Help with identifying fabric and dating it please

GemGem

GemGem

Registered Guest
Hiya again,

I was wondering about this fabric which was included in a vintage haul I bought. I'm pretty certain it is wool given the smell when steaming and the texture. I'm wondering if it is a wool crepe? It's quite a fine fabric but does have some weight to it.

I love the sunny yellow and the pretty flower print. Are these wildflowers? Are they a giveaway to dating it? I know that the range for the haul was Victorian to 1980s with most items from the 40's-60s and scant few from either extreme.
I think I would guestimate that the fabric is 40s-50s but would appreciate some expert opinions!

Its a great size just under 2m by (just shy of) 55" so enough to make a little short sleeve tea dress. Unfortunately though it does have a few very small moth holes. I wish yellow was my colour!


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The Vintage Vendeuse said:
From the internet:

In general,
Prior to 1915 fabric widths were under 24"
1920s to 1930s widths were 30" to 34"
1940s to 1950s widths were 36" to 39"
In the 1960s fabric widths expanded to up to 45" and that is where it hovers today

It will definitely make a cute dress!
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That is very helpful, thank you, where did you find the info?
 
To add to this - fabric meant for multi-purpose home sewing like draperies, curtains, pillows, etc. has been 48" since the '60s. Heavier multi-purpose fabrics meant for upholstery is usually 54" wide. Sometimes European fabrics are wider.

I love the way you have draped the fabric to create the effect of the dress! It's a very cheerful traditional print so it's hard to date it.
 
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Linn said:
To add to this - fabric meant for multi-purpose home sewing like draperies, curtains, pillows, etc. has been 48" since the '60s. Heavier multi-purpose fabrics meant for upholstery is usually 54" wide. Sometimes European fabrics are wider.

I love the way you have draped the fabric to create the effect of the dress! It's a very cheerful traditional print so it's hard to date it.
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Thank you Linn, great info to have!

I'm not sure if it makes any difference but I have checked the width again and it's closer to 55" (54.5 ish) than 54". It hasn't been used as far as I can tell, is it possible it was an irregular width or that it stretched over time?

Edit: Just realised I made an error in the opening post. The width was 54 not 45 but it's actually closer to 55.


Do you think it could be upholstery fabric?
 
It's possible that it is multipurpose fabric - if it's heavy enough. Is there a "selvage" on one side? It looks like the bottom of the bolt has a rolled edge?
 
Linn said:
It's possible that it is multipurpose fabric - if it's heavy enough. Is there a "selvage" on one side? It looks like the bottom of the bolt has a rolled edge?
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It does have a selvage yes, you can see it in the photo with the fabric turned over diagonally to show both sides. Would it be helpful to post a close up of this? It's not rolled, it's just slightly curling towards the selvage.
 
It's beautiful!
I would say you are right that it is wool crepe. Does it look something like this close up?

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The vibrant colors could be earlier, but my first thought would be 1960s. The design is a trailing floral, classic for centuries.
 
denisebrain said:
It's beautiful!
I would say you are right that it is wool crepe. Does it look something like this close up?

View attachment 134692

The vibrant colors could be earlier, but my first thought would be 1960s. The design is a trailing floral, classic for centuries.
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YES! It does indeed. Thank you :) I took a close up with my phone camera, also showing the selvages. It has one on either side of the width so it's definitely the intended width.

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denisebrain said:
Lighter, less textured, and more often printed would be wool challis. But yours does look like a lightweight crepe.

This is a challis:
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Yes I absolutely agree, it also has the feel of wool crepe. I'm a little confused on the width though. I don't think it is used for soft furnishing or upholstery, it's too lightweight in my opinion. I certainly think it's a dress fabric, or shawl/wrap. Potentially it could be used for some soft furnishing likes throws for example. Do you think it could be a more modern fabric? because of the width
 
It's lovely.

I can't see it being upholstery fabric, light curtains maybe, cushions at a stretch.

Immediately I thought 1950s but at that width.

It's a little garish for me but the right pattern and dress, your on a winner
 
The pattern and colors in your fabric are very traditional so it could be '60s and it could be later. I am an interior designer. I am retired but I still have quite a stash of fabric samples and fabrics in my garage. I took this photo about 10 minutes ago on my phone.


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The photo shows the selvedge and as you can see sometimes there is information about the fabric there.
This photo also shows many "multipurpose" fabrics - meant for home furnishings; some are lightweight enough that they could be used for clothing.

Without handling your fabric, I can't say what it was intended for but if it's light it's probably clothing or shawls - or curtains or throws. The widths that Donna gave are for the US and I can say that many European fabrics are wider.
 
Linn said:
The pattern and colors in your fabric are very traditional so it could be '60s and it could be later. I am an interior designer. I am retired but I still have quite a stash of fabric samples and fabrics in my garage. I took this photo about 10 minutes ago on my phone.


056C0928-8B94-48B3-A61B-A0C328528D0B.jpeg

The photo shows the selvedge and as you can see sometimes there is information about the fabric there.
This photo also shows many "multipurpose" fabrics - meant for home furnishings; some are lightweight enough that they could be used for clothing.

Without handling your fabric, I can't say what it was intended for but if it's light it's probably clothing or shawls - or curtains or throws. The widths that Donna gave are for the US and I can say that many European fabrics are wider.
Click to expand...

Oh wow! How amazing, I LOVE looking through fabrics, sometimes I used to go to fabric stores to just look at them all. Also loved the offcut bins as they sometimes threw up some fab linens and silks (and sometimes 1 or two meter lengths which I made cute trousers for my children from :)). I just bought some vintage designer guild fabric to make cushion covers with and I have this gorgeous vintage multicolour silk fabric to convert a trunk into an ottoman.
Fabrics can be so luxurious! and buying them to make home made goodies is a real feat of selfcare and a treat!
 
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