Vintage quilt-how old?
#11
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,783
I do think there are some 30's fabrics in there, but you do have to date according to the youngest fabrics. There were fabrics in the 30's which always reminded me of the prints in my dad's boxers shorts, lol. They were not the typical pastel prints you think of when you think of 30's and 40's fabrics. In this quilt, specifically, they are the rust print in the top photo and the matching blue and green prints in the second photo that I think may be older fabrics.
#12
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,167
I spent a number of years collecting vintage fabric and feel I have a pretty good ideas on dating. Historically, I've considered those little medallion prints as being earlier but I recently found this piece that actually had selvedge information! The company name used was founded in 1952.
Scale is often a good way of telling things, the 30s prints tended to be smaller than the same basic designs used in the 50s for example.
edit -- that's a quarter in the picture for reference.
edit 2 -- the size and scatter of the polka dots looks more 60s to me than earlier, but it is so hard to date dots! I'm thinking the green is a pretty modern dye though.
Scale is often a good way of telling things, the 30s prints tended to be smaller than the same basic designs used in the 50s for example.
edit -- that's a quarter in the picture for reference.
edit 2 -- the size and scatter of the polka dots looks more 60s to me than earlier, but it is so hard to date dots! I'm thinking the green is a pretty modern dye though.
Last edited by Iceblossom; 09-12-2019 at 08:38 AM.
#13
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,131
I'm going to go along with the others and place it a bit later towards the 60s. As sewbizgirl mentioned, a quilt is only as old as it's most recent fabric, but that does seem to be someone stash project with more than one decade represented.
What's important is that you connect with it!
What's important is that you connect with it!
I probably have in my stash some fabric that is older than what is in your new found quilt. My friend has been gone almost 10 years.
#15
There are a couple of books out there for dating fabrics, Dating Fabrics 1800-1960 and Dating Fabrics 1950 - 2000. Both are by Eileen Trestain and are available from Amazon. Your local library may have copies. Maybe these books can help with dating the quilt.
Great quilt and well worth the $45. Enjoy it, regardless of it's age!
Great quilt and well worth the $45. Enjoy it, regardless of it's age!
#16
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 18
What a lovely way to end my evening. Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. It’s good to hear from so many people with experience. I might invest in those books. I quilt myself (not well, btw), but I also find so many sewing supplies and fabric in thrift stores that I can’t bear to leave behind. I think the info would be really helpful. Ironically enough, I posted another thread under vintage machine parts and after that, I decided I also needed to know more about buttons. So I ordered a book about buttons!
And good common sense rule about the “youngest” fabric. If I get a chance, I will post pix of another quilt I “rescued” years ago. Another random find, but I love it because the seamstress used basically what looked like every bit of old clothing etc they had. It taught me that you really need to use what you have sometimes. These were the original up-cyclers!
And good common sense rule about the “youngest” fabric. If I get a chance, I will post pix of another quilt I “rescued” years ago. Another random find, but I love it because the seamstress used basically what looked like every bit of old clothing etc they had. It taught me that you really need to use what you have sometimes. These were the original up-cyclers!
#17
Dating Fabrics Books
There are a couple of books out there for dating fabrics, Dating Fabrics 1800-1960 and Dating Fabrics 1950 - 2000. Both are by Eileen Trestain and are available from Amazon. Your local library may have copies. Maybe these books can help with dating the quilt.
Great quilt and well worth the $45. Enjoy it, regardless of it's age!
Great quilt and well worth the $45. Enjoy it, regardless of it's age!
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