Cascading Floral Stripe Calico

44″ wide

Calicos of only two colors were very common. This one has red flowers on black (actually very dark brown) vines that simulate a wood block print with miss matched vines and ill aliened flowers characteristic of wood block prints of the 18th century. Inspired from an original in the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Colonial Williamsburg, calicos were often used to make women’s gowns or jackets. The gown or jacket may have a matching petticoat of the same fabric but petticoats were usually not made of printed fabrics unless the upper garment is also of the print. Men’s banyans were also made of chintz. For example in The Pennsylvania Gazette of 1775, “Run away . . .  a native Irish servant girl . . .  had on and took with her . . .  a calico gown with broad stripes and stamped between the stripes with red and black” is cited in Wives, Slaves, & Servant Girls. Off white 60/2 linen thread will work well for hand sewing this fabric.