Reproduction Fabrics: Double Pinks, Quilt Show Highlights & New Arrivals

Hello Reproduction Fabrics Friends,

We’ve just returned from four energizing days at the Minnesota Quilt Show—and what an incredible time it was! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth. The quilts on display were breathtaking, and it was so rewarding to connect with so many of you.

One true showstopper in our booth was Bette Faries’ “Lots of Little Pink Stars” quilt, which drew countless admirers. We sold over 20 patterns to quilters eager to start recreating this striking design. For this newsletter, I wanted to share a bit of fabric history behind the critical color for this quilt—the beloved double pink. We still have patterns and FQ bundles of double pinks available on our website to get you started. 

Some History of the Double Pink

Double pinks, also called 2 or 3 reds or cinnamon pinks, are small and large prints in multiple shades of pink or red. They’ve been a favorite of the textile industry for over a century.

Natural dyes like indigo, berries, and bark bond naturally to cotton, but madder—used to create red and pink tones—needs a mordant. A mordant is a chemical bridge between dye and fabric, usually alum (aluminum), iron, or acids. The word “mordant” comes from the French “mordre,” meaning “to bite.”

Early pinks were made by printing or hand-blocking the mordant onto cloth, drying it, and then dyeing the fabric in a madder bath. The mordant fixed the dye, producing various shades depending on strength and type. For a double pink, the fabric was printed first with a weak alum solution, dried, then overprinted with a stronger alum mixture, dried again, and dyed in madder. The result: a beautifully layered pink-on-pink print.

Later in the 19th century, printers used the "cover and pad" technique: resist-printed white dots, a strong mordant for the main design, and a padding roller with a weak mordant for the background tone. After the madder bath, the fabric featured white dots, a stronger motif, and a pale to medium pink background.

Double pinks were cheerful, affordable, and highly popular. My Dargate Book (c.1830) and the 1863 Divers ledger are filled with examples, and even a 1940s fabric sample book includes pages of classic colonial revival double pinks.

I used to wonder how stores sold so much of it—until a Civil War reenactor told me her petticoat liner would have been made of red flannel or cherry double pink! Suddenly, it all made sense.

Now, onto what’s new in the shop:

Trophy of Arms and Margo’s Laines 1849 prints are back in stock, both with coordinating fat quarter bundles. I’m thrilled to see how much you all enjoy these historic reproductions.

We’ve introduced new 1/3 yard treasure bundles. Each pack includes 7 cuts—five from my friend Julie’s estate and two from my current stock. These are perfect for stash building and full of unique finds.

We’re upcycling damaged (loved) antique quilts into beautiful vintage quilt bags. Several are available now, and more are coming soon.

New arrivals have been added to our Civil War and Yarn Dyes sections. Look for Pumpkin Spice in Civil War and James Thompson Basics in Yarn Dyes.

More discounted kits and finished quilts have been added to our Etsy closeout shop.  Check out this wonderful Vintage Log Cabin Quilt makde with Feed Sack Fabrics.

We are proud to offer one of the largest collections of reproduction fabrics anywhere. Our goal is to be your premier destination for reproduction quilters and costumers. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Warmly,
Margo and the Reproduction Fabrics Team
www.ReproductionFabrics.com