From the Marshall Field 1937 collection here are a selection of prints made from top quality, highest-count muslins which are lightweight yet suitable for quilts Powder Puff Muslin Dumari Textile Co. was noted for its starchless Powder Puff muslin, popular during the 1930s-50s.
The advent of starchless processes during the 1930s replaced starch to give fabrics a soft crisp to crisp finish. Usually these finishes, produced under many brand names, were permanent. Bellmanized, a top quality starchless process made by the Bellman Brooke Bleaching Co, was the soft crisp finish used by Dumari and was guaranteed permanent; it advertised Powder Puff muslin as “lintless, wiltless, sagless and colorfast. Needs no starch; just dampen and iron”.
Powder Puff has a lovely feel. If you have ever felt the smoothness and silkiness of Liberty of London’s lawns, this will give you an idea of the quality of Powder Puff fabric.
Chic frocks from a 1933 Montgomery Ward catalog. Fabric was described as chalky.
1936 ad
1936 Good Housekeeping ad
Marshall Field 1937 swatch envelope
1937 Powder Puff prints
1937 Powder Puff prints
1950s Powder Puff print.
Selvage wording has been darkened to be readable. Kaycraft Day-Lee Chintz It is probable that Kaycraft was a Marshall Field house brand. The chintz prints featured here are unglazed and of the same quality cotton muslin as Powder Puff muslin, smooth finish and lightweight, yet suitable for quilting. As noted on the swatch envelope below, Day-Lee was Sanforized and guaranteed colorfast.
1937 swatch envelope
Day-Lee prints
Day-Lee prints
Day-Lee prints
Part I: Any Rondo Prints in Your Quilt? Part II: E&W’s Quaker Chintz Prints and Peerless 80 sq. percales. The arbitrary cut-off date for this Vintage Fabric column is 1960. To stay within the scope of this timeframe, reference materials published up to that date are the prime source of information to more accurately capture actual thoughts of the time.
Joan Kiplinger is an antique doll costumer and vintage fabric addict who learned to sew on her grandmother’s treadle and has been peddling fabrications ever since.
