Marion Gibson was born in Scotland, the daughter of a tailor. In 1854 she married John Gibson, a bootmaker, and the two sailed for Australia. They settled in Colac in Victoria where John set up business as a bootmaker until 1875, when he changed careers to fulfil his lifetime ambition of farming. They bought a property, 'Narringa', outside Hay. There Marion Gibson established a home for her family, which eventually grew to nine children, eight boys and one girl. In addition to her work in the home and her activities on behalf of rural settlers generally, Marion was known for her skills as a needlewoman and this is only one of a number of pieces that survive. This cloth appears in the photo of Marion and John Gibson taken to commemorate their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1904.

The Museum's collection of domestic objects documents the range of women's work in the home, with a particular focus on the home made. This is an excellent example of domestic needlework which has been designed, fabricated and used by Marion Gibson in Hay, New South Wales. Along with this table cover, the Museum holds other items made by Marion Gibson, including the important 'Friendship Quilt' which is accompanied by Gibson's detailed description of its construction and materials and the reason for making the quilt. The imaginative use of scrap materials in the tablecloth provides an excellent indicator of the range and type of material available in rural New South Wales at the time it was made.

It is rare to find a piece such as this that is so well provenanced and in addition it relates, and provides an excellent contrast, to the pieced quilt already in the collection. The technique used to create this table cover demonstrates the diverse skills of rural needlewomen in New South Wales as they entered the 20th century. The use of crazy patchwork, a technique fashionable in America at the time, is also of interest and indicates the rapid diffusion of styles from America to even relatively isolated parts of New South Wales. However this patchwork technique was not without its detractors. In 1884 an editorial in 'Harper's Bazaar' complained 'the makers of crazy patchwork seem to have entered on the insane route that takes reason prisoner'. In 1889, the 'Sewing Machine Advance' claimed that a crazy quilt was so called 'because it drives a man nearly crazy when his wife makes one, for it keeps her so busily engaged that she has no time for other work.'

This table cover was made by Marion Gibson at her home 'Narringa', Gunbar, near Hay, New South Wales, Australia between 1890-1904.

Marion Gemmel, the daughter of a tailor in Fenwick, Scotland, married John Gibson of Ayreshire in 1854 and shortly afterwards they sailed for Australia on the 'Lightning'. They lived first in Colac where John followed his trade of bootmaker and then in 1874 bought land at Gunbar near Hay and established a sheep farm. Together they had nine children, eight boys and one girl, with two of the boys dying in infancy.

Patchwork, appliqué, embroidered and quilted textiles have been a part of Australia's needlework history since the early days of the colony. Undertaking needlework during the late Victorian period suggesting that the maker was well to do, being a symbol of leisure and serving as a pleasant way to pass the time rather than an economic necessity.

Crazy patchwork was a new form of patchwork and quilting that was particularly popular in the 1890s. The style originated in the United States, however is believed to have been influenced by Japanese art objects. Japan, having only recently reopened to Western trade after more than 200 years of its prohibition, held for Western countries tremendous fascination. Japanese art objects were displayed at international exhibitions such as the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Exhibited Japanese screens were described as being decorated by patches of materials with painted or embroidered designs, and in 1882 American magazine 'Harper's Bazaar' referred to 'mosaic patchwork of odd bits' as 'Japanese Patch'. It is likely that these elements, along with the crackled-ice and asymmetric designs of Japanese objects, influenced the development of crazy patchwork. The technique focussed on bringing together different colours, shapes and textures to produce a vibrant mix, and patchworks were further enriched by embroidering the joins and randomly adding flowers, birds and other decorative elements.

This tablecloth, with its rich use of colour, materials and patterns, is typical of the crazy patchwork style. Made by Marion Gibson in around 1885 to 1904, it is extremely well provenanced and gives insight into needlework practices in Australia at the time. This table cover was possibly made by Marion Gibson at the same time as her 'crazy quilt' patchwork bedcover 90/731. The cover appears in a photograph of Marion and John Gibson taken to commemorate their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1904.

Table cover, embroidered patchwork, silk / wool / cotton, made by Marion Gibson, Hay, New South Wales, Australia, c.1890.

Square table cover, traditional handpieced 'crazy quilt' patchwork, constructed from irregularly shaped pieces cut from a variety of silks, cottons, velvets and wools in dark and mutred shades of maroon, green, grey and blue with black and cream. All edges with large, embroidered overstitching using a variety of decorative stitches including herringbone, fether, stem, blanket, satin, dot and looped backstitch with French knots and couched metallic thread. Lozenge shaped centre patch worked with an embroidered spray of flowers and leaves, small floral motifs at each corner and small floral buds scattered randomly over the cloth.

Maker: Gibson, Marion; Hay, New South Wales; 1890 - 1904

92/168

1890 - 1904

550 mm

550 mm