carolynjo

That brings back a memory I have of my mom making my brothers (3 of them) boxer shorts picturing a girl taking a bubble bath. This was during WWII. They were a real hit with the boys on the ships (navy guys, all 3).

jokir44

To me they are happy and make you smile fabrics.

klswift

At our fabric store, we categorize cotton and cotton blends in a couple categories. In addition to particular brand names (ex.a designer's name) and particular fabrics (such as a batik), we separate them by calicos (ex.quilters type print, small design, all over pattern) and novelty. We define novelty as 'things' - animals, toys, food, space, landscapes, buildings, money, vehicles,etc. We tell a customer that if you can name an item, then the fabric is probably in the novelty section. Hope this helps.

madamekelly

I have also heard them called “conversation starters”.