I'm working on a Dresden Plate quilt with 1930's reproduction fabrics. The goal here is to have a quilt that looks like an antique. I need to decide what to applique the plates on to. I've been looking at Kona cotton because it feels so nice. I'm thinking white but not white white because it would look to new. None of the stores around carry any of the off-white and it's so hard to tell online. Just by reading the names ivory sounds good, but so does bone and cream!!

I hate to pay $29 for a color card. Do you have any thoughts on what would look like old white for my Dresden plates?

any of the ones you mentioned would work, so would unbleached muslin

If you have a Hobby Lobby close to you, they have a good selection of the colors you mentioned. There is a difference in bone, cream & ivory! Believe it or not! I believe their normal price is $6.69 & then get 30% off that so it runs like $4.49 or something close to it. I found out that Kona is wonderful fabric for that price. Good luck hope what ever you choose works out for you!

If you have a JoAnns near you you may want to know that they have the solid Kona's for 30% off right now and there is an added 20% off coupon on line that you could use with the purchase. I like the kona solids for backing also because of the feel of it. Also I think JoAnns has a 50%off on the kona if buying on line.

Lisa, if this is a special project, I would take a small sample of each potential white fabric to my paint store. They can look at the sample under their spectrum and tell you what colors are in the sample. This is the best way to match any white to the other colors you want to use in the quilt. I'm also an oil painter, the color of the white (and black) used can make or break a paint theme. To get the true antique feel, the white has to be correct. Good luck! I hope to see a picture later!

Keep an eye out at Pink Chalk Fabrics (http://www.pinkchalkfabrics.com/inde...oducts_id=1532).
Her Kona cards are half that price. I waited until she got some more in and than jumped on it.

The Ivory has a tinge of faint brown to it, the Bone is the closest to a white without being white and the Cream has a faint peach tone to it.

I have accidentally used the bone and white together (they are very close) and side-by-side the bone just comes across as a little "dirtier" than the white.

"Snow" is a good choice. White, but not pure white.

The Kona "snow" is the perfect color for this. Slightly off white just enough to look like the 30's.

[quote=Texasjunebug]Lisa, if this is a special project, I would take a small sample of each potential white fabric to my paint store. They can look at the sample under their spectrum and tell you what colors are in the sample.
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if you get in the habit of snipping off a bit of scraps ( maybe an inch or so ) from the inital cutting process and pinning them together with a big safety pin, then putting them in an envelope ( to keep them clean) before putting it into your purse. That way, when you are shopping, you have all the fabrics in your quilt right in front of you. Also, write the pattern on the front of the envelope too!!

my ''bright'' idea for the day!!
jodi

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess I'll have to call Joann's and Hobby Lobby to see what they have in stock. I don't want to drive 60 miles each way if they have nothing to look at.

If they have nothing in stock, I may take the plunge and do an internet order.