Connie, Your fabrics should be fine. If they are brittle then you probably have some dry rot happening, but since they have never been washed they should be fine for a long time. Remember the civil war quilt I just finished, some of the fabrics dated back to the 1830's and are still intact, it has seen a lot of washings and sunlight. I think you will be okay using them. Try washing some small pieces and see how they hold up.