Vintage Fabric, Just a Few Examples

Limited quantities available, when they're gone, they're gone!  Some are sold by the yard or half-yard, while others are sold in pre-cut lengths.  A small showcase of the kinds of fabric that we offer are listed below.  Many, many other fine fabrics sold at De Witt & Co.! 

Polished Cottons:

Left to right:
Waverly floral decorating fabric with golds, brown and bits of blue, sold by the yard
Polished cotton, outstanding rose print on brown fabric, sold by the yard
Fine quality 35½" mercerized cotton fabric, fruit and rose print, sold by the yard
Outstanding scattered floral polished cotton fabric, sold by the yard
 

Decorating, Light Upholstery & Drapery:

 
Left to right:
Interesting Tibet vat print decorating fabric, sold by the yard
Waverly decorating fabric, vivid daffodils, sold by the yard
Vintage Waverly fabric, schillings print, sold by the yard

Various Cotton Fabric, quilting weight & garment weight:

Left to right:
Blue and green floral print - a 5+ yard piece is available
35" Mercerized plaid fabric, sold by the half-yard
Great vintage Batik print fabric - 3½+ yard piece is available

Jump to our Vintage Fabric department, or to a specific category below:
Quilting Weight Cotton Prints
Quilting Weight Cotton Solids
Cotton Fat Quarters & Lots
Sheer & Semi-Sheer Cotton Fabric
Other Cotton Fabrics
Decorating, Drapery, and Upholstery Fabrics - By the Piece or By the Yard
Linen Fabrics
Rayon & Rayon Blends
Other Vintage Fabrics
and of course, don't forget our fantastic Vintage Feed Sacks
 

Fabric Definitions & Descriptions

Below is a somewhat abbreviated list of various fabric definitions. Some are descriptive of the weave, while others are descriptive of the fabric content... or combinations of both.  Please note:  Many of these fabrics are modern - so you won't find them here at DeWitt & Co.

BEAVER CLOTH is a heavy woolen over coating, napped and pressed down to resemble beaver fur. This fabric is also a plush fabric that is used for hats.

BOTANY/MERINO wool is a fine wool made from worsted wool yarn.

BROADCLOTH is a twilled napped woolen or worsted fabric with smooth lustrous face and dense texture.

BROCADE is a jacquard weave with an embossed effect and contrasting surfaces. Can also be woven with synthetic or man-made fibers.

BUTCHER'S LINEN was originally a heavy, sturdy linen fabric used for butcher's aprons. This type of heavy fabric was also used for interfacing.

CANTON CREPE is a soft crepe woven fabric with small crosswise ribs. Similar to crepe de chine but heavier.

CHALLIS is a lightweight soft clothing fabric made of cotton, wool, or synthetic yarns

CHARMEUSE is a satin weave fabric with a crepe back sometimes called crepe-backed satin.

CHEVIOT usually Scotch wool is a soft, fine wool that is heavier than serge.

CHIFFON is transparent soft and light silk. Can also be woven of cotton or man-made fibers.

CHINA SILK is a plain weave silk of various weights. This silk is the "hand" or touch that many people identify as silk. There are various weights of China silk from light, used for linings and many "washable silks" with the wrinkled look, to heavy for shirts and dresses.

CHINCHILLA CLOTH is a heavy, spongy woolen overcoat fabric with a long nap that has been rubbed into a curly, knobby finish.

DAMASK, is a firm lustrous fabric (as of linen, cotton, silk, or rayon) made with flat patterns in a satin weave on a plain-woven ground on jacquard looms.

DIAPER CLOTH is a twill, dobby or plain woven absorbent cotton.

DIMITY is a sheer corded cotton fabric of plain weave in checks or stripes.

DONEGAL was originally a thick and warm homespun or tweed woven by Irish peasants in Donegal, Ireland. Donegal now describes the wool tweed that has colorful thick slubs woven into the fabric.

DOUPIONI is reeled from double cocoons nested together. The threads are uneven and irregular. Italian Doupioni is the finest, followed by Chinese Doupioni and Indian Doupioni. Doupioni is also seen in man-made fibers such as polyester, acetate and referred to as Doupionini. Silk Doupioni is most often found in men's and women's fine suits and also dresses in lighter weight silk Doupioni.

DRILL is a strong twilled cotton fabric, used in men's and women's slacks.

DUCK is a heavy, durable tightly woven fabric. Heavy weight duck is used in awnings, tents, etc. Lighter duck is used in summer clothing.

FAILLE is soft ribbed silk with wider ribs than seen in grosgrain ribbon. Slightly glossy.

FELT fabric is a compact sheet of entangled, not woven wool, fur, sometimes cotton fibers. The felt is produced by processing a mat of fibers with moisture, heat, and pressure.

FIBRANNE is French term for Viscose rayon.

FLANNEL cotton is plain or twill weave with a slight nap on one or both sides.

FLANNEL wool is a soft, lightweight fabric with a nap on one or both sides.

FLANNELETTE is a soft cotton fabric with a nap on one side.

GABARDINE is a tightly woven wool twill with a high sheen. This fabric is excellent for tailoring and wears well.

GAUZE is a sheer, lightly woven fabric similar to cheesecloth. Is also made in silk.

GEORGETTE sheer crepe silk, heavier than chiffon and with a crinkle surface.

GINGHAM is a lightweight, washable, stout fabric that is woven in checks, plaids or stripes.

