Favorite Fabrics

Historical meaning authentic-looking reproduction fabrics.

We don't currently carry any historical fabrics in our store, but if we were to start, what manufacturer(s) would you suggest have the best collections?

And what do you look for when selecting this type of fabric?

Thanks to all, in advance, for the advice!

star619

Judy Rosenthal. Google her -I somehow think it's Wyndham. Or, look at BonnieBlue"s website. They specialize in historically accurate quilts/kits/patterns.

jrhboxers

I think we are talking about the same - my selvedges say -

A Journey Through Time from The Old Sturbridge Village Collection by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics

I also have some fat quarters from Moda too. But most of the Marcus Fabrics are great.

thepolyparrot

Judie Rothermel, Jo Morton, Barbara Brackman and Terry Clothier.

I don't really like the weight and hand of most of the Marcus repros that I've bought compared to Moda or Windham. Some of the Marcus fabrics I've bought shrink terribly and it's perceptibly thinner than Windham - and both of those are thinner than Moda.

But, Marcus has authentic-looking repros, so I keep buying and pre-shrinking and starching.

star619

Ah, well. I did get her initials right! :0

CarrieAnne

Also Aunt Graces!

cctx.

Judy Rothermel/Marcus Brothers/Aunt Grace/Bonnie Blues/ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (color, print, weight, & reasonably priced).

RJR/Everything But the Kitchen Sink all lines of Everything but the Kitchen Sink will not disappoint a 30s collector..... (color, weight, and reasonably priced).

Moda/Snippets, Teacup collection, Recess collection (same as above)

Windham/Storybook all lines IV and V (same as above)

Micheal Miller/ Clothesline Club (same as above)

Jan in VA

Wyndham is the best place to start.

Jan in VA, CW repro fanatic

wildyard

If you ever wore feedsack clothing, you would remember that it was generally not high quality fabric. It was kind of loosely woven and shrank. It always had to be washed before using it for sewing into clothing. So even tho they are not what we are used to from today's manufacturers, the lesser quality fabrics are probably truer to the old fabrics.

narink

I think Marcus makes the best reproductions hands down. They strive for historical accuracy and reproduce patterns in conjunction with several museums who have extensive textile collections.

Judie Rothermel is one of their more prominent designers who you may know from the 1930s "Aunt Grace" lines she's done. She has also produced some of the most handsome collections of 18th century fabrics I've ever seen. The detail and depth of the printed fabric is like no other.

Paula Barnes of Bonnie Blue also designs for Marcus. She specializes in Civil War era collections and creates patterns under her own banner (Bonnie Blue)with those collections.

As a pattern designer--and upcoming book author--I have worked extensively with Marcus fabrics. Their fabric is of a very high quality. All cotton fabric shrinks, so to not expect shrinkage is to expect the impossible. I have never had a problem with colorfastness, nor excessive raveling, nor thinness. Marcus fabrics have a wonderful hand, and, as a designer who makes a lot of reproduction quilts, they are always my first choice when I am looking for fabrics for a project.