The donor of the petticoat is Ms Nancy Maggs. Nancy's grand-mother, Sarah Flagg, was the owner of the petticoat. Sarah Flagg and her family arrived in Melbourne in the 1840s.Sarah Flagg was the original owner of the petticoat. Sarah was the grand-mother of Nancy Maggs. Nancy Maggs had the petticoat in her possession before she donated it to the City of Moorabbin Historical Society.White half, floor-length petticoat with 3 tiers. A light blue ribbon woven around at knee length of the petticoat. Broderie anglais trimming round the first two tiers and through sections of the bottom half of the petticoat. There are 6 panels of the same embroided floral design which runs around the outside of the petticoat, between the Broderie anglais sections. There is a small side slit on the top right-hand side of the petticoat. Two small buttons are located down the side of the slit, but the third button is missing. The garment is in good condition, with mild discolouration in certain areas.petticoat, underwear, undergarment, waist slip, white, 1900s, sarah flagg, nancy maggs, broderie anglais, embroidery, blue ribbon, needle lace, lace, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, dressmaking, sewing, craftwork, brighton, market gardeners, pioneers, early settlers

Camisole. Round neck,edged with cut work lace. V shaped panel below the neckline, made with alternating bands 2.5cm wide, of cut work and woven lace five on one side , four on the right hand side. Cotton high neck. Deep Vee lace front 5 buttons, metal, covered with fabric(one missing). Bodice gathered onto a waistband at front, three back panels join waistband at back. Hand stitched button holes.costume, female, underwear

Greeting Card: Rectangle shaped Forget Me Not Christmas Greeting Card with green velvet cover. A Cream coloured moulded plastic like material fan shaped over a cream padded fan shaped silk material. 'Forget Me Not' is inscribed and has a cream ribbon woven through the fan. Painted flower across the front. Small metal lace work is in the left hand corner. The back is card with Christmas 1898' hand written. Back is torn. Box 625.ephemera, mementoes, christmas, christmas greeting card

Long sleeved burgundy coloured coat - velvet fabric lined with ''dusty pink'' satin with woven floral pattern. Lining hand stitched to coat. Second layer of cotton lining across the shoulders and back( 39cmsLength). Sewn into neck and shoulder seams. Large uneven stitches attach the lining to side seams. Coat and lining have seven gored panels giving fullness to the coat. Fold over collar (14 cms). Front opening with ten velvet covered shanked buttons with fabric loops. Long sleeves gathered at shoulder and cuffs(2 cms), with six cms opening with press stud fastener.Owner of coat was Isabel Lilian Pegler (nee Mair) 1921-1997. The coat was worn to Saturday night dances. Isabel liked to point out that her coat had a double lining in the upper back for extra warmth as she liked to wear backless dresses to the dance.costume, female, long sleeved coat

Cream coloured knee length dress of crimplene fabric. Fabric has all over pattern of horizontal rows of looped knot pattern. Fabric also has silver thread woven into fabric. Dress has a high round neckline both front and back. Dress is A line, with front having side darts at bust line and two 30cm darts – vertical on either side of centre front from bust line to hip line. At lower end of each dart is a false pocket flap (11cm x 5cm). Back opening from centre neckline has 54cm nylon zipper with hook and loop at neckline. Back has two vertical darts on either side of centre back. Dress has short set-in cap sleeves. Part of ensemble with 11400.521.Top inside back below neckline: Fashioned by Gina of Melbourne Registered TMS Crimplene. Made from terylene polyester fibre. Wash by hand or machine in warm water. Rinse thoroughly. Gently squeeze out surplus water. Drip dry.costume, female daywear, dress