GLEN CHECKS are usually seen in menswear and originated in Scotland. It is characterized by a variety of small, even check designs.

HARRIS TWEED is a hand woven fabric from Scotland with a soft feel.


HEATHER MIXTURE describes tweeds and homespuns that have colors of heather and sand of the Scottish heather fields.

HERRINGBONE wool is woven in a twill that is reversed at regular spacing, creating a saw tooth line.

HOMESPUN is a loose, strong, durable woolen woven either by hand or machine with a coarse feel.


HOUNDSTOOTH check has a four pointed star check in a broken twill weave.

JERSEY is a knit fabric that is usually knit in fine wool but can also be found in silk, and man-made fibers.

LAINE is French for "wool".

LAMBSDOWN is a heavy knit fabric that has a spongy fleeced nap on one side.

LAWN is a fine sheer linen or cotton fabric of plain weave that is thinner than cambric.


LINDSEY-WOOL is a coarse fabric first made in Lindsey, England, of wool combined with flax or cotton.

LODEN fabric is a thick, soft, waterproof, windproof, wool used in outerwear that has a characteristic green color.

MACKINAW fabric is a heavy double wool or wool blend fabric in striking colored patterns.

MATELASSE has raised woven designs, usually jacquard, with the puckered appearance of quilting.

MELTON, a heavy, thick, short napped fabric without a finish press or gloss.

MERINO wool is soft and luxurious, resembling cashmere. This term is also used to describe the finest wools.

MUSLIN is a sheer to coarse plain woven cotton fabric. Muslin comes in "natural" color or is dyed.

NOIL is sportier in appearance and created by short fibers, often from the innermost part of the cocoon. Has the look of hopsack but much softer.

OATMEAL CLOTH is a durable, soft wool with a pebbled face.

ORGANDY is a very thin, transparent cotton with a crisp finish.

ORGANZA is similar to cotton organdy except it is made with silk (and sometimes other fibers) and is transparent.

OUTING flannel is a soft, twill or plain weave fabric napped on both sides. Used for baby clothes, diapers, and sleepwear.

OXFORD is shirting fabric with a lustrous, soft finish. It is characterized with narrow stripes and can be woven in plain or basket weave. Also a term used for wool fabric that has black and white fibers.

PANAMA CLOTH, a plain woven worsted wool, sometimes resembling the texture of Panama hat.

PEAU DE SOIE is a stout, soft silk with fine cross ribs. Looks slightly corded. Also called paduasoy.

PERCALE is a light weight, closely woven, sturdy fabric, usually made of cotton.

PETERSHAM, a very thick, waterproof woolen coating, usually dark blue, is used for men's trousers or heavy coats.

PILOT CLOTH is a coarse, heavy, stout twilled woolen that is heavily napped and navy blue. Used by seamen.

PIMA COTTON, a cotton that produces fiber of exceptional strength and firmness and that was developed in the southwestern U.S. by selection and breeding of Egyptian cottons.

POLISHED COTTON is either a satin weave cotton or a plain weave cotton that is finished chemically to appear shiny.

PONGEE is a thin soft fabric of Chinese origin woven from raw silk; also : an imitation of this fabric in cotton or a synthetic fiber (as of polyester or rayon).

POODLE Cloth is made with a boucle yarn and resembles the coat of a Poodle dog.

POPLIN is a strong fabric in plain weave with crosswise ribs, usually cotton.

POULT DE SIUE is sometimes called faille taffeta. It has heavy cross ribs.

RABBIT Hair is used in woven wools as a substitute for vicuna (relative to the llama) to give a soft effect in the fabric.

SAILCLOTH is a very strong, heavy canvas or duck made in plain weave.

SATEEN is a satin weave cotton fabric.

SEERSUCKER is a lightweight cotton fabric crinkled into lengthwise stripes.

SHARKSKIN is woven with warp and filling yarns of alternating white with black, brown or blue.

SILK Broadcloth is a plain weave silk in various weights; crisper than china silk. Often used in shirting.

SILK is also available in other weaves such as velvet and corduroy.

SILK linen has a nubby yarn in a plain weave. Weights range from light to heavy. It is different from Dupion in that the nubby runs both lengthwise and crosswise. The look of linen with the characteristics of linen.

SILK satin is a satin weave with a plain back.

SILK Shantung is a dupionni type of silk that comes from the Shantung Province of China.

SWISS is a sheer, very fine cotton that can be plain or decorated with dots or other designs.

TARTAN is a twilled plaid design, originally Scottish.

TERRY Cloth is a looped pile fabric that is either woven or knitted. Very absorbent and used for towels, etc. French terry cloth is looped on one side and sheared pile on the other.

TUSSAH silk (tussah means wild) is a plain weave silk fabric from "wild" silk worms. It has irregular thick and thin yarns creating uneven surface and color. Wild silkworms feed on leaves other than mulberry leaves. Tussah silk is similar to shantung, with silk from the wild. Color is often uneven; usually referred to as "raw" silk.

TWEED is a rough textured wool, originally homespun and slightly felted. This fabric is sturdy with a mottled color.

VELVET, although originally made from silk, is most often produced from rayon fibers.

VELVETEEN is an all cotton fabric with short pile resembling velvet.

VENISE is a very fine damask table linen consisting of large floral patterns.

VIRGIN Wool is wool that has never been processed into fabric.

WHIPCORD is a strong cotton fabric with a diagonal round cords that can also be produced in wool.