Sara wows us again! This time, she shares some of her vintage swatches in the popular turkey reds, creams and both indigo and wedgewood blues. This delightful mix of small calicos, large florals and beautiful, hard-to-find prints offers a wide array of coveted textile designs from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The fondue prints, also known as ombré or rainbow prints, are a combination of the vivid reds and blues of the late 19th century, while the narrower stripe is indicative of those fabrics produced several decades later. Additionally, Sara has chosen some patterns with a slightly mottled ground for the exaggerated look produced by the overdye process often found on textiles from that time period.

The use of oil often caused Turkey red fabric to be described by vendors as "oil boiled" - and quilters loved it. Turkey red was a luscious color, it didn't fade, and it didn't bleed; without it, the elaborate red-green applique quilts of the 1840-75 period would have been an impossibility. But it was expensive. Even after synthetic reds were introduced around 1875, Turkey red "oil boiled calico" sometimes cost ten times more.

The term “turkey red” actually refers to the actual dye process used to produce the brilliant, vivid and incredibly colorfast cool red. In the early 1800s, turkey red grounds featured chrome-yellow, green,blue and black overprints. Large scale paisley prints and small repeated motifs were also popular designs.