A Line cream coloured knee length coat of crimplene fabric. Fabric has all over pattern of horizontal rows of looped knot pattern. Fabric also has silver thread woven into fabric. High round neck with stand-up collar - 4.3cm. Two press studs at top below collar, plus one hook and loop to close the collar. Full length front opening with 4.5cm band. Five 2cm fabric covered buttons – evenly spaced from neckline to below hip line. Front has two side darts at bust line. Two false pocket flaps (14cm x 5cm) set at 45° angle to side seams at hem line. Long straight set in sleeves slightly tapered to the wrist. Part of ensemble with 11400.520.Top inside back below neckline: Fashioned by Gina of Melbourne Registered TMS Crimplene. Made from terylene polyester fibre. Wash by hand or machine in warm water. Rinse thoroughly. Gently squeeze out surplus water. Drip dry.costume, female daywear, coat

Pink, self-stripe -2cm stripe with a woven floral motif, alternated with a 4cm triple stripe with 2cm spacing between each stripe. Boat shaped neckline, with a .5cm rouleau tie on left side. Sleeveless. Draped and ruched 7cm band at hip line. Two tier, knife pleated panels to the hemline. Dropped and bloused bodice. Handkerchief hem. Wedding dress worn at marriage of Barbara Johnson to her second husband John Johnson on 26.1.1985.Stitches Plus Gold Label 12 Care Instructions – Wash separately. Do not soak. Do not bleach. Do not wring. Warm hand wash. Warm rinse well. Dry in shade. Warm iron. Dry cleanable. Polyester.costume, female ceremonial, wedding dress

Full length cream synthetic fabric wedding dress with long sleeves and a train. Front and back have a yoke of lace. Three quarter length sleeves are made of the same lace with roulette trim at hem. Inner and outer edges of sleeves ruched for 3 cm. High round neck at back. V neckline at front. Front of bodice has two side darts and two under bust darts. Bodice at waist line has three decorative scallops at front and back. Synthetic fabric of bodice has woven fabric backing. Side opening on left hand side is fastened with nine press studs. Full length skirt of lighter weight opaque synthetic fabric has centre seams at front and back. Fabric is cut on the bias to form a 360? full circle skirt with a train at centre back. An additional section of fabric is attached at either side to complete the circle. At centre back of the skirt is an inverted pleat to create fullness for the train. Hemline is edged with lace with four rows of tucks above the hem, 1 cm apart. Separate petticoat of heavier woven synthetic fabric attached at waist. Petticoat cut on the bias to create 360? full circle skirt with inverted pleat at centre back to create fullness. Narrow turned over hem. Petticoat skirt dips to a V shape at centre front and back seams. Machine stitched.costume, female ceremonial, wedding dress

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.

Cream silk, woven in a jacquard style, featuring a floral design. Fully lined with cream silk satin. A 4cm deep, stand-up mandarin style collar. Eight metal hook and eyes fasten the front in a concealed way. Heavy cording, finished with pearl trimmed tassels,a double inverted pleat, 22cm long at the centre back hemline. Three darts at shoulders giving a 'sleeve-like' shape. Lower edges of which are elaborately corded. A 12cm'slit' at the lower edge seam with the front panel gives more flexibilty to the wearer. Tassel head and decorative 1.5cm ''ball'' are woven in a ''turks head'' style. A 2.5cm wide silk ribbon, attached at centre back, and possibly tied around the waist.A card with the cape is hand written - ''For Historical Soc.if wanted, From M.Bush's Collection. Could have been from Mrs. Mueller's. Gift from Mrs. E.G.JARRETT''costume, female, cream silk evening cape

Full length skirt, with a three-quarter length over-skirt, edged in braided embroidery. Over-skirt is attached at the waistline, with a band of tape, and separates on the left hand side waistline. Stitched to the underskirt at the front, and edged with a .5cm dark olive coloured braid. The braid extends around the hemline of the overskirt in a looped pattern. Fabric has a woven stripe-a narrow stripe of lighter colour, and a .75cm stripe of dark grey edged with tan. Skirt fully lined with brown cotton fabric. Centre back plackett fastens with one large metal hook and eye, and six smaller hooks, and hand made cotton loops. Skirt has matching bodice 11400.744. This two piece outfit - skirt and bodice, was made by Laura's Mother in 1908, and mostly by hand. She wore it also to Mass in 1913. It is made of material called "Resilda''.costume, female, brown striped long skirt

