This doll's blanket was beautifully handmade by Gladys Angus, wife of Dr Angus. Gladys made it for her daughter’s doll, which was also donated along with its pram and a silk doll's dress. It is part of the W.R. Angus collection, donated by the family of Dr W R Angus, surgeon and oculist. The W R Angus Collection spans from 1885 to the mid-1900s and includes historical medical and surgical equipment and instruments from the doctors Edward and Thomas Ryan of Nhill, Victoria. Dr Angus married Gladys in 1927 at Ballarat, the nearest big city to Nhill where he began as a Medical Assistant. He was also Acting House surgeon at the Nhill hospital where their two daughters were born. He and his family moved to Warrnambool in 1939, where Dr Angus operated his own medical practice. He later added the part-time Port Medical Officer responsibility and was the last person appointed to that position. Dr Angus and his wife were very involved in the local community, including the early planning stages of the new Flagstaff Hill, where they contributed to the layout of the gardens. Dr Angus passed away in March 1970.This doll's blanket is connected to the history of Warrnambool, as it was owned by the daughter of Dr W. R. Angus and his wife Gladys. It is part of the W.R. Angus Collection, which is important for still being located at the site connected to Doctor Angus, Warrnambool’s last Port Medical Officer. Dr Angus and his wife brought their young family to Warrnambool in 1939 and he remained a resident until his death in 1970. Early in his profession in the town of Nhill, Dr Angus assisted Dr Tom Ryan in his pioneering use of X-rays and in ocular surgery, and Dr Angus later inherited these items. The W.R. Angus Collection includes these medical instruments and other related equipment and is culturally and historically significant as an example of the medical practice of the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Additional items in the collection relate to Dr Angus’ service in the Flying Doctor Service and the Army. The doll's blanket is also significant as an example of handcrafting in the early 20th century and represents toys made for and used by children in the Warrnambool community.The doll’s blanket is rectangular in shape. It has been hand-knitted in a decorative pattern using cream wool, and then embroidered with floral motifs. The blanket is lined with a hand-knitted blue rectangle. Gladys Angus made the blanket for her daughter’s doll. It is part of the W.R. Angus Collection.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, dr w r angus, dr roy angus, dr ryan, warrnambool oculist, port medical officer, mira hospital nhill, toy, nhill hospital, doll, silk doll's dress, gladys angus, embroidery, doll's blanket, handmade doll's blanket, knitted blanket, w.r. angus collection

This traditional wagga blanket was made by Mrs Eileen Pattle between 1942 and 1950. The wagga was used as everyday bedding, as Eileen and her husband had very few possessions. They boarded with a man who they called “Old Harry” in Footscray. Old Harry had recently lost his wife and looked after the young couple well. They could stay with him and use his house as their own, and all that Old Harry asked for in return was for Eileen to cook him one good meal a day. The blanket was given to Mrs Beverley (Bev) Maguire, the daughter of Eileen, when she and her husband went camping one winter. Her husband was a “mad” fisherman and on one trip on which Bev joined him, her father offered the couple his old tent, that had a wall missing, and the wagga. The wagga was much appreciated as when the couple woke in the countryside, it was freezing, and they could see snow through the missing tent wall. From then on, the tent and the wagga were theirs. The wagga saw many more camping trips until the arrival of Bev’s “lovely new lightweight and down filled sleeping bag”. The wagga was made with a “make do, waste not, want not” attitude. The wagga started as an army issued blanket. The front layer has clothing and panels of mismatched material which has been added to over time. This includes an overcoat, two knitted garments, a panel from a skirt, and a panel from Old Harry’s Trousers. It also includes a man’s sleeveless knitted vest, and a knitted pram blanket. This is all stitched together with string, and the odd button. Bev said she would love to unpick the quilt to see what else is hiding inside but has resisted the urge to do so. All these layers have made the blanket incredibly warm, and heavy. The wagga has been within Bev’s family since creation and comes into the National Wool Museum Collection after serving the family well. It was used to keep everyone warm when not camping over many a winter’s night. Beverley is now getting on in years and donated the Wagga to the National Wool Museum in 2021. Her family referred to the wagga as a “collection of rags”, indicating to her that they did not wish to inherit the blanket. The wagga started as an army issue blanket. It has been made by stitching the khaki army blanket onto a hessian rear. The front layer has clothing and panels of mismatched material. This includes an overcoat, two knitted garments, a panel from a skirt, and a panel from Old Harry’s Trousers. It also includes a man’s sleeveless knitted vest, and a knitted pram blanket. This is all stitched together with string, and the odd button. It is thought that other materials are hiding within the layers of this wagga, however, uncovering these layers would involve unpicking the quilt. The wagga is 1360 x 1880mm, sized to suit a double bed. It is a heavy blanket, originating from all its panels of mismatched reused clothing. The wagga is well worn but has lasted almost 80 years. It has holes that have been lovingly re-stitched.wagga, quilt, upcycle

