♪ WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA.

COME MEET MY NEW FRIENDS.

WE ARE IN THE CAPITAL-- NOT SYDNEY, BUT CANBERRA.

IT'S A BEAUTIFULLY PLANNED CITY, WITH PARKS, GARDENS BURSTING WITH COLOR, AND SCULPTURE, SURROUNDING SCENIC LAKES.

INTERESTINGLY, THE CITY WAS DESIGNED BY AN AMERICAN-- CHICAGO ARCHITECT WALTER BURLEY GRIFFIN, BUT WE DIDN'T COME HERE TO LOOK AT ARCHITECTURE.

WE CAME TO SEE QUILTS.

♪ IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL, PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER, BY FAIRFIELD PROCESSING, MAKER OF POLY-FIL BRAND PRODUCTS, AND BY COATS & CLARK, SERVING AMERICA'S SEWING NEEDS FOR OVER 125 YEARS, FEATURING COATS DUAL DUTY PLUS SEWING AND QUILTING THREAD.

HERE WE ARE AT LANYON HOMESTEAD, RIGHT OUTSIDE CANBERRA, IN A VERY RELAXED SETTING AND WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET CHRISTINA SUMNER, WHO IS FROM THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM AND IS CURATOR OF TEXTILES THERE.

WE'RE ANXIOUS TO HEAR YOU TELL US ABOUT AN OVERVIEW OF AUSTRALIAN QUILTMAKING.

WELL, PROBABLY THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT HERE, WE USE THE TERM QUILT IN A MUCH LOOSER SENSE THAN YOU DO IN AMERICA.

QUILTS HERE MAY BE QUILTED OR THEY MAY NOT.

THEY MAY HAVE AN IN-BETWEEN LAYER AND THEY MAY NOT BUT GENERALLY NOT.

THEY MAY BE PATCHWORK, AND THEY MAY BE APPLIQUÉ AND ALSO EVEN CROCHETED-- SOMETIMES A CROCHETED QUILT.

WE USE THE SAME WORD.

DO YOU HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF QUILTS TO BASE THESE FACTS ON?

NOT NEARLY AS MANY AS YOU HAVE IN AMERICA OR AS MANY AS THERE WERE IN IRELAND.

IT'S MORE A MATTER OF HUNDREDS RATHER THAN THOUSANDS.

AND THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS.

FOR A START, IT'S TO DO WITH THE POPULATION IN AUSTRALIA.

IT WAS A PENAL COLONY, OF COURSE, FOUNDED IN 1788.

AND THERE WERE FAR FEWER WOMEN, PROPORTIONALLY, THAN THERE WERE MEN.

THE WOMEN THAT WERE HERE IN THE EARLY YEARS, AND ALSO, REALLY, UNTIL THE GOLD-RUSH DAYS, WERE FAR TOO BUSY WITH SURVIVAL AND THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE-- MAKING CLOTHES, ESSENTIAL DOMESTIC SEWING-- AND THEY HAD VERY LITTLE TIME FOR THE TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS OF MAKING AN EMBROIDERED QUILT OR A PATCH QUILT.

MM-HMM.

AND ALSO, THERE WEREN'T AS MANY MATERIALS.

MATERIALS WERE IN SHORT SUPPLY.

THEY ALL HAD TO BE IMPORTED, ALTHOUGH, OF COURSE, WE PRODUCED WOOL HERE AND DID FROM THE EARLY 19th CENTURY.

IT WAS ALL EXPORTED FOR PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURING, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COTTON INDUSTRY THAT YOU HAVE IN AMERICA.

WELL, THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.

NOW, AS FAR AS YOUR JOB AS CURATOR, WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO QUILTMAKING, CHRISTINA?

WE'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE QUILTMAKERS THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS THE QUILTS, OF COURSE, AND IN BOTH HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY QUILTS-- WE'RE ACQUIRING IN BOTH AREAS.

AND FROM A CURATORIAL POINT OF VIEW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF THE QUILT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT IN WHICH IT WAS MADE AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO INTERPRET THAT, TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO OUR VISITORS WHEN THE QUILTS ARE ON DISPLAY.