Object. Blue, damask weave fabric sash, 240 ms long(including fringing) woven with a rose design, and with a .8 cm wide white satin-finish stripe, just inside the side edges. A gold type metallic fringing, 5 cms deep, finishes each end. A woven panel just off centre of the sash, includes eleven figures, including children, three shields, a globe hand and heart. Radiating from the words- FRIENDSHIP LOVE AND TRUTH is an eye like shape, radiating light. At the lower edge of the panel, woven into the fabric are the words, MANCHESTER UNITY of the INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS. Above the woven panel is an ornate metal star, 10 cm x 10 cm, with eight points, and made from silver metal sequins and coiled wirework. Centre of the star is padded to a height of 1 cm, covered in satin, sequins and wirework in a circular shape. A 7 cm long metal tassell hangs from the lower edge of star. A length of silk ribbon, 1.2 cm wide is attached to the lower edge of the sash, perhaps to tie and hold the sash in position when being worn.organisation, masonic lodge, ceremonial sash

Clothing. Deep V neckline, front and back, has a tapered tie, at the shoulder to 4.5 cm, and slanted at the lower edge of the tie. The V neckline has a fine binding finish as do the armholes, and the lower edge of the bodice. Shadow, and pulled thread embroidery, in a floral design, outlines the V neckline in the front. A tiny 10 cm x 10 cm heart shaped pocket is bound at the edges and sits at lower right front. A small dart, 1 cm x 6 cm long is below the armholes, on each side seam. Fabric is cut on the cross to add flair. A two cm x 60 cms tie attaches at each side seam, and would tie at the back. Clothing. Pyjama pants have a V shaped waistband 11 cm deep at front and back, below which is a small 1.5 cm wide pleat on either side of front and back. An 11 cm deep plackett on both side seams - on the left hand side two x 1 cm pearl buttons and buttonholes fasten the plackett. The two buttons on the right hand side are missing. A panel of shadow embroidery decorates the outside lower edge of the trouser leg. Fabric is woven with a floral design. Lower edge of legs are finished with a fine binding. 11 cm peak at waistband. Pants with hem 88 cms, width at ankles 64 cms.Silk and Rayon Made in Chinacostume, female, pink silk pyjamas (bodice)

Long skirt, with train in gold silk faille fabric. Fully lined. Stiffened ''cheesecloth'' type of fabric. Apart from the cream 3.5 cm wide petersham band at the waistline, the skirt is completely hand stitched. This band is possibly a later addition, as the waistline is badly damaged, but does show remnants of silk fabric as used in the lower skirt. Skirt front is plain, with one knife pleat on either side. Back of skirt is tightly pleated, with both knife, and one double box pleats. Skirt back extends into a train. A 28 cm deep frill around the hemline of contrasting, but same tone of fabric - part lighter, with a woven stripe (14 cm deep) a 1.2 cm darker with woven stripe, a 10.5 cm section with a geometric woven pattern, and a 2.5 cm striped section. This band of different tones, is lined with darker gold silk. A 31 cm long overlapped placket at left side seam.costume, female, victorian skirt with gold silk faille

Clothing. Dark navy,(Summer weight) pure wool, with sleeves, fronts, and back shoulders lined with a synthetic fabric, possibly rayon or polyester - this has a zig zag woven pattern in the fabric. One internal pocket inside right front. Padded shoulders. Two 8 X 19.5 cm pockets, with rounded corners. One smaller pocket-13 X 11.5 cm, also with rounded corners on the left hand breast pocket. This is embroidered with a sun and kangaroo, and a circular badge ennclosing a chain-like border, a crown, and the lettering BE and CG-probably indicating British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Also embroidered on the breast pocket a light and dark yellow/gold sun, with an orange kangaroo super imposed at the centre of the sun. Single breasted blazer. Three flat silver metal buttons, 2 cm diameter, at centre front, (shanked). Two 1.5 cm flat metal shanked buttons-one at each cuff. 17 cm deep vent at lower back.On inside right breast pocket ''WALSH'S'' and a crest. PURE WOOL. Some wear on label evident. On outside of lrft breast pocket PERTH1962; a circular 4.0cm logo with a chain like border, enclosing a crown and lettering BE? CG.costume, male, blazer-perth commonwealth games

