Thread: Can anyone tell me how old these fabrics might be, please?

Polka dots, stripes, plaids and solids (unless they are an unusual color) are hard to date, because those have been around forever. The 4 patch with the solid brown squares and dotted squares of brown and red (?) looks 1920ish to me. In the second photo, the red fabric with the lady's face is older, I think--maybe late 1800's (?). I have a question: Is the navy blue color (on the pieces of navy blue fabric) just as dark on the reverse as it is on the front? If so, then it is a vat dyed fabric, and probably dates to the 1800's. My guess is these blocks are made from fabrics dating around the turn of the century, some before and some a few years after. I would NOT use modern fabrics to enlarge this top, with the exception of same-period reproductions. Stay true to the time period, imho.

Sewred-
Well then those navy fabrics are indigoes, and they probably date to the 1800's. Do you see the fabric at the top of the first photo which looks like a gradated dark to light red, paired in the 4 patch with a solid salmon (?) color? That looks to me like an "ombre", and if so, it dates to the 1800's. Computer monitors sometimes show colors inaccurately, so it's hard to be sure, but some of the solid pinks you have may be "bubble gum" pinks from the 1930's. Even then some quilters had stashes and quilts were often done with fabrics ranging over quite a number of years. Sometimes that happened when one family member started the quilt, then a daughter/niece or someone else finished it, many years later. As for the backing, you could use a reproduction fabric from around the turn of the century, or you could just use a good quality muslin. Muslin has been used for quilts for forever, so that would be true to the time frame, too.
I have a 1930's Trip Around the World quilt top I bought on eBay which I am enlarging with reproduction fabrics. On the back I will include a legend stating where the original fabrics are and where the reproductions begin.
If you are interested in learning more about vintage fabrics, the first book I would recommend is Eileen Trestain's Fabric Dating. There are two of them: one with photos and descriptions of really old fabrics, and in the second book the fabrics are more recent. Your fabrics would fall into the first book of hers. Have fun on your new journey! Let me know if I can be of any further help.

I really think they look alot like the fabrics for the 70's and 80's. Made a lot of cloths for may daughter during those years and remember alot of fabrics which really look like those!

50's--60's. They look like some of the materials my mom made clothes for me in the 50's. Are they cotton or man made fabrics? The blue and pink look like polyester to me judging by the pictures. The orange plaids look like the samei material red and white checked type fabrics from the 50's. Don't look vintage to me. just mho...