WHAT ABOUT THIS EXAMPLE-- THE M.J.H.

QUILT?

WELL, M.J.H.

IS MARY JANE HANNAFORD, AND SHE MADE THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE WHEN SHE WAS 81 IN 1921, AND IT'S VERY CHARACTERISTIC OF HER WORK.

IT'S AN APPLIQUÉ QUILT WITH NO PADDING.

IT'S JUST APPLIQUÉD STRAIGHT ON THE COTTON GROUND.

AND IT'S VERY TYPICAL, I THINK, OF-- IT EXPRESSES PARTICULARLY WELL THE AMOUNT OF LOVE AND EFFORT AND ENERGY THAT WOMEN PUT INTO THEIR QUILTING, INTO DOMESTIC TEXTILES, GENERALLY, BUT PERHAPS PARTICULARLY INTO QUILTING.

IT'S EXTREMELY DECORATIVE, UM, AS WELL AS BEARING SOME VERY POIGNANT MESSAGES, AND I SUSPECT IT'S THE WAY SHE FELT ABOUT HER LIFE AND HER MARRIAGE AND HER CHILDREN AND HER ENVIRONMENT.

THIS IS A SERIES OF QUILTS SHE'S MADE, YOU DO BELIEVE.

IS THAT TRUE?

SHE MADE SEVERAL, MOST OF THEM-- TWO AT LEAST-- IN THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL GALLERY ARE SIGNED JUST "M.J.H."

WE ONLY FOUND OUT A YEAR AGO THAT M.J.H.

STANDS FOR MARY JANE HANNAFORD.

SO WE DO NOW HAVE QUITE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT HER AND ABOUT HER FAMILY.

AND TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER SO-CALLED MAYBE MORE TRADITIONAL OR ANTIQUE QUILTS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION.

WHAT IS THIS WAGGA?

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

AH, THE WAGGA.

THE WAGGA IS A PHENOMENON OF THE 1930s, A DEPRESSION ERA HERE, AS IT WAS IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.

IT'S A CURIOUS TERM, AND IT SEEMS AS IF IT CAME FROM THE FLOUR BAG BED COVERS, OR QUILTS, AS WE WOULD CALL THEM, THAT WERE PIECED TOGETHER BY THE SQUATTERS AND THE BUSHMEN IN THE AREA OF WAGGA WAGGA, WHICH IS A TOWN IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

AND THE WAGGA ITSELF IS PIECED TOGETHER, USUALLY FROM SUITING SCRAPS OR SHIRTING SCRAPS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COLLECTED BY THE MAKER FROM THE LOCAL TAILOR-- VERY OFTEN FROM A SWATCH BOOK, A SAMPLE BOOK-- AND THEY HAVE THIS VERY CHARACTERISTIC LOOK ABOUT THEM-- VERY SIMPLY DESIGNED, USUALLY WITH A STRAIGHT CHECK PATTERN OR SOMETIMES A PATTERN OF DIAMONDS OR RECTANGLES, AND THEY OFTEN DO HAVE A FILLING IN THEM, AND THE FILLING WOULD HAVE BEEN SOCKS, OLD JUMPERS, OLD BITS OF BLANKETS, AND ARE SOMETIMES QUILTED THROUGH AS WELL.

THERE WAS ANOTHER QUILT THAT LOOKED VERY IMPORTANT IN THE COLLECTION-- THE ONE THAT HAD THE MOTIF IN THE CENTER, THE SO-CALLED SYMBOL OF AUSTRALIA.

THIS IS THE ONE WE CALL THE LOGO QUILT.

IT'S A MEDALLION QUILT WITH A RED-ON-WHITE APPLIQUÉ MOTIF IN THE CENTER THAT, IN FACT, IS THE UNOFFICIAL-- A VERSION OF THE UNOFFICIAL COAT OF ARMS IN AUSTRALIA.

