The
previous post is about a 1940s hexagon quilt that has opened my eyes to mid-century conversation prints. Barbara Brackman in her book
Clues in the Calico defines conversation (aka conversational) prints as prints with recognizable objects other than flowers.
There are conversation prints from the late 1800s onward. Brackman
distinguishes the 20th century prints as less detailed and having more
colors than the 19th century prints. I would add that they tend to be very whimsical.
While poking around for info on these fabrics, I discovered a book that I think is going on my wish list:
Conversational Prints: Decorative Fabrics of the 1950s by Joy Shih
Here's a look back at some other blog posts of quilts I've repaired that I now realize have some very fun conversation prints:
