister and the friend preparing to remove the remaining hand-made cardboard templates at the edges, in order to 'do something' (unspecified) with it. Marilyn called a halt while advice is sought.
The flowers are made from a wonderful array of fabric prints and solids, mostly one fabric and a contrasting centre per flower, but with occasional rogue hexies where the main fabric might have run out. The soft olive green background hexies tie it together surprisingly well.
Marilyn remembers its maker well, and said it would have been made with a good deal of sherry and cigarettes consumed during the process - we thought 'Sherry and Cigarettes' might be an apt name for it. Further evidence lies within ...
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| It is a large top, with extensions at the top to accommodate pillows, and is made up of about 150 hexagons |
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| It took three of us to hold it up along its length ... |
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| Many of the hexagons were cut from cigarette packets, mostly 'Turf' brand - an integral part of its history now, and social history of the time. |
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| It engendered a lot of interest and close inspection, and Marilyn will follow up suggestions for expert advice on its preservation and documentation. |
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