Vintage Pattern Rescues

Finding vintage patterns is often like finding a needle in a haystack. Sometimes it is pretty obvious, the patterns are out front for all the world to see. Other times the patterns are hidden from sight, down in a box of what looks to be junk, ready to be cast aside. Snoopy me, I often notice the boxes sitting off to the side and just poke around out of curiosity. Sometimes it really is trash. Other times it is fabric cut up with the patterns carefully pinned in place, the pieces waiting to be sewn  together. I was lucky enough to find a couple of these boxes of “junk.” For the longest time they sat in my house looking like they were waiting for the trash man until one day I decided to really look through them.

My patience and efforts were rewarded for in these boxes was a treasure trove of vintage fabric that had never seen the light of day in over 30 years. The patterns were cut from some of the prettiest calicos, tweeds, and wools I had ever seen. In one box was beautiful silky fabric from Merry Mary, a beautiful polyester blend with brilliant red hibiscus on black that shimmers in the light, a full three yards of it.

Merry Mary Fabric, Red Hibiscus

There was little red roses on black, red roses on yellow, and white flowers on purple, all cotton calico, all in big enough pieces for fat quarters. True vintage calico! The quilter in me rejoices!

Vintage Calico, Red Roses on Black

Vintage Calico, Red Roses on Yellow

Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.Etsy.com and GoofingOff.Artfire.com where every day is a good day to goof off. :)