Yes, amazingly they’re still out there…and I’m using quite a few in my Maltaville Album Quilt.
I’ve been in touch with the seller of these fabrics on ebay and she has some Smithsonian fabrics still available for purchase. I have purchased from her several times and she is a 100% trustworthy seller whom I am happy to recommend.
I’ve photographed the fabrics I have used in Maltaville and a few that I may use in the blocks to come so this may help in any shopping you’re wanting to do. However I cannot guarantee that all these fabrics are still available but I know that some definitely are.
Starting with the Groom’s Quilt
Groom's Quilt fabrics, (L to R) pattern Honeysuckle colours Olive and Terra Rosa; pattern Arbor colour Bottle Green; pattern Queen Anne's Lace colour Crimson.
Link
Copp Quilt
RJR Copp Quilt fabric (L to R) pattern Willow colour Terracotta; pattern Copp Vine colour Sapphire; pattern Autumn Petals colour Indigo
Link
Rising Sun Quilt
RJR Rising Sun fabrics (L to R) pattern Teardrop colour Madder; pattern Rainbow colours Blue and Madder.
Link
Little Sister’s Quilt
RJR Little Sister's Quilt (L to R) pattern Jasmine colour Clover Green; pattern Maze colour Green Grass, pattern Plume colour Olive Green; pattern Rosehip colour Bottle Green.
RJR Little Sister's Quilt fabrics (Lto R) pattern Rosehip colours Tobacco and Midnight Blue; pattern French Tulip colour Cherry Red.
Link
Good luck with your shopping.
I would love to buy some of these fabrics. They are my long loved and used up fabrics. However, the cost for postage is extraordinary – $25 for one metre. That is way over what it should be
No no Wendy, if you buy what you want then do the contact seller option on ebay, she will bundle it in to one postage lot.
I should have mentioned that sorry, I just wasn’t thinking.
These are lovely fabrics. I especially love the greens and am always looking for nice ones to add to my fabric collection. Thank you for sharing!
She is charging 7.50 for a half yard of fabric. While these may be reproduction fabrics, her prices are sky high. Quite a few of them are really nice, but the price is unjustified.
the fabrics are amazing but out of my price range right now.
considering she bought these fabrics so many years ago when fabric was $5.00 retail I agree with Helen she is taking advantage,
just my humble opinion.
Kathie
Wow $5.00, no wonder some of the stashes I see put mine to shame
I was involved in the retail patchwork industry in the mid 90’s when these fabrics came out, here in Australia they retailed for (I think) $20 a metre and the average was then probably $18.00
We still pay between $20 and $24 a metre for fabric here, more for Kaffe Fasset fabrics which I have seen for as much as $28.00
I still buy most of my fabric from my LQS and others shops here in Australia as it’s really important to support our industry here but you can see why so many Australians shop on line in the States…and I do so too, but I try to keep it for things I can no longer get here.
It’s interesting to me that what I now buy online in the States is fabric that has been in my LQS and quickly sold out at $22/metre but is still available a few years later in U.S. stores for $7 or $8.
It’s a travesty that shop owners here can’t purchase from their wholesalers at anywhere near the price it is retailing in America.
So for me $15.00 for a yard of fabric (especially fabric I reeeeeally want) is still reasonable.
This all sounds a bit ‘on the soap box’ but I don’t mean it to be.
Must tell you, last year when I was in South Australia doing a quilting class with an American tutor, she talked about using cheap fabric for practice pieces, “this is not the time to use your expensive $9.00 a yard fabric” she said…we all laughed, good naturedly.
I too have a collection of RJR Smithsonian fabrics which I would be willing to sell. I am looking for either a magazine article or RJR mag. ads which have pictures of the Groom’s Quilt, The Copp Quilt, and the Little Sister’s Quilt so that I may make doll quilts to represent these. Would love to hear from anyone interested. Judy Spence
I would buy any that you have. I can’t finish my daughter’s quilt…
The Copp Medallion quilt pattern is available in old book from 1996 called:
Quilts, An American Legacy by Mimi Dietrich. You can get it used on Amazon.
I am currently working on that quilt. The book uses templates, so I am re-doing the pattern with measurements for rotary cutting so as to not use the templates. I believe what you refer to as the Groom’s Quilt is in there as well, with limited blocks (9) being done in the book. It has a picture of the whole quilt in it though. In the book it is called the Benoni Pearce Quilt.
Let me know if you would like information on the quilt pattern. I am happy to share my pattern redo when it is completed.
Hi Patty, thanks for the info, I have another book of Mimi Dietrich’s ‘Quilts from the Smithsonian’ and really enjoy looking at that. It doesn’t have either of the Copp or Groom’s quilts tho. Of course since seeing your message I have gone on Amazon and added the one you mentioned plus a few others to my wish list LOL. Best wishes with the Copp Quilt, I’d love to see what you are doing with it. Please keep in touch, Margaret
I have been searching for the Rosehip pattern repro fabric for years! Do you know of anyone that sells it in any of the color ways (although green is my favorite)? I appreciate any info you can give me.
Thank you.
Hi Missy,
I don’t have masses of the green but I can sell you some, maybe a Fat 1/4 or two? Would that help? Email me at margaret@quiltstation.com.au if you’d like some
M x