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The oldest yardage I have is from the 60's but I have saved some of my DGM aprons to use in a future quilt and they are from the 50's at least. I also have my baby clothes from '61-'62 and some other 60's things my sister made (a poncho from tapestry fabric for my hippie brother) (my siblings are significantly older than me...the oldest was 18 and the youngest 8 when I was born...all the baby hand me downs from them were long gone with I came along)

I have a piece I remember from my early years. I received it from a lovely lady during a swap I was in. Do you remember when "Hot Pink" came out? I do, I was probably 13. I loved it. This piece of fabric was popular then. It is hot pink and white print.

was helping MIL [she's 90] set up a sewing room she wanted to throw stuff away needless to say I could not do it so instead of the trash can I filled the back of my Astro I found blocks -P/P strips-hexagons-etc they were all hand sewn by her Mother and Grt GM before she was born and there are enough of each to make 4or5 full size bed quilts they were made out of shirts- dresses-nities and a lot of the old clothing from back then in case I need to make more blocks but I haven't the patience to sit and hand stitch buttons let alone whole quilts I feel like if I finish them by machine it would be cheating. MIL said they were older than dirt So I guess these beauties are Older Than Dirt :lol: :lol:

I have some of the bright colors - the psychadalic kind - from the 60's and more tame colors from the 70's.

I have inherited several pieces that date back to 1890s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bj

Mine is hanging in my closet, although I call them clothes! (O:<

Hmm, looked in my closet just now with a whole different outlook. Vintage material--hmmmmmm!

Quote:

Originally Posted by FroggyinTexas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plain Jane

I'm new to quilting but have always done crafts and I just found a box of fabric. I've spent the afternoon playing with fire...burn testing for fiber content (learned that here!) and going through it. I found panels from 1981! Is that almost antique? Vintage? The amazing thing is that I have moved multiple times and evidently this box made it with me every time. Amazing.
So how long have you kept fabric?

Until I got on this board, I didn't know that fabric "goes out of style." It's a good thing, because I've got good fabric that is at least 40 years old and I intend to use it with some of my recently acquired fabric--any day now. I think the official definition of antique involves 50 or more years old, which puts me way past vintage. froggyintexas

The great thing about fabric is it doesn't go out of style. We just recategorize it and call it vintage or antique.

I have scraps from when my mother made clothes for my sister and me in the 50's. Also yardage she bought when Gulf Oil transferred my father to Nigeria and we were going to live over there. Mother bought up fabric so she could make us clothes. I have not used it but think I will start using it in scrappy quilts like another responder said (I forget her name-sorry!) What a wonderful way to keep it alive!

some that are older than 40 or so years. I have a few feed sacks and I have no idea how old they are.

I have fabric from outfits my mother made for herself, and fabric from a graduation dress I made when I was 14. I have no plans to use it, scraps mostly, keep it entirely for sentimental reasons.

i have some skinner's satin that dates back to the early 1900s, and feedsacks from the 30s. i have some that is from an old victorian dress (my grandmother's), and hankies going back to that era as well. they will probably never be used in a quilt--but it's fun to look at them, and handle them, just to feel the history.