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When choosing vintage fabric, examine its quality and suitability for your project. Unused fabric is ideal, but used fabric should be inspected for wear, sun damage, mold, and weight. Test the fabric for drape or body before purchasing.
When choosing the best vintage fabric, it’s important to examine the quality of the fabric and keep in mind the project you’re working on. Ideally, you’ll want to choose vintage fabric that hasn’t been used, but you may have to pay a premium for genuine, mint-condition fabric. If you can’t get your hands on unused vintage fabric, examine it thoroughly before you buy to make sure it’s in usable form.
One advantage of using vintage fabric is that it has already stood the test of time. One downside is that it may not have stood the test of time well. Vintage fabrics that have been improperly cared for, left in the sun, or roughly handled can show many signs of wear. Unroll the fabric from the bolt and inspect it for any discolored, worn, or snagged areas. Even if the fabric is in a pattern you love, it’s not worth spending money if it’s shabby or just doesn’t seem like it can hold up to wear in any way.
In some cases, you can remove damaged or faded areas of the fabric and use the remaining portion. It may be worth trying to haggle over a vintage fabric that has a small sun damaged area, because that’s one part of the fabric you won’t be able to wear. Unless you leave the fabric out in the sunny window, the faded area will not spread.
Be on the lookout for fabrics with mold or mildew. Unlike sun damage, mildew can grow and spread throughout fabric, so you may want to leave moldy vintage fabric on the shelf. If you are unsure about any damage you see on the fabric, ask the sales clerk or store owner for help.
Consider the weight of the vintage fabric and whether it has a body or drape when selecting it. Certain projects call for certain fabric weights, and drapery fabrics often work better for some garments than full-bodied fabrics. Heavyweight fabrics work well for upholstery or any project that gets a lot of use.
The weight of the fabric does not necessarily determine if it covers or has body. Test the fabric for a drape or body by unrolling a small portion of the stud and holding it against your leg. If the fabric falls, it will fall smoothly against your leg; If it has a body, it will stick out slightly and hold its shape.
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