These items were made as samplers either at school or most likely college. They are samples of embroidery stitches, seam types and sewing and knitting techniques.Nos 1-16 are group of samplers made from cotton lawn, cotton with sateen weave and flannel and made by Ruth McGannon. No 17 is a pair of gloves made by Margaret Russell. .1) A small square of yellow lawn with three horizontal rows in blue thread and three vertical rows in red thread of running stitch each 3.5 centimeters apart. The edges are frayed to 1.2 centimeters. .2) A larger rectangle of yellow lawn with three horizontal rows 7.8 centimeters apart and three vertical rows 10 centimeters apart of long stitch, stitched in blue thread. The edges are frayed to 2 centimeters. .3) A small square of yellow lawn with three horizontal rows and three vertical rows of blue thread of running stitch, each 1.9 centimeters apart. The edges are frayed to 1.5 centimeters. .4) A larger rectangle of yellow lawn with three horizontal rows 9 centimeters apart and three vertical rows 11.2 centimeters apart of running stitch, stitched in red thread. The edges are hemmed with two rows of long stitch .5 centimeter apart with a loose blue thread of laced running stitch weaving in and out of the red long stitch. .5) A rectangle of hemmed yellow lawn with a pocket formed at each end. Two rows of long stitch in red thread hem the edges with a blue thread stitched between each red stitch. The pockets are formed by turning back the edges and stitching them down in brown thread. R.M. is embroidered in brown chain stitch on the right side. .6) A rectangle of hemmed blue lawn the same as the previous piece but with five rows of back stitch in yellow and orange thread creating a pattern. .7) A rectangle of blue lawn with the top and bottom edges hemmed with two rows of long stitch close together in yellow and orange. The other two edge are frayed to 2.5 centimeters and has four rows of long stitch .7 centimeter apart in yellow and orange thread. .8) A blue lawn bag with two packets was made by hemming a rectangle of fabric on three sides in long stitch with orange thread, then yellow thread between the stitches. The fourth side is hemmed in hemming stitch in yellow thread with blanket stitch in yellow thread along the edge. This edge is folded up by one third to create a pocket. The edges on either side are stitched together. A row of chain stitch in orange thread is stitched down the middle to create two pockets. A tape is stitched to either side at the top and this is folded over the pocket. .9) A cream cotton with sateen weave rectangle is hemmed with a double row of orange thread in long stitch. On both sides is embroidery in orange and yellow thread. .10) A yellow cotton with sateen weave baby's bib is made from a rectangle of fabric with a semi circle cut out of the top. The edges are turned and hemmed with a narrower turning on the neck. A tape is stitched at either side of the neck. On the front is embroidered a train in blue and yellow threads. .11) A yellow lawn embroidery sampler using blue and brown thread shows long stitch, stem stitch, herringbone stitch, chain stitch, fly stitch, lazy daisy stitch, cross stitch and satin stitch. It is hemmed using drawn thread work and the bottom is scalloped and finished in blanket stitch. .12) A pink lawn embroidery sampler with green thread shows herringbone stitch, stem stitch, running stitch, chain stitch, cross stitch, lazy daisy stitch, fly stitch, feather stitch, satin stitch and back stitch. The bottom is scalloped and finished in buttonhole stitched. The other three edges are hemmed using drawn thread work. .13) A small cream flannel square with two smaller squares are stitched together down the middle in decreasing sizes using chain stitch. The largest piece is hemmed using both herringbone and a decorative blanket stitch. It also has a run and fell seam on the opposite side using both running and herringbone stitches. A row of feather stitch is on either side of the seam. The two smaller squares are frayed on the edges. .14) A cream rectangular flannel sampler has two seams along the length. One is a run and fell seam using running and herringbone stitches and the other is an open seam using running stitch and both edges are stitched down with herringbone stitch. The two shorter edges are bound and the longer edges have a tape which is stitched down to neaten the edges. On the right side are two rows of feather stitch. .15) This blue lawn apron has a rectangular gathered skirt which is attached to a waistband and in turn attached to a bib front which goes over the head. The bib and skirt sides are hemmed using decorative blanket stitch in pink and dark blue thread. The skirt hem and both sides of the waistband are stitched in two rows of herringbone in pink and dark blue thread. .16) This pale pink lawn child's shirt has french seam side seams, a waist band to which the shirt is attached using slight gathering. The sleeves have cuffs. There is a front facing and a collar and there is a small pocket in the left hand breast. .17) These yellow knitted gloves are made using plain stitch for the hand and rib for the wrist.Written on paper and stitched on to a couple of items - Ruth McGannon V.3 - 312 Written on paper and stitched to the gloves - Margaret Russell x No2embroidery, sampler, gloves, stitches, sewing, knitting, apron, costume, needlework, dressmaking, textiles

