The Hamilton-Smith collection was donated by the children of Grace Mary Hamilton-Smith nee Ellwood (1911-2004) and John Hamilton-Smith (1909-1984) who settled in Wodonga in the 1940s. The Ellwood family had lived in north-east Victoria since the late 1800s. Grace’s mother, Rosina Ellwood nee Smale, was the first teacher at Baranduda in 1888, and a foundation member of the C.W.A. Rosina and her husband Mark retired to Wodonga in 1934. Grace and John married at St. David’s Church, Albury in 1941. John was a grazier, and actively involved in Agricultural Societies. The collection contains significant items which reflect the local history of Wodonga, including handmade needlework, books, photographs, a wedding dress, maps, and material relating to the world wars. This quilt sampler was made before 1900 by Rosina Ellwood. Crazy quilts were fashionable in the late Victorian era. The rise of the trend is attributed to the display of Japanese art and ceramics at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition (U.S.A.) that featured asymmetrical designs. Inspired, quilters began sewing pieces of fabric of different sizes and textures together into abstract, asymmetrical patterns. The craze spread from America around the world. Embroidery, ribbon and silk embellishments, and hand stitched applique birds and flowers were popular additions. One magazine estimated that a detailed crazy quilt could take over 1,500 hours to complete. Crazy quilts remained in fashion in metropolitan cities until about 1910, though the style endured for longer in rural areas. This item is unique, handmade and has a known owner. It forms part of a significant and representative historical collection which reflects the local history of Wodonga. It contributes to our understanding of domestic and family life in early twentieth century Wodonga, as well as providing interpretative capacity for themes including local history, social history and women’s history.A colourful patchwork quilt sampler using mixed fabric types including velvet, cotton, brocade and satin, backed on cardboard.hamilton-smith collection, hamilton-smith, stiching, needlework, sewing, handmade, domestic, quilt, quilts, crazy quilt, crazy quilts, women's history

The fringed tablecloth is an example of a domestic item brought to Australia by early settlers in the Western District of Victoria as a home comfort.The fringed tablecloth helps tell the story of the arrival of European settlers and the small, light home comforts they brought with them to maintain a meaningful connection to home.Fringed and lined square tablecloth. The front is hand embroidered on brown loose weave fabric, the back a pale yellow polished cotton fabric. The edges on the back have been turned and machine stitched. Hand-stitching has been used to join the top to the back and to add the fringe around the edges. The embroidery uses tapestry wool in cream, yellow, brown and green tones. The style is possibly an example of European folk style embroidery. An inscription on a pink ribbon is sewn onto the reverse.“S F . 31303 OLIVER - - [undecipherable]”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, tablecloth, fringed tablecloth, embroidered tablecloth, european embroidery, hand sewing, domestic object, handmade, textile, silk thread, geometric design, vintage, long-stitch, zigzag design, decorative, home décor, domestic linen, table linen

A brown cane oval woven sewing basket with a lid which has a pink studded silk lining. It contains - a pair of scissors, a cotton reel, embroidery thread, a bone handled crochet hook, tailors chalk, plastic containers, darning wool, press studs, bias binding, a doily and applique flowers.Crotchet cotton - Coates fast 609 colour Mercer Crotchet 60, 6 Black British Snap press studs - Guaranteed Rustless Size 1 Made in England, Standard darning Wool, Tailor's Chalk - RogeR & Gallet Paris, Scissors 101, 89 on one side of blades and Razor Silver Steel Saranti Forge Nogent france on the other side, Standard darning Wool Co Pty Ltd Stawell, Vic. Australia, steel crotchet hook has an embossed pattern on the handle, Superior Linen Thread No 30, Lindsay Thompson (Threads) Ltd Belfast, black pure flax linen thread 60 750 yards reverse twist.sewing baskets, baskets, sewing equipment

Belonged to the late Mrs. Holbrook. Hoiles Family.Wooden sewing box with mother of pear in laid in diamond pattern on lid & surrounding keyhole. Has pink silk lining. Complete with accessories envelope in base and also cardboard needle case.sewing boxes, sewing equipment, boxes

