Flash Back Friday: Prussian Blues


 Barbara Brackman is back to discuss Prussian Blues in today's Flashback Friday series!

Prussian Blues

Prussian blue figures and rainbow stripes from about 1850

Cotton dyers and calico printers had two natural blue dyes to work with for much of the 19th century. Reliable indigo produced lovely blues better for backgrounds than figures. Mills were able to print figures like blue florals and geometrics or shaded stripes and plaids with Prussian blue, a vivid blue mineral dye.

Rev. Nadal's Quilt from the Smithsonian Institution

Quilt lovers are most familiar with Prussian blue in the details of Baltimore Album quilts from the 1840s and '50s when these vibrant blues were also fashionable for women's dresses.
Today's reproduction quilt makers are always on the lookout for a bright blue to echo mid-19th-century taste. Here are a few blue prints from Fat Quarter Shop, including a couple from Barbara's Baltimore Blues collection.


We'll be back on Friday, January 13 with our next segment of Flashback Friday with Barbara Brackman!

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