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Dating Really Old Fabric

I think I've seen enough antique quilts to have a general feel for what is (and isn't) true vintage American fabrics, but after working on the diamond patchwork piece I decided to invest in a book to learn more about them and how to identify the real deal:

Barbara Brackman's America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890 provides some history on 18th and 19th century textiles, with example pictures of the prints and dyes used way back when. The information will definitely help me be smarter when looking over old fabrics and quilts. Although the sample swatch pics she put in the book can't cover all the fabric prints of two centuries, she provides enough for me to make comparisons, like so:

She also includes instructions to make several quilts from the era, which tempt me terribly. But I have another project brewing, so for now I'll just read and admire.

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Comments

nightsmusic said…
But you didn't say where that pattern falls in the dating!
June 5, 2020 at 12:41 PM
the author said…
Oops, sorry! Most of the calico fabrics are very close to what was being produced in the 1880's.:)
June 5, 2020 at 12:43 PM
nightsmusic said…
That's lovely! Then most of the other fabrics, even if they're not in her book, would probably be around that time or a bit later, I would think. I think brown in all its forms had a resurgence in the early 1900's.
June 5, 2020 at 12:48 PM
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