About Retro Decorator Fabric
Retro decorator fabrics are available for virtually any era. Whether a home is decorated in the mid-century modern style or Art Deco, fabric manufacturers provide collections for it. Often, retro fabrics are exact reproductions of period prints, while other collections are new designs in the spirit of a certain era, such as the 1930s. Does this Spark an idea?
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Traditional Home Decorator Fabric
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Manufacturers produce conventional decorator-weight fabric for any era in a range of colors and textures. Many are different from those available in past decades, with colors and fabrics meant to cater to current tastes, rather than accurately reproduce historic styles. Studying magazines from a given era will reveal the fabrics of the time and help to guide the selection of currently manufactured decorating fabrics.
Cotton Quilting Fabrics
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Cotton quilting prints are available in a much wider range of designs, especially retro designs, than heavier decorator-weight fabrics. Manufacturers produce scores of collections every year of reproduction fabrics. These fabrics are too light for heavy-wear applications, such as upholstery. However, they are ideal for items such as pillows, throws, kitchen curtains and quilts.
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Clothing Fabrics
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Clothing fabrics in retro prints make excellent soft furnishings and curtains. Clothing fabric opens up new possibilities for decorating by incorporating a wider range of sheers, as well as knits, netting and flannels, making for an interesting variety of textures. Flannels make outstanding bedding, while knits are ideal for throw pillow covers. Stronger netting is an ideal substitute for window sheers. They are available in more colors and prints and are more cost-effective than many traditional sheers.
Sourcing Retro Fabrics
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Most home decorating showrooms sell some retro decorator fabrics and offer many more via special order. Quilt shops, sewing and craft retailers and quilt-show vendor malls are sources for retro cotton quilting prints. Sewing and craft retailers and designer remnant shops sell retro clothing fabrics. All types of retro fabrics are also available online.
Sourcing Authentic Vintage Fabrics
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A retro decor can be enhanced by using small amounts of actual fabrics from the era from which the decorating style originated. Some antique dealers specialize in selling vintage textiles. Searching local business listings or online auction sites will reveal these dealers. Thrift stores may also have old clothing to recycle into small home decor items, such as lampshades.
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References
- Photo Credit colorful retro background vector illustration image by Suto Norbert from Fotolia.com