This full length lobster tail bustle was owned and worn by Alice Frances Henty, the daughter of Francis Henty and Mary Ann (Lawrence) Henty. Bustles of this form date from the mid-1860s however this example probably dates from the mid 1870s, and perhaps from before her marriage to John Hindson in 1876. Alice's father, Francis Henty, was the youngest son of Thomas Henty, who with his family, their retainers and property moved to the Australian colonies between 1829 and 1832. In 1834, Francis’ older brother, Edward, sailed from Launceston in Van Diemen’s Land to what was to become Portland in the western part of Port Phillip District [Victoria]. Francis, together with the first flock of Merino sheep [in Victoria], followed some months later. The first and second generations of the Henty family established vast pastoral properties in the Western part of the Port Phillip District. Francis Henty managed ‘Merino Downs’ near Casterton, while also living in his retirement at ‘Field Place' in Kew.The Henty Collection of nineteenth and twentieth century clothing, including outerwear and underwear, was collected, stored and exhibited over time by female family members descended from Francis and Mary Ann Henty. During the twentieth century, items from the collection were modelled in two fashion parades by various descendants [1937, 1959]. The items in the collection are historically and aesthetically significant, with provenance provided by oral and written tradition within or held by the family. A number of the items in the collection are very rare survivors, and provide researchers with the evidence needed to reconstruct the lives of notable women in the Port Phillip District [later Victoria] during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.An exceptionally rare and fine, floor length, 'lobster tail' bustle that belonged to Alice Henty possibly worn with her two-piece pink silk gown but also with other dresses that she owned that required a bustle of this shape. The structure of the bustle includes an outer layer of polished cotton with inserted steel hoops and ties at the front. The lower four hoops have flounces of the same fabric. Overall, the bustle contains 12 hoops, crossed nearer the waist and semi-circular for the remainder of the undergarment. [One of the tapes of the bustle is imprinted with the word lockstitch. Elias Howe invented the lockstitch sewing machine in 1846.] Measurements (mm): BUSTLE: Girth - Waist 660 Vertical - Front waist to hem 914, Back waist to hem 965.fashion -- 1870s, alice frances (henty) hindson, women's clothing, bustles, underwear

Used for storing various threads for mending in the home - cotton, silk, wool nylon.A decorated brown lidded round container coated inside with black and brown type lacquer. The outside of the container and lid has patterns painted by hand in yellow and red of a bird, ying and yang symbols and oriental script all surrounded in black lined sections. It appears to be made from papier-mache which is layers of cardboard glued together and tightly compressed. This can be seen by the damage sections which grey cardboard shows though. It would have been lacquered over and painted. The container has a variety of sewing items and mending threads for stockings, socks and other work. Some pearl buttons included.As mentioned above, the container has various patterns painted on it. The sewing items include brands of threads for sewing work - Darneezi, Eagley, Rite Tone, Clark's Filosheen,Chadwick's Wool and Nylon, Nylusta.sewingcontainer, threads, containers, sewing equipment, gibson collection

Due to the terminology used it is likely from WW2 and possibly from the Middle East.Embroidered artwork sewn onto a piece of silk and bordered by white lacework. Artwork has a centrepiece of Australian Rising Sun Emblem with an Australian and British Flag coming out each side. Below is "Australian Commonwealth Military Forces".Inscribed "Australian Commonwealth Military Forces".craft, handcrafts - sewing/ embroidery, ww2

Silk taffeta and lace wedding dress, 1960, made and worn by Valerie Dawn Smith at her marriage to Barry Douglas Wright in Armadale, Melbourne in 1960. Val was apprenticed at Haskins and Co. in Collins Street, Melbourne from 1951, at the age of 16, learning extensive sewing skills, until 1954. She excelled at pattern making, sewing and beading. After her apprenticeship she was employed at Theo Haskin's Salon Milano in Royal Arcade, making glamorous evening gowns until her marriage. The wedding dress was fitted, tailored and and sewn by Valerie, probably assisted by her co workers at the Salon. Silk taffeta and lace wedding dress. The skirt is decorated by a large piece of hand-beaded floral lace. The bodice also features a small piece of lace. All hand beading was completed by Val. The back has a long pleated train, with a loop to hold for walking and dancing. The tight sleeves and back are fastened by zips, a "modern" feature to replace buttons that were the fashion of earlier wedding dress designs. Val wore a long veil that was attached with a delicate beaded wire head piece. It was worn with white high heeled shoes. Her bouquet was gardenias tied with a white ribbon.fashion and design -- 1960s, wedding dresses

The blouse was made in Greece about 1945. The method used to create this fine embroidery was to copy a design from a cross stitch embroidery book guided by fine white tapestry threads tacked onto the yolk; when the design was finished, the embroiderer would pull out each fine white tapestry thread until only the embroidery remained around the yolk of the blouse.Throughout the centuries and up until the 1970s-80s, the women of Ithaca spun, wove, embroidered and knitted. Mothers prepared their daughters' 'glory boxes' trousseau (prikia), weaving bedspreads, rag mats (koureloudes) for everyday use, finer wool rugs for formal use, as well as linen sheets, pillowcases, blankets, towels and tablecloths. Linen was also woven to make the mattress that the young brides would take to their future homes. Mothers also wove and embroidered the fabric for their daughters' underwear and petticoats, nightgowns, etc. Sewing of the garments was also done by hand. The girls embroidered handicrafts using various stitches, they crocheted lace, netted pillows and even linen carpets. The handicrafts were usually embroidered by hand in cross-stitch using linen and cotton fabric. At the time there were merchants who travelled to the villages to sell machine made goods for the trousseaus, but most of the dowries consisted of the beautifully crafted work of the women. In the 30's the SINGER Company came to Ithaca and taught the girls sewing on the machine. A handwoven silk blouse. Colour - ecru. Hand embroidered, hand sewn, very fine white tapestry was tacked round the yolk; a gusset was sewn under each short puff sleeve at the armpit; two-tone hand made silk thread cords were passed through the hollow border of the sleeves and neckline.