IT WAS MADE IN THE LATE 1890s BY SOMEBODY WHO IS IDENTIFIED ONLY AS GRANNY BROWN.

DO YOU SENSE THE IMPACT ON THE WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY ON ENGLISH PIECEWORK AND THAT HERITAGE GOING BACK TO IRELAND AND ENGLAND?

BECAUSE I SENSE IT IN OUR COUNTRY, AND MAYBE WE'RE INDEBTED TO THOSE WOMEN.

VERY MUCH SO.

THE ENGLISH METHOD IS THE ONE THAT WAS USED IN THE EARLY YEARS, WITH HEXAGONS BEING EXTREMELY POPULAR, ALSO DIAMONDS.

ONE OF THE CURIOUS THINGS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN PATCHWORK QUILTS IS THAT THE TUMBLING BLOCK PATTERN SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN KNOWN HERE SOME 10 YEARS BEFORE IT WAS EVER PRACTICED IN AMERICA.

THERE'S A REFERENCE IN A JOURNAL, A DIARY, BY A GIRL CALLED ANNABELLA INNES-- HER DIARY WAS UNDER HER MARRIED NAME OF ANNABELLA BOSWELL-- BUT SHE TALKS ABOUT MAKING TUMBLING BLOCKS OUT OF SILK, AND THIS IS ABOUT 1835.

OH, WELL, THAT'S A ONE-UPMANSHIP RIGHT THERE.

WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THIS WONDERFUL UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE IMPARTED TO US AND WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS IN YOUR ACQUISITION OF QUILTS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GEORGIA.

WE ARE HERE AT THE WAR MEMORIAL ANNEX IN CANBERRA WITH WENDY DODD, SENIOR TEXTILE CONSERVATOR.

THIS IS THE ROOM SET ASIDE FOR PREPARING ITEMS FOR STORAGE AND DISPLAY.

WENDY WILL INFORM US ABOUT TWO VERY SPECIAL QUILTS.

IF THESE PATCHES COULD TALK, I CAN IMAGINE THE STORIES THAT THEY WOULD TELL.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND THESE 2 QUILTS?

YES.

THE WAR MEMORIAL HOLDS IN ITS--HAS IN ITS CARE TWO QUILTS THAT WERE MADE IN CHANGI PRISON BY WOMEN WHO WERE INTERNED FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR.

THIS PARTICULAR QUILT WAS MADE TO GIVE TO THE JAPANESE OFFICERS IN THE HOPE THAT THE JAPANESE WOULD THEN HAND THE OTHER TWO QUILTS ON TO THE HOSPITAL IN CHANGI.

AND THEY DID SO.

IT WORKED.

THE IDEA WORKED.

YES.

THE WOMEN AND MEN WERE KEPT IN SEPARATE PARTS OF CHANGI PRISON, AND NEITHER KNEW WHO WAS IN THE OTHER PART OF THE PRISON.

AND SO THE WOMEN FELT THAT BY EMBROIDERING AND PUTTING THEIR NAMES ON THE QUILTS, THEY WOULD LET THE MEN IN THE OTHER SECTION KNOW WHO WAS ALIVE AND WELL.

THE OTHER ONE IS MUCH MORE SENTIMENTAL.

CAN WE LOOK AT THAT ONE?

CERTAINLY.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS PARTICULAR QUILT IS A LITTLE BROWNER.

IT'S BEEN EXPOSED MORE TO LIGHT?

YES, AND ALSO, THE FABRIC THAT THEY USED WAS MADE FROM SCRAPS, SO SOME OF THEM HAD PROBABLY HAD FAIR BIT OF WEAR AND LIFE BEFORE THEY WERE MADE INTO THE QUILT.

I SEE, AND THERE IS ONE PARTICULAR BLOCK THAT HAS A VERY TOUCHING SAYING ON IT.

TELL US ABOUT A COUPLE OF THE BLOCKS HERE.

YES, WELL, THIS QUILT SHOWS MUCH MORE OF THE WOMEN'S FEELING ABOUT BEING IN CHANGI PRISON.

