ReproductionFabrics.com Newsletter: A Special Birthday Treat for You

We're celebrating Margo's birthday this week in style! From January 5 to January 11, enjoy 20% off all designs and patterns created by our incredible leader, Margo.  Use coupon code: MARGO78 at checkout to recieve discount!  

Her creations have inspired countless projects, and now's the perfect time to stock up on your favorites or try something new. Whether you're a seasoned creator or just starting your journey, Margo's designs bring beauty and originality to every project.

Don't miss this chance to honor Margo's talent and treat yourself to something special!

Special Message from Meighan, Margo's daughter:

Wishing my mother a Happy 78th Birthday 

My mom keeps a rock in her shop. It’s no ordinary rock—it’s the one I painted at six years old with the words “The Sewing Room,” honoring your very first fabric store in the small town of Newcastle, Wyoming.

I grew up hearing stories about how, even as a little girl, you played “fabric shop.” It’s incredible that not only did your dream come true, but it unfolded in a way that combined your passion for textiles with history. You began by helping customers find fabric for their Butterick fashion patterns, but soon graduated to your second store, Patchworks, in Bozeman, Montana— catering to those with a quality addiction. Eventually, you found your niche with reproduction fabrics, even starting a direct mail business by the same name. Not only did you continue to inspire quilters, but also caught the eye of costume designers that needed authentic era fabrics for plays, reenactments and big Hollywood movies. Needless to say, fabric can be a very thrilling business. 

Through all of it, I had the privilege of learning by your side: sewing, hand quilting, mastering fabric math, and an appreciation of what it takes to run a small business. It’s funny to think that, 44 years later, you’re still thriving—this time in the charming town of Northfield, Minnesota, where your son-in-law has become quite the expert in fat quarters and quilt technology, and your grandson can’t wait to pick out and cut fabric.

Mom, you’ve built so much more than a business—you’ve created a legacy around your passion and deep knowledge that many enjoy learning from you. Happy Birthday!

Highlights from Margo's Collection:

The Abundance Quilt with the Black Octagon Center Panel

Designed and Printed by Margo Karger

The Black Octagon Chintz Center Panel is printed on sheeting and is colorfast. In trying to achieve an early 19th century look, I have learned several things about balance and color. Rather than today’s popular formula of “light, medium, and dark”, I am relying more on numerous “lights and mediums” with a good balance of scale and lots of neutrals. My favorite colors to use with the Black Octagon Chintz Center Panel are bronze, mushroom and chestnut. Choose your favorites from the lovely range of colors in the panel.

The Bunk House Quilt - by Margo Karger

The Bunk House quilt was designed with the Turn of the 20th Century in mind.  This is a quilt you might have found in a men's bunk house and so I used darker shades of fabric.  We are bringing back this quilt design this year in celebration of Margo's 44th year of being in the quilting business!  We have created special Bunk House quilt kit as well so you can begin to work on this project right away!

A Soldiers Quilt Fabric Line by Margo Karger

Designed from samples from Margo's 1863-68 sample book.  These fabrics would have been used at the time by quilters to create "cot" sized quilts for the US Sanitary Commission for Soldiers recovering from injures from the Civil War.  It is estimated there were 125,000 quilts turned in but there are only a few survivors because many of the quilts were detroyed due to the lack of the ability to sterilize after use.  

Build a Collection by Time Period

Just like walking around our store and selecting Fabrics with Margo we offer a Build a Collection product.  Margo will select fabrics from a time period to get you started on building or adding to your collection!  We also include essays with textile history from the time period written by Margo with each purchase.  This is a great time to purchase to get your collection started at 20% off!  

Margo Private Fabric Lines

In 1997 Margo acquired a truly amazing early nineteenth Century fabric sample book. It contains 330 pages and approximately 1,750 vintage fabric samples, which are glued onto hand made rag paper with paste. We call it the Dargate book. The book and its samples have been identified as c. 1830 French dressgoods by both a professor of costume and an independent textile historian.

She also purchased several vintage fabric sample books from the mid 19th century called the Delaines Book The ledgers containing about 80 pages each are large, 13" X 20", and identified as from a bookbinder in Paris. They are titled Laines 1849--Fleurs, Persans, Geometriques, Rayures, Laine & Coton, 1843-1844--Dessins and Fantaisies and Divers 1863. The designs are generally large and the colorations are amazing!

Margo got her insipiration for her fabric lines from these books.  Check out the fabrics in her Dagates (Livre Pinks, Jellies and Vines) and Delaines 1849 (La Spire and Laines) fabric lines.  

This doll is displayed in the Store wearing clothes made from Margo's designs.  

The Time Traveler's Guide to Printed Cottons

The Time Traveler's Guide to Printed Cottons, Volume 1 by Margo Krager. 14 page booklet, 10 topics (i.e. Double Pinks, Chintz, Turkey Red Calicos) with 15 authentic reproduction samples. (approximately 2" X 2 1/2" each). 

Thank you for being a valued part of the Reproduction Fabrics family. Let's celebrate Margo together!  

Reminder - Use coupon code: MARGO78 at checkout to recieve discount!