Dear Sewing Friends,
We hope everyone is settling into some wonderful winter sewing. It’s definitely quilting weather, and we’ve been feeling that creative energy here at the shop too. January was a busy and exciting month for us, with lots of beautiful new fabrics, kits, and patterns arriving almost daily. If you haven’t taken a peek lately, there’s plenty that’s new and inspiring waiting for you.
We also want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for Support Your Local Quilt Shop Day (Both in person and online!). It was such a joy to see the shop filled with friendly faces and shared enthusiasm for fabric and quilting. A very special thank you goes to Darlene Zimmerman for stopping by and spending the day with us. It was a treat to hear her talk about her work, her love of feedsack fabrics, and her newest line, Darlene's Favorites. We are so grateful for her friendship and for the knowledge she shares so generously with our quilting community.
On the history front, Margo has recently come into possession of some antique fabric dyeing wood blocks and has been deep in research mode. She gave a presentation on wood block printing, and we’ve posted a short recap on our Cottonopia YouTube channel if you’d like to learn more.
Wood block printing has a fascinating story. Many of the earliest chintzes arriving in London from India were actually hand painted. Skilled Indian artisans applied mordants with a pen or brush called a qalam, then dyed the cloth in a madder bath. Block printing, however, was used for more moderately priced goods distributed throughout India and Southeast Asia.
To print, the block was pressed into a mordant-soaked felt pad and then stamped by hand onto the fabric, over and over, until the entire length was covered. The cloth was dried and then immersed in a dye bath, which colored both sides of the fabric. Final highlights were often added by hand. Today, most commercial printing uses pigments that sit on the surface of the cloth, which is why the back of modern fabrics is often noticeably lighter.
It’s amazing to think how much skill and labor went into those early printed textiles — and how that legacy still influences the reproduction fabrics we love today.
One collection we’re especially excited about is a brand-new wood block–inspired line called Bangalore by Hang Tight Studio. Bangalore is a richly patterned collection inspired by traditional Indian block-printed textiles and the romance of historic travel and trade. You’ll see bold paisleys, flowing florals, and graceful vines in a soft, timeworn palette of turquoise, sage and mossy greens, warm spice tones, and creamy ivory. These prints feel right at home in our 18th-century reproduction section and pair beautifully with early chintz-style fabrics, stripes, and small-scale coordinates. It’s a wonderful line for historically inspired quilts, borders, and fussy cutting.
Thank you, as always, for being part of our fabric-loving community. We’re so glad we get to share this journey with you.
Warmly,
Margo Krager and the RFC Team
ReproductionFabrics.com