THIS PARTICULAR ONE SHOWS THAT PEOPLE WERE WANTING TO GET HOME.

IN FACT, ONE OF THEM SAYS, "HOW LONG, O LORD, HOW LONG!"

SO IT'S GOT MUCH MORE OF THE SENTIMENT.

A LOT OF THEM ALSO DEPICT THEIR NATIONALITY.

THERE ARE SCOTCH THISTLES AND OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT GIVE A CLUE TO THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON WHO MADE IT.

YOU MENTIONED THERE WERE A COUPLE YOU KNEW--QUITE SURE THEY WERE DUTCH.

YOU COULD TELL FROM WHAT THEY DID.

YES, FROM THEIR SIGNATURE.

NOW, HAVE THEY BEEN ON DISPLAY?

YES, THEY HAVE.

FROM TIME TO TIME, THEY'VE BEEN ON DISPLAY.

THEY'VE BEEN ON LOAN SOMETIMES AND BEEN ON DISPLAY AT THE WAR MEMORIAL, BUT THE FRAGILE NATURE OF TEXTILES MEANS THAT THEY CAN'T BE ON DISPLAY FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THESE WONDERFUL QUILTS AND THE STORIES WITH THEM.

IT'S A PLEASURE.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN QUILTMAKING, INCLUDING THE CHANGI PRISON, YOU CAN READ "PATCHWORK QUILTS IN AUSTRALIA," WRITTEN BY MARGARET ROLFE.

THE HOW-TO PART OF OUR SHOW TODAY INCLUDES TWO BLOCKS-- JOSEPH'S COAT AND WEATHERVANE.

THEY'RE BOTH 12-INCH SQUARES AND NOW TO THE SEWING MACHINE.

JOSEPH'S COAT IS A BASIC NINE PATCH.

THAT IS, THE BLOCK IS DIVIDED INTO NINE SEPARATE SECTIONS.

NOW, FOR THIS BLOCK, IT REQUIRES SIX TEMPLATES.

WE COULD CALL THIS, INSTEAD OF A COAT OF MANY COLORS, A PATCH, A BLOCK OF MANY COLORS.

IN THIS SORT OF BLOCK, I LIKE TO GO TO THE SMALLEST PIECES FIRST TO PUT TOGETHER.

NOTICE THAT THERE'S ONE TEMPLATE FOR THE CENTER AREA, AND THEN THE CORNERS ARE REPEATED FOUR TIMES, AND THEN THE MIDDLE PART ARE REPEATED FOUR TIMES.

TO GO TO THE SMALLER SECTIONS, YOU CAN JUST SEW CONTINUALLY.

I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS LITTLE TIP-- I THINK IT'S EASIER TO START SEWING THIS WAY, RATHER THAN ALWAYS HAVING THAT 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO START IN ON.

SO I WOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE MY WHOLE KITE OF STARTING HERE-- I HAVE LINED UP THAT 45-DEGREE ANGLE-- AND CONTINUALLY SEW ALL THE WAY DOWN.

YOU CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THREAD IN BETWEEN, AND THEN YOU WOULD SNIP THOSE APART, AND LET'S PRETEND THAT THIS OTHER SIDE HAS BEEN SEWN.

IT'S JUST PINNED RIGHT NOW.

BUT ONCE THAT HAS BEEN OPENED AND PRESSED, THEN YOU CAN USE THE RECTANGLE, THAT IS, THE CENTER RECTANGLE AS PART OF THAT SECTION AS A MASTER TEMPLATE TO CHECK AND SEE HOW YOU'VE DONE.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THIS CENTER TEMPLATE CAN BE USED TO CHECK THE COMPLETION OF THAT WHOLE SECTION RIGHT THERE.

IF IT'S EEKING OUT OVER THERE, TAKE YOUR SNIPS AND GET IT ALL TRIMMED OFF.

AFTER ALL, YOU WANT THE NINE SECTIONS TO BE THE SAME SHAPE AND THE SAME SIZE WHEN YOU START SEWING THEM TOGETHER.

