calico fabric
 

Does anyone know of a site that specializes in calico? I am searching for true, old fashion calico fabric. About 40 years ago I made a quilt of red and yellow calico with white muslin for the background. My daughter has asked me to unquilt it and add borders (which, if I had known what I was doing I would have added them in the first place). The manufacturer is VIP but I do not expect to find exact fabric, something that coordinates will do find. Everywhere I look I find todays quilting fabrics but very little calico.

What type of yardage are you needing? I have 2 bolts of VIP Cranston calico's.....one is a navy blue background, and the other is a burnt orange colored background.

I'd be more than happy to send you a few yards.....I can't post a pic right know, cause my camera is on the fritz :(

Beckie aka wuv2quilt

Can you post pic of your quilt so we can see the fabric?

Thanks Beckie, but, wouldn't you know, I am looking for about 2 yds each of red and yellow. Nice of you to offer your help.

I would love to but my camera is visiting the grandchildren right now.

I wanted to add, When I Googled I got over one million hits. However, as I started viewing the sites, there was very little calico and mostly listed modern quilting fabric. Thought maybe someone had already used a site for calico and I could save a lot of time. One million hits is a lot!!!!!

I don't know of any store that specializes in calico. Try Googling "vintage vip calico fabric" and click on images to see if you can spot what you are looking for. I found this:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/12123521...FeZFMgodHV4AKQ
and this:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/10152858...w_type=gallery

but I'm sure there's much more.

There is a great little store in Walnut, Iowa called DR's Kalico Krafts. She carries hundreds of bolts of vintage calicos, including VIP, for very reasonable prices. She does not have a website, so you will have to call the store. Good Luck.

thanks so much, The yellow fabric seems to be an exact match. I am contacting the seller, today.

thank you for you help. I do not have any info on this fabric other then it is VIP. I have no salvage edge. It sounds like a great store and I wish I lived lots closer!

I have found calico on Etsy. I just put vintage quilt fabric in the search box, and its amazing how much vintage fabric is still around. I've bought quite a bit from there, too.

I going to try that right now!!!!!

One thought that occurred to me is that you may need to artificially fade new fabric -- even if it is an exact match -- to the quilt. All dyes are subject to fading, primarily from exposure to light. I would err on the side of caution here, and expose the new fabric to sunlight for only one hour at a time (no folds, or you will get fade lines!) until it is only a little bit brighter than the old fabric. I think this is safer than multiple washings of the fabric to get the same effect. Sunlight would be less harsh than multiple washings and dryings.

there is a store in Bozemam Montana that all they have is reproduction fabrics not sure if this will help you but think maybe you can google them at reproduction fabrics if you can't pm me and I will try to get better info hope this will help

Our LQS carries vintage fabrics. They have maybe 60 blots of VIP. They do mail order so if you IM me I can give you the information.

I found some wonderful 30's type fabric at Connecting Threads. I was working on some Dresden Plate blocks and needed something to set them together and the fabric I got there was wonderful. And only $2.95 per yard. Good quality fabric at a good price.

I wish I knew exactly what you were looking for because I have some I would share. I have found a lot on Missouri Star and other sites that are great. Just google calico prints.

Here are my calicos..could they work? Only the red w/white is VIP. PM me if they could work.

You might try googling "vintage VIP calico fabric". Maybe you'll get lucky. I've never done business with them but thefind.com has some older calico.

Sorry this doesn't help you but if anyone is looking for calico in the UK Whaleys in Bradford have a good selection. They also have 108in wide cotton percale which dyes beautifully and is lovely to sew with.
www.whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk

Rather than unquilting, why not take apart the edges (unbind?), add the borders to both front and backing, and stitch additional batting to the original batting (butt edges and zigzag)?

My JoAnn's has a lot of calico - do you have one anywhere near? Or perhaps check them out online?

To tell the truth, this was my first quilt----ever, and it looks it. I attempted to quilt it on my DSM and did darn little of it. And yet the quilt itself could be pretty (in a simple sort of way). Unquilting it will not be a problem nor will it take a lot of time and it has been a goal of my for many years.

I have not checked on line. Thanks for reminding me.

I well keep that in mind and you are right the new will be different from the old.

Topstitch - just a suggestion, but when your camera gets back from visiting the Grandchildren - perhaps you could take some close-ups of the quilt fabric (and a few of the whole quilt) and send those pictures to Dr. Kalico's to see what she might have that would either match or coordinate with the fabric in a 40 year old quilt.

To my mind, you might do better going with a blue to border the red and yellow, rather than trying to match it. As was mentioned, age and fading will be hard to match us, and going with a contrast color would add a new dimension to your quilt also. You would have the 3 primary colors in your quilt if you went with the blue.

No point in contacting VIP as they only sell to store. I have tried before.

Why not just start over. The old one is obviously loved. If you just want an improved version you could make a new one. You have learned more since you made the first one. Keep it to remind you how far you have come. Then you can choose from any of the wonderful fabrics you fall in love with while searching. jmho Good luck what ever you decide.

Go to www.quiltshops.com and type in Calico. I did, and immediately found a lot, including yellow and red.

QUOTE=wildyard;5878013]To my mind, you might do better going with a blue to border the red and yellow, rather than trying to match it. As was mentioned, age and fading will be hard to match us, and going with a contrast color would add a new dimension to your quilt also. You would have the 3 primary colors in your quilt if you went with the blue.[/QUOTE]


I have found 2 reds and 3 yellows that "might" work out. I realize that the scale and the exact color of the fabric is still a mystery to me and will be until I actually see it. I am still searching just in case the perfect fabric is out there waiting for me to find it. The Mid Atlantic Quilt Show is this weekend and if I don't come up with something there I plan to order on line.