In Love with Old Fabric

As I mentioned in my previous post, I fell in love with nineteenth century reproduction fabrics shortly after I began my quilting journey. I collected smaller cuts since my passion was making small, scrappy quilts. The more reproduction prints the merrier. I didn't have much room to store it anyway so small pieces in a huge variety of colors and prints seemed the way to go. The problem was that I ran out of some of my favorites. (Oh no! Yes, I actually USED some of my favorite fabrics!) Recently, I stumbled across a group of fabrics for sale that included some of the same prints I owned when I first started quilting so I grabbed them up. Don't know why but I was thrilled to see some of these again and can't wait to mix them with my newer fabrics in a quilt.  I'm not really interested in collecting antique fabrics. Reproductions are fine with me.

Do any of you remember these? They're early reproductions of antique fabrics from when reproduction prints first became popular.  All of them are out of print and date from the 1990s I believe. Some were designed by Judie Rothermel, Harriet Hargrave, or have The Shelburne Museum and The Smithsonian noted on the selvage. 

I remember a long time ago I had some of that maroon one on the left in blue and would love to have more of it. I have only one tiny strip left. Love it and am hoarding it.

Doesn't it make a sweet dress for Addie?? (Seen on Etsy, not made by me.)

 Of course, once the old fabric arrived in the mail I was smitten and had to buy more.

It may seem silly to be so excited about old fabric when there is so much glorious new fabric out there (and believe me, I buy my share of that too) but there you have it. It's just my sentimentality showing again. I suspect it's the memories of learning about quilting and feeling that rush when I used certain fabrics to make quilts for some of my early books. 

Last year at a quilt show I came across some of that old pink print, above. I used to have some, loved it but then, suddenly, it was gone. Now I'm good to go with a fat quarter. That may be what started my old fabric search. You mean they're still out there?? 

The wheels are certainly turning now. There's nothing like playing with fabric, new or old, to inspire you. I know I'm going to have fun stitching them into some small projects and also using them in my Dear Jane quilt.

And, lest you think I only buy old fabric, don't be absurd. Recent purchases are filling up a drawer, awaiting a slow day  for sorting . . . .