NOW, TO PUT THEM TOGETHER, YOU WILL CREATE THREE ROWS.

THOSE ROWS WILL HAVE STAGGERED SEAMS AT THE INTERSECTION.

WE'VE PUT A NINE PATCH TOGETHER TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.

LET'S PRETEND WE'VE GOT ONE ROW TOGETHER, AND ONCE IT'S SEWN, PRESS YOUR SEAMS OUTWARD.

THE CENTER ROW, PRESS THOSE SEAMS IN, AND THIS ONE PRESS OUT.

THEN YOU CAN SIMPLY SEW ACROSS.

AND REMEMBER TO RELEASE THIS AREA RIGHT HERE AND ALLOWS YOU TO FLOAT THOSE INTERSECTIONS SO NICELY.

PRETTY SOON, YOUR BASIC NINE PATCH WILL GO TOGETHER.

I'VE TRIED TO INCREASE THAT, AND IT'S WORKED VERY NICELY.

WE SAW SO MANY QUILTS IN AUSTRALIA THAT HAD SIGNATURES ON THEM.

AND THESE ARE NICE TO DO FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS-- A WEDDING, A RETIREMENT.

AND IT'S BIGGER, ISN'T IT?

WELL, I TOOK THE 4" AND INCREASED IT TO 6".

SO WE NOW HAVE AN 18" BLOCK.

AND I DREW THAT ON THE GRID GRIP, KEPT THE PAPER ON, MAKING EACH ONE OF THESE A TEMPLATE.

AND CERTAINLY IS A COAT OF MANY COLORS.

WE'LL SIGN IT, AND IT WILL GO INTO A WALL HANGING.

NOW ON TO OUR WEATHERVANE.

THE WEATHERVANE, ANOTHER NINE-PATCH BLOCK, THIS TIME WITH FIVE TEMPLATES.

THE CORNERS ARE THE SAME.

THEY'RE PIECED, AND THIS MID-AREA IS THE SAME.

YOU CAN SEE FOUR MID-AREAS.

NOW, JUST AS BEFORE, I WOULD GO TO THE SMALLEST SECTIONS FIRST TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

AND WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THAT FLYING GEESE COMPLEX.

YOU'RE GOING TO LINE UP YOUR 45-DEGREE ANGLE, SEW AND FLIP BACK.

AND ONCE AGAIN, SEW AND FLIP BACK.

CHECK THAT TEMPLATE AREA WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THIS TEMPLATE AND SEW IT TOGETHER.

NOW, FOR THE CORNERS, YOU'VE GOT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE QUICK PIECING.

I WOULD DO THAT WITH THIS TRIANGLE, KNOWING THAT EVERY TIME I DRAW AROUND A TRIANGLE ONCE AND FLIP IT OVER AND DRAW AGAIN, I AM REPRESENTING A SQUARE.

THE REASON I AM DOING THAT IS BECAUSE THEN I'M GOING TO GO SEW ON EITHER SIDE, AS I'VE DONE HERE, OF THAT STRAIGHT LINE.

THEN I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY THICK RULER AND MY ROTARY CUTTER AGAIN AND GO AHEAD AND TRIM THAT ALL UP AND START CUTTING.

IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING.

IT'S LIKE MAGIC TO SEE THAT COME TOGETHER.

I'M GOING TO CUT ONE OF THEM OUT AND GO AHEAD AND PRESS IT.

WHAT I REALLY LIKE IS THAT MY SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE VERY EVEN.

THERE'S NOTHING EEKING OUT THEN.

OPEN THAT UP, AND I'VE GOT MY SQUARE.

DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT THAT SEAM ALLOWANCE TO GO-- EITHER TO THE RED OR THE PRINT-- AND PRESS IT.

I USUALLY PRESS ON BOTH SIDES.

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST TO DIRECT THE SEAM, AND THEN ANOTHER TIME, IT'S TO GO ALL THE WAY OUT SO THERE'S NOT A LIP THAT ACCUMULATES THERE.