This quilt was created by Ms Shirley Critchley, c.1960. it was made in a wagga style from unpicked knitted jumpers that Shirley would repurpose. Some of these jumpers were from her daughters out growing their garments, while others were from jumpers Shirley would find at opportunity stores. One of Shirley’s daughters, Jane McGrath, followed in her mother’s footsteps and begun quilting with Shirley’s guidance. One of Jane’s first quilts, the “Tartan Fabric Sample Quilt” is located within the National Wool Museum’s collection (REG 8282). Multicoloured wagga style quilt. The quilt’s top layer is made from unpicked knitted woollen jumpers. These jumpers are in a variety of colours including yellow, blue, green, and red. Some blocks are a single colour, while others have been knitted with a different secondary colour such as grey or white to give noise. The quilt has an unknown insulating fabric. It shares its backing fabric with the material used to bind the edges together. This material is a woollen blanket in a tartan pattern of a blue background with green and red lines. The quilt is sized to suit a single bed. quilts, wagga, upcycle, shirley critchley/jane mcgrath collection, woollen jumpers

The equipment items in this photograph are loaned out to Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) patient's to use in their homes. They are returned to RDNS and sterilized, or cleaned with disinfectant, whichever is appropriate, once they are no longer required. The material items are given to patient's as required. Many of these items are made and donated by RDNS Auxiliary members. From its inception in 1885, the two Trained nurses (Nurses) of the Melbourne District Nursing Society (MDNS) worked in the now CBD, ie from Spencer Street to Spring Street and from Victoria Parade to Flinders Street. At that time they walked the streets and lane ways amid the slums of inner Melbourne carrying their nursing bags containing lotion, ointments, powders, liniment, bandages, dressings, a case of spirits, and the Nurse's own clean apron, soap and small towel. They supplied equipment on loan, such as earthenware hot water bottles, splints, urinals, bed pans, bed cradles, feeding mugs, and air-cushions as well as providing blankets and clean bed linen, and nightdresses and clothes as necessary. The Society was at the forefront of health care and continued to liaise with Doctors as the Society expanded. The Nurses provided high quality nursing care to a range of people, often in destitute situations, some lying on rags on the floor as they had no bed, others with just a bed and maybe a thin blanket, a chair and nothing else. Their ages ranged from babes, children, adults to the elderly. The Nurses gave medications as ordered, dressed wounds e.g. to the injured, and surgical cases, and to those with leg ulcers; attended to patients with ‘surgical ailments’ such as ‘hip disease’; gave care to those with acute illnesses such as bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, measles, and scarlet fever, as well as those with chronic illnesses such as consumption (tuberculosis), heart disease, arthritis, cancer, debility, neuritis and paralysis. They educated their patients, and their Carers, in the curing and prevention of disease; Over the years items were given and equipment was loaned and demonstrated to patients, and if appropriate, to their family members to enable them to care for their loved ones in their homes. The Trained nurses had the rehabilitation of their patients in the forefront of their minds to ensure they were able to live as independently as possible in their own homes. As the years passed the Trained nurses changed from being called 'Nurse' to 'Sister' and the Society changed its name. In the 1970s, now with Royal patronage, and known as Royal District Nursing Service ( RDNS), they contracted a Private and then employed, a Physiotherapist who taught RDNS Sisters the correct transferring techniques, including the use of a hoist when this became available. RDNS Sisters taught and used these techniques in patient’s homes to undertake safe transfer of the patient and to reduce physical strain on RDNS nursing staff and family members. Each RDNS Centre had a room or shed where equipment for loan was kept, and Headquarters also kept additional equipment which could be transported to Centres as required. This black and white photograph shows some of the equipment loaned, along with some to be given, to Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) patients as required. Rear L-R - a white long nightdress with dark embroidery and buttons on the front and embroidery on the edge of the short sleeves. Next are two wooden bath seats; a square metal commode with lid and with its round legs extended to form handles on the left and right sides. A folded dark and white striped crocheted rug hangs over one of the handles. In the centre L-R, is a metal bed cradle, a metal 4 prong walking stick, bed pans, male urinal, stack of nappies with a white child's knitted jumper hanging over them, and a doona. In the front, L-R is a grey blanket, dark coloured bed socks, a sheepskin with a white smocked baby dress sitting on it, and a white babies nightgown on a clear plastic covered white bundle. A black mat sits under these items and a cream brick wall is in the background. Barry Sutton LS 47royal district nursing service, rdns, rdns equipment, rdns auxiliaries

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.