Dianne Finnegan's contribution to quilting in Australia is considerable and it is important that her work is represented in the Powerhouse Museum's collection. The quilt was donated to the Museum by QUILTS 2000, a website project set up to raise funds for the Paralympic Games, and specifically as a record of the contribution the QUILTS 2000 project made to the social history of the Year 2000 in Australia. It was quilt number 12 of 637 quilts made and donated by Australian quiltmakers and textile artists.

This quilt, entitled Ripples, makes reference to the Olympic rings but the rings are concentric rather than interlocking. They spread out from individual centres, influencing others around them in a metaphor for the interaction of people at an event such as the Paralympic Games.

The fabrics are hand dyed by David and Leonie Sanders. The open rectangles are separated by rectangles of cream cotton spattered with black which is machine quilted parallel to the seams.

'The quilt is open-sided, not contained by a border or binding to allow the ripples to spread further, the quilt is part of a larger picture. The quilt is part of Dianne's 'Corestone Series' inspired by concentric weathering in granite corestones and by aboriginal art. The colours come from a laterite profile, deeply weathered, iron stained rock. Her background as a geomorphologist informs her quilts.' (Dianne Finnegan)

Quilt, 'Ripples', cotton, made by Dianne Finnegan, Lane Cove, New South Wales, Australia, 2000

The small rectangular machine stitched cotton quilt is constructed in a pattern of a central abstract rectangle with red, brown and cream rectangles rippling out from it. There is a half rectangle at each end. The coloured rectangles are hand dyed and are interspersed with cream cotton, spattered with tiny specks of black. This cream fabric is machine quilted, parallel to the seams. The quilt is lined with commercially printed cotton in a brown, yellow, purple and green floral pattern and the edge is hand finished with the fabric folded over from the front. A fabric channel is stitched onto the back of the long side for inserting a hanging pole. Maker's labels on reverse.

This quilt was made by Dianne Finnegan in Lane Cove, Australia in 2000.

This quilt was one of 637 quilts designed by Australian textile artists for the QUILTS 2000 project, to raise funds for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Since QUILTS 2000 was a group formed for a specific event and once it had achieved its goal, was disbanded, Dianne Finnegan has been listed as the donor. The archive of this project is now held at the Mitchell Library in Sydney.

Gift of Quilts 2000, 2004

Two labels have been hand stitched to the back. Lower left 'DIANNE / FINNEGAN / maker's address and phone number / "CORESTONES II"'
Centre 'QUILTS / 2000 / Quilt No. 12 of 637 / made and donated by Australian quiltmakers / and textile artists as a fundraising project for / the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games / This quilt was exhibited at Sydney Olympic Park / during the / Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games / October 18-29 2000 / Logo: PARALYMPIC/GAMES / SYDNEY 2000 / OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PROJECT'

2005/39/1

2000

870 mm

1395 mm