Sewn by Internee Emma Aberle in Camp 3b from cloth woven in the camp by Franz Laumen, Krefeld, Germany, an internee from England.Ladies Frock - tartan Part Pleated Frock with buttons. Hand sewn with collar, short sleeves, buttoned, slightly pleated skirt. Woven clothe is a Tartan Pattern, mainly green/red.ww 2 camp 3

Tibetan hats are in various forms. The men are known to wear cloth/felt hats; these sometimes come with tassels or even purplish decorations woven out of silk. On the other hand, women are seldom seen wearing hats during summers but are seen wearing hats made of white felt or white Woollen raincoats with a hat during the monsoons. The winters due to the biting cold they face; individuals are seen wearing fox or sheepskin hats or scarves. The Tibetan hats not only help to keep warm, but also add beautiful decorations to the clothing they wear.Traditional hat with silk brocaded crown and large fur flaps to protect the ears and face from high winds.The TFG initials written in ink inside.everyday life, clothing, hats

In October 2000, Council invited three artists from the region (Deborah Halpern, Matcham Skipper, Tony Trembath) to submit designs for a sculpture / public art work for the Eltham Town Square. The commission was paid for by supermarket giant Safeway (Woolies) as part of its supermarket permit, which required them to contribute to beautification work in the Town Square.This is the first of three parts. The 'Spirit of Nillumbik' is a celebration of the artistic spirit of Eltham and surrounding communities. Each area is identified through the flora and fauna represented in the panels. The work honours the many creative artists and architects, past and present, who have built homes and shaped lives and livelihoods with their unique creative spirit. Halpern describes her work as a public expression of their individual and collective visions. Halpern acknowledges these contributions to our hand-made history and the influence they have on the character and identity of Eltham and Nillumbik. Five picture and six woven balustrades each made out of welded steel / organic wrought iron and coated with wax. Imagery (flora - plants, landscapes and fauna - animals, birds, reptiles, insects) are all based on the local environment. There is also a relevant aboriginal presence amongst each of the panels. Each panel represents the different areas that make up the Shire. 'Water' for Warrandyte, 'Kangaroos' for Christmas Hills, 'Cockatoos and 'Valley Creek Flats' for Hurstbridge, 'Wombats', 'Bluetongues' and 'Possums' for St. Andrews/Kinglake, 'Orchids' for Panton Hill, 'Cows' and 'Grapevines' for the Kangaroo Gound Hill landmark. N/Apublic art, nillumbik, fauna, flora, wrought iron, balustrade, halpern, laurence, kangaroo, eltham town square, spirit, warrandyte, christmas hills, kangaroo ground, hurstbridge, kinglake, panton hill, water, valley creek flats, cockatoos

Made by Sonya Carrington in 1986-88. The weaving depicts characters from Alice in Wonderland. Sonya was married to George Wlodek ZakrzewskiLarge rectangular weaving depicting alice in wonderland characters. Woven on a loom, made of silk, linen and wool. Is attached to a wooden rod. Hanging is entitled The Honorable Walrusweaving textile art, spinning - hand, spinning wheels, carrington-zakrzewska, mrs sonya carrington, mrs lois carrington, mr george, weaving, textile art

Expressions 2004 Quilt PrizeWeaving consisting of four panels sewn together to form the quilt. Consists of gradations of green to blue colours containing flecks of multicoloured wool through the weft. Weaving forms raised zigzag pattern running left to right through quilt. Three woven blue panels are sewn to the front of the quilt with dyed dark blue zigzags. The quilt is hung on a cardboard roll at the top. Satin square containing the artist's name and address sewn onto the back of the quilt in the right hand corner.'Cross Currents', Jean Inglis, 13 Park Street, Geelong, 52295131weaving, inglis, jean - geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc.