THEN I WOULD TAKE MY TEMPLATE AND LINE THAT UP, OR EVEN BETTER, I WOULD COME WITH THIS SEE-THROUGH RULER.

I'VE GOT THAT DIAGONAL LINE, AND I KNOW I WANT EXACTLY THE SIZE AND IF IT'S GROWN A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT'LL SOMETIMES HAPPEN, I'LL JUST TRIM IT OFF THERE AND TRIM IT OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE.

THE SAME WAY, LINE UP THE DIAGONAL, TRIM.

ALL RIGHT, THOSE GO IN THESE CORNER UNITS.

KEEP IN MIND, IT'S EASY TO TURN THEM AROUND.

THIS COULD HAPPEN, OR THIS COULD HAPPEN, IN WHICH CASE, WE SAY, "WE'VE CREATED A NEW BLOCK."

BUT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO IS LIKE THIS.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL BLOCK TO PUT IN A WHOLE QUILT, SAY, REPEATED NINE TIMES.

IN THE CLUB SANDWICH QUILT, I KEPT THIS AREA OF THE WEATHERVANE JUST PLAIN.

HOWEVER, IT'S A NATURAL TO PUT A HORSE AND A DIRECTIONAL ARROW RIGHT INSIDE.

NOW, THE TEMPLATES COME WITH THAT BLOCK, AND YOU COULD TAKE THE TIME TO APPLIQUÉ ALL THESE FUSSY LITTLE CORNERS HERE AND THIS FUSSY LITTLE POINT, BUT I THINK IT'D BE A LOT EASIER TO CUT THOSE OUT OF YOUR GRID GRIP, AND THEN SECURING THAT ON THE PIECED BLOCK, YOU CAN DO STRAIGHT STITCHING TO SECURE IT.

ONCE THAT'S BEEN SEWN IN PLACE, THEN I WOULD LIFT THIS OFF AND TRIM THE EXCESS FABRIC UP TO THAT STRAIGHT LINE.

THEN A SIMPLE SATIN STITCH AROUND THIS WOULD SECURE IT.

NOW, TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER WITH THE WEATHERVANE PATTERN, I'VE TAKEN THE BLOCK AND ENLARGED THE CORNER AREAS TO FRAME THE WHOLE SECTION FOR A WALL HANGING, AND, OF COURSE, FOR OUR TRIP TO AUSTRALIA, I HAD TO PUT A KANGAROO.

GOT HIS PATTERN JUST OFF A LITTLE MAGNETIC DISPLAY.

I'M GOING TO DO SOME QUILTING NOW.

THE TOP IS BASTED LOOSELY, AND I'M USING A LOW LOFT BATTING.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT BATTING MORE ON ANOTHER SHOW.

BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DO OUR QUILTING.

THE QUILTING HERE IS SIMPLE ECHO QUILTING ALL THE WAY AROUND THE KANGAROO, WHERE I HAVE MARKED WITH EITHER A LIGHT-GRAY PENCIL OR MY CHALK WHEEL.

YOU COULD EVEN TRY SOME FLEXITAPE THAT DOES CURVE VERY NICELY AROUND THE TAIL.

NOW TO DO SOME QUILTING.

WELCOME TO THE UFO AREA ON OUR SET-- UNFINISHED QUILTS OR IN PROGRESS.

THIS IS THE TRUE COLORS QUILT, SPORTING THE BLOCKS OF THE DAY-- JOSEPH'S COAT.

CAN YOU SEE WHERE I TURNED THE BARS THIS TIME?

AND THEN THE WEATHERVANE BLOCK.

AND I KEPT IT PLAIN AGAIN.

THIS QUILT IS BEING MACHINE-QUILTED IN LONG ROWS.

IT DEFINITELY IS IN PROGRESS.

I'M USING A COTTON BATTING, AND I'LL START MACHINE-QUILTING RIGHT IN THIS CENTER AREA.

THEN, FOR THIS FULL STARS OVER THE SMOKIES QUILT, I'M USING A SUPPORTED LAP HOOP.

I PUT THIS TOGETHER AS A QUILT TOP.

