You have landed on the Missouri Star webpage where we have gathered traditional fabric for your shopping pleasure. Did you notice there are more than 2,500 results on this page? This is a huge category! Seeing that many results might make you wonder, “Is the whole store here? Is everything traditional fabric? Actually, what is traditional fabric?”

The word tradition means the transmission of customs from generation to generation. Traditional means produced, done, or used in accordance with long-established practice. Because we are looking at traditional fabric designs for quilting, let’s take a brief look at the history of quilt-making.

One of the oldest surviving quilts is the Tristan Quilt, created around 1360 in Sicily; portions of it are on exhibit in both London and Florence. Early American quilts were whole cloth quilts–sometimes elaborately block-printed or hand-painted–but often solid colored. Trapunto, appliqué, and medallion quilts were popular. Generally these quilts were made by wealthy people who had leisure time for needlework.

The tradition of quilting in the United States began with the Industrial Revolution. By the 1840’s manufactured cloth became affordable for almost every family. Although scraps were used to make quilts, it is a myth that this was always the case. Examining quilts made during the 1800’s, we begin to see the widespread use of blocks sewn from cloth purchased specifically for that quilt. The sewing machine became ubiquitous after 1856 when the Singer company allowed families to buy them on an installment plan.

The Civil War was a period of prolific quilt-making. Quilts were sewn to raise money for abolitionist causes and for the war effort. During the war, women on both sides of the conflict made cot-sized quilts to keep soldiers warm. There are designers today recreating the traditional fabric patterns of the Civil War period. Look for these classic fabric prints–foulard style geometrics, florals, and plaids in indigo blue, shades of red, green, dull lavender, ivory, and shades of brown.

The Great Depression popularized quilts made from feedsacks–cotton sacks used to package animal feed, flour, sugar, rice, and other staples. When manufacturers learned that thrifty homemakers were using their feedsacks for household sewing, they hired designers to create bright, cheerful prints and sewing patterns for the sacks. Newspapers also shared quilt patterns; The Kansas City Star printed more than 1,000 quilt patterns between 1921 and 1961. Feedsack prints have become timeless fabric patterns.

Reproductions of classic fabric patterns manufactured during the 1800’s and 1900’s are very popular today. Missouri Star carries designer fabric brands such as Andover Fabrics, Marcus Fabrics, Maywood Studio, Riley Blake, Robert Kaufman, Wilmington Prints, and others. The designer fabric you will find gathered on this webpage is not trendy; it is timeless fabric.

For example, Pinks of the Past by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics is a collection of precut traditional fabric. This collection draws inspiration from the shades of pink that can be found in the oldest antique quilts–ranging from ruby red to rosey pink. The pinks are contrasted with shades of brown, tan, and cream. A young person who is gifted a quilt made from classic fabric like Pinks of the Past will never outgrow it.

Other examples of traditional fabric patterns are Garden Gatherings and Garden Gatherings Shirtings by Primitive Gatherings for Moda Fabrics. These collections are available as precut fabric and designer fabric by the yard. Garden Gatherings precuts contain 40 different, vividly colored, dark prints in red, purple, blue, brown, pink, green, gold, and ivory. The Garden Gatherings Shirtings collection is meant to contrast and complement its sister collection; it contains 20 red, purple, blue, brown, pink, green, and gold prints on ivory. 

These few examples only hint at the large number of traditional fabrics Missouri Star has gathered for you on this page. You may be looking for traditional fabric by the yard or precuts because you want to make a quilt with historical character. You may be shopping these pages because it is a good place to look for classic fabric, patterns, and traditional fabric panels that won’t seem out-of-date in a few years. No matter why you are here, we hope you find fabric that you love for a very long time.