Telling It Like It Is

--about fabric.

Today was the Fabric Dating Class: stuffing two quilt tops, a baby quilt, umpteen blocks and fabrics (plus whatever the class brings in), then trying to cover everything done in the textile world from 1850 (and before) to 1950 (and after). In three hours.

I got the basics down, but had to skip the juicy subjects, like politicals, cheater prints, current events, world fairs, wars and such. But I think the students understood the basic drift -- especially how to tell the difference as fabrics worked from the 1920s (more muted grayed solids and prints) to the 1930s (warm butter yellow, Nile green, bazooka pink, etc.) to the 1940s (larger scale prints, brighter yellow into gold, red becomes more orangey in tone, and often accompanies burgundy/wine) to the 1950s! (into turquoise, lime and mint green, soft yellow)

Love this stuff.

On to the International Quilt Study Center, and their exhibits tomorrow.