The samples are examples of products made at the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Mill in Geelong but discontinued before 1960. They were used to show shops what materials were available. The samples were given to Mr Robert Anderson, an apprentice fitter and turner at the mill between 1960-1965. His mother, Mrs Lucy Anderson, sewed the samples into quilts in the early 1960s. This is one quilt of three.A brown quilt made from woven samples of woollen striped fabric in browns and olive greens. The pieces are machine stitched together. It has an off-white backing which is machined and hand sewn into place.handicrafts, returned soldiers and sailors mill, wagga, anderson, mr robert anderson, mrs lucy, geelong, victoria

The Geelong Handweavers and Spinners Guild Inc. entered "The Afternoon Tea Party", designed by Val Ingeme, into the "Five Articles" Section of the Melbourne Sheep and Woolcraft Show c.1992. To qualify, the entry needed to form a group and be able to demonstrate a number of wool crafts in at least five different items. The covering of the cake was woven by Anneli Rickards, the plate woven by Jean Inglis, Mary Donnan and Val Ingeme made and assembled the floral trimmingsagricultural shows handicrafts textile art knitting weaving, geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc., spinning - hand, felting, weaving, ingeme, mrs val inglis, jean - geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc. rickards, anneli - geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc. donnan, mary - geelong handweavers and spinners guild inc., melbourne, victoria, agricultural shows, handicrafts, textile art, knitting

A Textile Designer’s Fabric Sample Book is an important tool for keeping a record of past designs. This is useful in order to showcase a designer’s previous work; functioning like a portfolio or a résumé. They also serve as a source of inspiration, sometimes even providing a template to re-release iconic designs. The National Wool Museum has a large collection of Fabric Sample Books. They reveal the colour and daring designs produced by textile mills across various time periods. This Fabric Sample Book is from the 1920s and gives us insights into design trends that are now over a century old.The cover of this book has a brown/grey marble. It carries many marks and oils from the hands, after more than a century of use. A strip of red tape has been added to the spine of the book in order to give it integrity. The book internally has white pages that have turned a brown/cream with age. These pages have a faint blue line printed horizontally across them, to assist with handwriting. The contents of the pages are fabric samples which have been staple to them, as well as handwriting with a blue ink. The pages also include technical drawings, relating to the fabric samples and how such samples were woven together.textile design, textile manufacture

This jacket is by the prolific spinner and weaver Jean Inglis. It has been woven with a warp of commercially brought wool & a weft of hand spun Corriedale. It is completed in a Swedish lace style of weaving. The highlight of the jacket is the blue section of fabric on the top left shoulder of the wearer, which works down to the bottom right hip. This pattern looks like long thin individual separate sections of fabric stitched to the jacket; however, only one section of fabric has been added. A dying technique has been utilised to give the appearance of multiple sections. This Japanese dyeing technique is called Shibori, “to wring, squeeze or press". It is a manual tie-dyeing technique, which produces several different patterns on fabric. The specific pattern on this fabric is known as Kumo Shibori. It utilises bound resistance. This technique involves folding sections of the cloth very finely and evenly. Then the cloth is bound in very close sections. The result is a very specific spider-like design. This design requires very precise technique. Specific to this jacket, the fabric for the dyed section was made with the same fabric as the rest of the jacket. A section of the excess fabric was concertina wrapped around a 100mm pipe and tied up before dying. This gives the consistent straight blue lines, with no bleed from the dye. The sections were then sewed into the jacket with the occasional sequin added for additional decoration and glamour. The jacket won 1st prize at the 1988 Geelong Show. Jean was assisted by the dress maker Ruth Randell with some of the design and sewing. Jean always found sewing “a bit of a bore”. The jacket also has an attached swing tag. It was added to provide information to the judges at the Melbourne Show on how the jacket was created. It comes complete with Jean’s self-proclaimed terrible handwriting. It was donated to the National Wool Museum in 2021.Cream singled breasted jacket with no overlap. The jacket has no column of buttons for fastening, or lapels. It is designed to be plain, to not draw attention. The jacket is highlighted by the Shibori dyed waves on the top left shoulder of the wearer, which works down to the bottom right hip. This blue dyed section of fabric is dotted with the occasional blue sequin. Internally, the jacket features a white silk lining for comfort. The jacket ends in a straight cut hem, including at the cuffs. The jacket has an attached swing tag. The swing tag is cream with a printed thin black boarder. Within the boarder, handwriting in black ink is found. It has a hole punch in the top left corner of the swing tag for attaching to the jacket.hand spun, hand weaving, textile design, textile production, shibori, kumo shibori

