Questions and Answers about Vintage Fabrics
by Patricia L. Cummings
This column will seek to answer some frequently asked questions about old fabrics.
The first question is:
Q. "Lately, I have been hearing a lot about "vintage fabrics," and being new
to quilting, wonder if I should be collecting them. What are they and where
do I find them?
A. First of all, let me explain that there is a difference between the "real McCoy" (actual vintage fabric), and reproduction fabrics, those made to look old by virtue of their color and design. If making bed quilts, one would be advised to buy reproduction fabrics because they would withstand occasional laundering.
Reproduction fabrics from the 1880s and 1930s are quite available today. In addition, fabrics are now being produced that resemble those of the 1850s or Civil War Era. A good selection of prints from the three most recent "boom" periods of quilting are available from mail order companies and at quilt shops.
True vintage fabrics are hard to come by, dear in price when you find them, and not always suitable for use in a quilt made today. There is always a chance that unstable dyes will run, most especially the browns, if the quilt is washed. Old cotton is usually brittle and has lost a lot of its tensile strength, even if it looks intact. The least amount of stress will cause tear.
Migrating color can potentially rub off on other quilts in storage, if precautions are not taken. Proceed with caution, if deciding to use them. Generally speaking it is not usually my first choice to use old and new fabrics together. However, there is always an exception to the rule.
In one instance, I was
making a miniature reproduction of a nineteenth
century hexagon quilt. At my disposal, were a collection of salesman's
samples which had been crudely sewn together with six strand embroidery
floss, making them into a quilt top. Glue and paper were still clinging
to the four corners where each square had been attached to a piece of
cardboard.
In order to salvage some of this cloth and grant it a longer life span, I disassembled the squares, soaked them in cool water, dried them on white paper towels to check for escaping color, and used some of them in my quilt. Doing so gave my reproduction a more authentic look, and also helped to save some still useful fabric that is charming to view. Of course, I will never wash the quilt, nor hang it in bright light or direct sunlight.
Salesman's fabric samples from late 1800s
Q. Where can I find out more about vintage fabrics?
A. A wonderful source of information about antique fabrics is a book, Clues in the Calico, by Barbara Brackman. When it was printed in 1989, the back cover of the book appropriately called it the "Brackman Bible for dating quilts."
Another wonderful resource is a book called, Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide 1800-1960, by Eileen Trestain, which has color photos of swatches dated by a timeline. To further your knowledge of antique quilts and textiles, plan on attending as many quilt shows and museum exhibits as possible
In New England, we are very lucky to have many places to see old quilts. The Shelburne Museum has many, and the new England Quilt Museum offers ongoing exhibits. One does not have to look far to be able to locate really interesting antique quilts. You will have to seek out what is available in your own geographic area. Watch for traveling exhibits, as well as exhibits at your local town or state museum.
See link below for the second part of this article.
Questions and Answers - Part II
"Q & A on Vintage Fabric" was first published in the The Appliqué Society Newsletter
©Copyright 2002. Patricia Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com