IT WAS TO BE A WEDDING QUILT, BUT NOW IT'S AN ANNIVERSARY QUILT.

I LIKE TO QUILT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BY PLACING THE CENTER AREA IN MY HOOP, AND THEN QUILTING TOWARDS ME.

I CAN THEN HAVE THIS ARM FREE, AND I'M SIMPLY USING AN INDENTED THIMBLE AND MAKING CERTAIN THAT ONCE THE NEEDLE IS DOWN, I'M ABLE TO ROCK THAT TOWARDS ME EACH TIME, TAKING ABOUT TWO TO THREE STITCHES.

A LOT MORE STITCHES TO GO ON THIS QUILT.

THE WEATHERVANE WILL GET DONE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER BECAUSE IT'S A SMALLER PROJECT.

AND HERE I'M ABLE TO SIMPLY LAP QUILT.

I HAVE BASTED THIS, AND NOW I'M GOING TO PUT A FOOLPROOF KNOT IN A THREAD THAT'S ABOUT 18 TO 20 INCHES LONG.

IT'S A QUILTING THREAD.

I LIKE TO USE A SHORT NEEDLE, ABOUT A SIZE 12, AND PUT THAT FOOLPROOF KNOT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE END.

I'LL PULL THAT EXCESS THREAD THROUGH THE LAYERS, COME RIGHT UP ON THAT CHALK LINE THAT I'VE MARKED, GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF A YANK, AND YOU CAN SEE IT COME THROUGH.

NOW, HOLDING THIS HAND, MY OFF HAND OPPOSITE, I'M READY TO CONNECT THE LAYERS.

AND I'LL TAKE, OH, TWO TO THREE STITCHES EACH TIME, MAKING THAT LEFT HAND REALLY WORK FOR ME AS I CONNECT THE LAYERS.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND RETURN TO AUSTRALIA.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY IS AN IMMENSE STRUCTURE, HOUSING ART DATING BACK TO THE FIRST PENAL SETTLEMENT.

MEET JOHN McPHEE, SENIOR CURATOR OF AUSTRALIAN ART AT THE GALLERY.

HE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING THE GALLERY'S EXTENSIVE DECORATIVE ARTS COLLECTION.

OH, JOHN, A VERY SOMBER-LOOKING QUILT.

TELL US ABOUT THIS ONE.

IT'S A BEDSPREAD FROM A POOR HOUSEHOLD, MADE INSTEAD OF BLANKETS-- SOMEBODY WHO COULDN'T AFFORD BLANKETS.

IT'S MADE FROM SUITING SAMPLES, AND IT HAS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE BACK OF THE QUILT-- IF WE CAN CALL IT A QUILT-- ANOTHER LAYER, A DIFFERENT PATTERN, PERHAPS TO BE REVERSIBLE, BUT REALLY TO ADD WEIGHT TO THE WHOLE THING AND WARMTH TO THE BED.

NOW TO SOMETHING MORE COLORFUL.

AH, LOVELY.

VICTORIAN ALMOST.

YES, ABOUT 1890.

MADE IN OUTBACK NEW SOUTH WALES BY A WOMAN WHO OBVIOUSLY HAD MUCH MORE LEISURE TIME AND WAS SKILLED AS AN EMBROIDERER.

AS YOU CAN SEE, LOTS OF FLOWERS EMBROIDERED OVER THE TOP OF THE QUILT, UM, AND LOTS OF PIECES OF SILK, AND THEN ALSO A NUMBER OF INITIALS OF HER FRIENDS, HER HUSBAND.

UM, THE FLOWERS ARE MOSTLY ENGLISH GARDEN FLOWERS, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF AUSTRALIAN FLOWERS INCORPORATED IN THE DESIGN.

INTERESTING.

I LIKE THE TEAPOT AND THE CUP OF TEA HERE.

THAT'S VERY NICE.

I HAVE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT THE "RAJAH" QUILT.

CAN WE SEE THAT NOW?

OF COURSE.

OH, JOHN, SUCH A LARGE QUILT TOP.

TELL US ABOUT THIS.

