posted on January 16, 2001 05:13:12 PM
I'm starting to dig through fabric to list and a lot of what I have was bought second-hand, so I'm not exactly sure what I have or how to describe it most effectively.
Any help with the following pieces would be greatly appreciated!
The first two are definitely man-made, probably polyester.
The next three are cotton. The blue/orange/green print is medium-weight. The blue/green batik looking is light-weight and reminds of men's button-down shirt fabric from the late 1950's-early 60's. I know the last one would be great for quilts, but how do I describe the pattern?
posted on January 16, 2001 05:32:08 PM
1 and 2 I would list with psychedelic in the title. 2 is psychedelic and impressionist. 3 and 4 I cant think of the words for....... I'll keep trying
posted on January 16, 2001 05:35:11 PM
I love the second print! Like Trippin Man! Psychedelic far out and totally groovy material. I'm having a flash back just looking at it!
posted on January 16, 2001 06:12:06 PMmaple If I send you a sase can you send me a tiny (1" square) piece of the marbled print ?
I am mcjane on eBay & my email address is [email protected]
List width from selvedge to selvedge plus yardage.
Try to list yardage in title (it's as useful as posting the size for a piece of clothing is) - also width if it's 38" or less (which means it's probably '60s or earlier).
Do a burn test on everything just to make sure of fiber content.
Okay, now pic by pic:
First one is a late '60s oversized pop art poppy print. (Somebody turn "pop art poppy print" into something a tad less alliterative, please - abacaxi???) The style is almost a kind of posterization (like the Avedon Beatles pix). I'm not fond of this textile era, but this fabric is pretty neat. This market is starting to pick up but I can't bring myself to invest in it quite yet.
Second is also late '60s or thereabouts, a "millefiori" print, like the Italian glass, or marbleized paper. My grandmother (a dressmaker) had a couple dresses out of this kind of print. (It is not "impressionist", unless you consider e.g. Klimt an Impressionist.) If you've got a few yards, it should do quite well. (May do nicely even if you've got just a bit - think "book covers".)
I think you're quite on the money on the third - may be a bit earlier, maybe early '60s. Cotton, yes? Sort of an ethnic block-print look, appropriate for Hawaiian style or as you said early '60s button-down men's shirts.
What's the yardage on #4? Looks almost like feedsack to me - another "fun, zany Egyptian-influenced ethnic border print". It may not be a border print all the way, but this'll get the eye of quilters looking for fun figural stripes for borders and kaliedoscopes. I need a closeup of this to date it better.
The last one is a prize - very reminiscent of Martha Graham's "Appalachian Spring" and "Rodeo" ballets...or even "Oklahoma". I'd date it from then - late '40s/early '50s, but I'd have to see it closer to be sure. Don't worry about describing it. Just sell it to me How much is there?? I have a project going and it'd be perfect....
posted on January 16, 2001 07:56:19 PMThanks everyone!
HCQ - The striped Egyptian-looking one is not a feed sack and too heavy for quilting. It's an all over print and still has its original tag: Leisure Wear, 100% Cotton, Little or no ironing, W.T.Grant Co.
I have 3 1/4 yards of the red cotton and it's 35 inches wide. It also still has its original tag from "Pogue's" and it was reduced to $1.53 from $1.92 for the entire piece!
I have 5 yards of the marbleized paper looking one - should I leave it as one piece?
posted on January 17, 2001 04:44:45 AM
WT Grants, had not thought of them in years. When I was a kid I loved that place. It was the biggest store in our small town. Maple, I'd leave the fabric in one piece. I don't know about anyone else but if I wanted to make something out of it, I'd rather have a little left over than not enough.
posted on January 17, 2001 04:55:14 AM
Definately, leave the fabric in one piece. We had Grants stores here, I remember the big orange letters. My younger brother called them the "Orange ABC Store".
posted on January 17, 2001 05:01:31 AM
Gosh, Grants? Haven't thought of them in years either! Funny part is, that's where a lot of my mother bought MY fabric when I started sewing. Sigh.
I'd stilly say it's "zany", which IMHO is grossly underused these days Perfect for pedal-pushers, clam-diggers and Bermuda shorts.
You know, you might list the blue/green print and the Egyptian print as an early '60s summer sportswear fabric lot - except that blue stuff is quilt-weight, isn't it. Hmm...actually if I wanted the blue stuff and couldn't use the stripe I'd still bid on the lot...might be a way to move our Egyptian stripe which may not appeal to as big a market. It's a thought.
Do keep these whole. Take a look at recent fabric auctions. Yardage is doing nicely; small pieces and "fat quarters" (cut from a square yard cut vertically and horizontally into quarters about 18"x18* or 18"x22" are not.
Oh - except be sure and send mcjane a swatch of the millefiori!
I'm dead serious about the red yardage. Let me know when you list it.
posted on January 17, 2001 07:33:47 AM
Thanks again everyone!
HCQ, I think that's a great idea about combining the two. I'll let you know when I get the red listed and I've got Mcjane's address already for her swatch!
How much is there?? I have a project going and it'd be perfect....
Perfect for pedal-pushers, clam-diggers and Bermuda shorts.