Collector says: I can still recall one of my earliest childhood memories, of my nana's bright aqua shoes against the checks of our family travel rug on summer picnics. Maybe that's when this collection planted its seed in me - 40 years later I start my first blanket collection after stumbling across old Onkaparinga travel rugs. I would go to a vintage market in Collingwood every month and almost always found a good one, amassing enough for the entire household. Everyone had their favourite, even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one just for him.Collector's note: "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from."Fringed plaid travel rug, brown, yellow and blue Onkaparinga/washing instructions/use A.W.C. approved wool detergent/warm machine wash on short gentle cycle/or warm hand wash/DO NOT BLEACH/warm rinse well on gentle cycle/normal spin/DO NOT TUMBLE DRY/dry in shade - gently pull to shape/dry cleanable (A) - in emblems: The Woolmark pure new wool, Woven in Australia, F 472wool, blanket, blanket fever, travel rug, onkaparinga

Collector says: "I can still recall one of my earliest childhood memories, of my nana's bright aqua shoes against the checks of our family travel rug on summer picnics. Maybe that's when this collection planted its seed in me - 40 years later I start my first blanket collection after stumbling across old Onkaparinga travel rugs. I would go to a vintage market in Collingwood every month and almost always found a good one, amassing enough for the entire household. Everyone had their favourite, even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one just for him."Collector's note- "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from. "Fringed travel rug, red, blue, green and blackOnkaparinga/washing instructions/use A.W.C. approved wool detergent/warm machine wash on short gentle cycle/or warm hand wash/DO NOT BLEACH/warm rinse well on gentle cycle/normal spin/DO NOT TUMBLE DRY/dry in shade - gently pull to shape/dry cleanable (A) - in emblems: The Woolmark pure new wool, Woven in Australia, F 472wool, blanket, blanket fever, travel rug, onkaparinga

The background history to this quilt is unknown as, like several of the Running Stitch quilts, it was found in an op-shop, this time in Ballarat. However, the technique used to bind it together and the rarity of the materials make it a valuable piece of our 'thrifty history'. The quilt insert has been made with layers of recycled bed coverings. It would have most likely had a cover made of a fabric (such as cretonne) as the layers have only been loosely held together with large quilting stitches. The outer layer is made of "marcella": a heavily woven cotton damask. These types of bedspreads were quite expensive and hardwearing. They were often handed down through the family and it is not surprising to see that the use for this particular bed covering has been continued past the 'presentable' stage on a bed.Detail of edge showing layers and stitching method. Deatail of corner showing layers.quilting history, running stitch group, running stitch collection, quilting - history

Weaving is the interlacing of two yarns, one at right angles to the other. Yarns that run the length of the fabric are called the warp. Yarns that run across the fabric are called the weft. Most woven fabrics are produced on a loom. The warp yarns are raised to form an opening - the shed. The weft carrier, usually the shuttle, shoots through the shed. Then the warp yarns change position up and down. Finally, the weft is pushed tight against the previous yarns, gradually building up the fabric. Hattersley treadle loom (revolving box hand loom). Beam of loom was removed and sent to Foster Valley Mill in 1989 to be returned via Tom Crocker. The National Wool Museum gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Mr Fred Murgatroyd & Mr Bernard Tolan in making this Hattersley Loom Operational. Green painted Hattersley treadle loom (revolving box hand loom).weaving, george hattersley and sons ltd, weaving machinery, wool processing, loom, restoration