I THINK THEY COULDN'T STOP.

I THINK THE VOYAGE WAS VERY LONG-- ABOUT FOUR MONTHS-- TO COME FROM ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA.

IT WAS DONE ONBOARD SHIP BY CONVICT WOMEN, ENCOURAGED BY ELIZABETH FRY IN BRITAIN, AS A CONVICT REFORMER, TO DO PATCHWORK EN ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA.

THIS WAS ONBOARD THE SHIP "RAJAH" IN 1841.

MANY BUSY HANDS THAT JUST KEPT BUILDING, ALMOST LIKE A MEDALLION QUILT-- JUST KEPT ADDING.

YES.

YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEAMSTRESS OR SEWING ON THE STRIPS HERE, AND OBVIOUSLY INDIVIDUAL WOMEN DID THE STRIPS, THEN THEY'RE ALL JOINED TOGETHER.

SOMEBODY WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE SEWING SKILL DID THE BRODERIE PERSE WITH THE CHINOISERIE FABRIC IN THE CENTER AND AROUND THE BOTTOM EDGE.

I'VE NEVER SEEN IT DONE WITH A TINY CROSS-STITCH, HOWEVER.

I NORMALLY SEE IT WITH A BUTTONHOLE STITCH, SO THAT IS A NEW TWIST RIGHT THERE.

YES.

SO THIS QUILT TOP REALLY ADDS A LOT OF TESTIMONY TO AUSTRALIAN QUILTMAKING OR PATCHWORK.

IT'S THE TOUCHSTONE.

IT'S THE EARLIEST THING THAT WE HAVE IN EXISTENCE.

AND THEY WERE GOING TO THE ISLAND OF TASMANIA.

THEY WERE GOING TO TASMANIA, THEN CALLED VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.

OH.

WELL, READ US WHAT IS ON THE...

THE INSCRIPTION READS... JOHN, WHAT A WONDERFUL DECORATIVE QUILT SPREAD.

TELL US ABOUT IT.

IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY BEDSPREAD, I SUPPOSE, MADE IN ABOUT 1900 TO 1903 IN WESTBURY, A SMALL COUNTRY TOWN IN TASMANIA, BY TWO WOMEN-- SISTERS-- THE MISSES HAMPSON.

IT'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN MADE FROM BLOCKS-- RED, UM, WITH THE WHITE EMBROIDERY AND PATCHWORK ON IT.

YOU CAN JUST GO ON AND ON, SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS, AND IT'S ESPECIALLY WONDERFUL THAT YOU HAVE IT ON DISPLAY HERE AT THE GALLERY, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU'VE SPENT WITH US TODAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

MAYBE YOU NOTICED THE SPECIAL VEST I MADE FOR MY TRIP TO AUSTRALIA, COMPLETE WITH MASK AND FLYING GEESE, AND, OF COURSE, SOME QUILTER'S PINS.

WE GET INSPIRED BY THE FABRIC THAT'S PRINTED, SO WHY NOT DO A MASK VEST?

PATTY ZACH DID THE SAME THING, THIS TIME WITH THE PRIMARY COLORS.

SHE HIGHLIGHTED IT WITH GROSGRAIN RIBBON, TINY TRIANGLES COMING UP, AND BRIGHT COLORS ON THE BACK.

EVEN KANGAROO FABRIC CAN GET US STARTED TO MAKING STUFFED KANGAROOS.

NEXT WEEK, WE GO BACK TO AUSTRALIA, SO JOIN US FOR PART TWO OF "DOWN UNDER."

♪ "LAP QUILTING WITH GEORGIA BONESTEEL" IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM OMNIGRID, THE ORIGINAL, PATENTED BLACK AND YELLOW RULER, BY FAIRFIELD PROCESSING, MAKER OF POLY-FIL BRAND PRODUCTS, AND BY COATS & CLARK, SERVING AMERICA'S SEWING NEEDS FOR OVER 125 YEARS, FEATURING COATS DUAL DUTY PLUS SEWING AND QUILTING THREAD.