One of four tarpaper covered sample books. These samples were made up at mills (often R S & S) to Alexander Lau designs, they did not necessarily go into production..LADIES' MATERIALtextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd, lau, mr alexander - alexander lau pty ltd, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

One of four tarpaper covered sample books. These samples were made up at mills (often R S & S) to Alexander Lau designs and specifications, they did not necessarily go into production..LADIES' MATERIALtextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd, lau, mr alexander - alexander lau pty ltd, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

One of four tarpaper covered sample books. These samples were made up at mills (often R S & S) to Alexander Lau designs and specifications, they did not necessarily go into production..LADIES' MATERIAL/ Spring 57, Winter 57-58 Messres S G SAVIGEtextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd, lau, mr alexander - alexander lau pty ltd savige, s g - returned soldiers and sailors mill, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

One of five tarpaper covered sample books. These samples were made up at mills (often R S & S) to Alexander Lau designs and specifications, they did not necessarily go into production..LADIES' MATERIALtextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd, lau, mr alexander - alexander lau pty ltd, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

One of five tarpaper covered sample books. These samples were made up at mills (often R S & S) to Alexander Lau designs and specifications, they did not necessarily go into production..LADIES' MATERIALtextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd, lau, mr alexander - alexander lau pty ltd, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

Production samples from Alexander Lau Pty Ltd. 1967 - 1970.ALEXANDER LAU PTY LTDtextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

Production samples from Returned Soldiers and Sailors Mill, given to Mr Alexander Lau before the mill closure.Sample book: textile sample book, cardboard cover, cloth bound. The cover is in a mottled brown pattern, the spine has "1928" handwritten at the top. Inside , small textile sampples are glued and later stapled, to paper pages. The pages have numerous handwritten inscriptions and are headed by dates, beginning 1958-1959.1958-1959 varioustextile design fashion textile industry - history, alexander lau pty ltd returned soldiers and sailors mill, textile design, fashion, textile industry - history

Collector says: Once I had gathered a dozen or so blankets, I started noticing the many different labels; where they were made, by who, the logos and fonts used. Then the labels became a thing, then the blankets had to have a label to join the collection. My favourite labels are by Physician, they had at least 4 different labels over the decades but the best has to be the Lady In Bed logo. Physician, Onkaparinga, Eagley and others matched the colour of the label to the colour of the blanket - a nice touch. Strangely, Castlemaine labels were always sewn on the back of the blanket where all the other mills sewed theirs on the front. To this day I always roll or fold a blanket with its label on display.Collector says: "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."Queen sized checked blanket, pink and cream An Onkaparinga 100% pure wool production. In emblem: Made in Australiawool, blanket, blanket fever, onkaparinga

Collector says: I adore these bright blankets with their labels depicting summer times. For most blanketeers, the Laconia Mexicana is a bit of a holy grail - for the label just as much as the blanket. Laconia made the Mexicana in 1964 and I suspect the Waverley and Onkaparinga came afterwards.Collector says: "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.Queen sized checked blanket, red, blue, orange, yellow. An Onkaparinga 100% pure wool production. In emblem: Made in Australia. Name tag sewn below label: R M. Shiltonwool, blanket, blanket fever, onkapringa

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, teal and brownAn Onkaparinga 100% pure wool production. In emblem: Made in Australiawool, blanket, blanket fever, travel rug, onkaparinga

"Sheep to suit" -The Melbourne College of Textiles, 1984. The story of the Melbourne College of Textile's World Record of 1hr, 32 minutes, 33.52 sec on June 24, 1982, recorded by the Guinness Book of RecordsBooklet describing the 'Sheep to Suit' event for the Guiness Book of World Records.textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

"Sheep to suit" -The Melbourne College of Textiles, 1984. The story of the Melbourne College of Textile's World Record of 1hr, 32 minutes, 33.52 sec on June 24, 1982, recorded by the Guinness Book of RecordsBooklet describing the 'Sheep to Suit' event for the Guiness Book of World Records.This record was broken in 1987 by "The Melbourne College of Textiles" for the Japanese programme "These Wonderful People" Time 1 hour 27 Minutes 59.32 secs. Time difference = 6 Minutes 04.13 secstextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing textile mills textile mills, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing, textile mills

Grey jumper, which formed part of the uniform for the 1987 Melbourne College of Textiles "Sheep to Suit" team and which was worn by John Hawthorne who took part in the event.Worn by participant in the 'Sheep to suit' event. Worn by participant in the 'Sheep to suit' event.Textiles/TAFE [Japanese characters]textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Black track pants, which formed part of the uniform for the 1987 Melbourne College of Textiles "Sheep to Suit" team and which were worn by John Hawthorne who took part in the event.Worn by participant in the 'Sheep to suit' event.textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Business shirt, gold with collar, long sleeves and cuffs. Part of the outfit to go with the "Sheep to Suit" record attempt, 1982.Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.sheraton/ styled in/ Permanent Press/ KORATRON/ 65% polyester/ 35% cotton /15 1/2textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Neck tie, part of the outfit for the "Sheep to suit" record attempt, Melbourne School of Textiles,1982.Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.Gary David/ highest quality/MADE IN AUSTRALIAtextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Suit pants, cream, natural, wool. Part of the three piece suit which set the "Sheep to suit" record by Melbourne College of Textiles in 1982Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.A product of the Clothing School, MELBOURNE COLLEGE OF TEXTILES/ PURE WOOLtextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Suit vest, cream, natural, wool and cream silk. Part of the three piece suit which set the "Sheep to suit" record by Melbourne College of Textiles in 1982.Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Suit jacket, cream, natural, wool and cream silk lining. Part of the three piece suit which set the "Sheep to suit" record by Melbourne College of Textiles in 1982Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.A product of the Clothing School, MELBOURNE COLLEGE OF TEXTILES/ PURE WOOLtextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Advertising sign (probably a point of sale / counter top sign) for Collins Bros Mill 'Physician' brand blankets.Advertisign sign for Collins Bros Mill 'Physician' brand blankets.Physician / Chillproof Blankets / IN THE LATEST FASHION SHADES - PLAIN, CHECK, COLORED & RIBBON BOUND / "Rest Assured" / COLLINS BROS. PTY. LTD. / GEELONG - AUSTRALIA MASON, FIRTH & McCUTCHEON, / PTY. LTD., MELBOURNE.textile production, collins bros mill pty ltd

Advertising sign (probably a point of sale / counter top sign) for Collins Bros Mill 'Physician' brand blankets.Advertising sign for Collins Bros Mill 'Physician' brand blankets.Heavenly ... / cloud-soft luxurious warmth / PHYSICIAN / Chillproof / BLANKETS / Pure Lambswool blended in colours of fashion / guaranteed 20 years and mothproofed / COLLINS BROS. PPTY. LTD. GEELONG, VICTORIAtextile production, collins bros mill pty ltd

Eighteen page black and white pattern book with colour front and back cover. Book contains black and white photographs and printed text. Front cover shows a colour image knitted items, a chicken tea cosy, knitted dolls outfit, and two crocheted textile items. front: [printed] FUN TO MAKE AND FUN TO GIVE / CROCHET AND KNITWEAR / Novelties / No 31 / 9 d. / A “NEW IDEA” PRODUCTIONfashion, women, knitting, crochet, home life, patterns