I've been collecting 30's reproduction fabrics for some time and now have quite a collection. I love vintage quilts and all those made in the early 1900's. But I also realize all that white fabric would be a bad idea in my house. I make quilts to be used and white doesn't work well with an all male household.

If you were using 30's reproduction fabrics and couldn't use white for background, etc. what would you use?

try cream

Unbleached muslin.

I have an all male household and I do use white backgrounds (smile). I use whatever goes with the blocks and/or pattern that I am making. My males do fine with white backgrounds and you might be surprised how much they like them. Go for it. Otherwise choose a color that you really want to be pronounced in your quilt and create, create, create.

Tone on tone white? Something with a pattern that isn't distracting, but also not just plain white. I never use plain white anyway... :-)

Tans, creams, yellows, light/medium blue. Do up a few samples and see what you like best. Black or gray would work too.

I like white on white or white on natural prints with 30's repros, but you could also go with 30's solids if you wanted to stay with an "all 30's" feel - Nile green, apple green, butter yellow, peach, pink, lilac, aqua, light blue.

black or gray/grey background. brown, dark tan; dark blues.

the darker colors will definitely make the 1930s light color reproductions pop out.

I think unbleached muslin is probably what they used back then. It should wash well.

I would think a lot of the lder quilts were made with unbleached muslin