Fascinating Vintage Fabric of the Week - Taki 183 - Graffiti Artist

 

This vintage 1970s fabric had me stumped. Are the letters and numbers from a high school year book, classroom room numbers, or maybe bible verses?  I had to do a bit of research to find out the meaning behind the names and numbers. 

The fabric is sold and no longer available, but please read about TAKI 183 - Graffiti Artist Pioneer.


Take a look at the center of the photo and you will find TAKI 183 in yellow. 

It turns out that TAKI 183 was the alias of the very first graffiti artist written about in the media in 1971 by The New York Times.  Taki was the nickname of a Greek teenager that lived in New York and 183 was the number of the street he lived.

Taki soon had copycats such as The King 145, Roberta 223, Mike 38 and many others.

You can read the full story about TAKI 183 by The New York Times dated July 21, 1971.

Check out the TAKI 183 website, you'll find photos of Taki's graffiti and biography (and The New York Times article above).

To see the history of graffiti check out the short timeline clips on "Timeline of Graffiti"  TAKI 183 is the fourth clip in.

This is one historic retro fabric that I am doubtful I'll come across again.  It's been said that the last whereabouts of Taki is he owns a foreign car shop.

In Love with this Ethereal MOD Retro Vintage Fabric

Ever find a vintage fabric that just "speaks" to you?

I love the tranquil, happy, calm design of this retro fabric. *Sigh*, the rolling flower power daisy hills; hills that you'd roll down in a fit of laughter with a best friend to see who could reach the bottom first.

12 uncut lovely yards available, of MOD Tree vintage fabric

Original Label from Vintage 60s Moygashel Linen Fabric

It's always fabulous to find a vintage fabric with the original fabric label or fabric hangtag --- valuable information to add to your knowledge base of when a fabric was manufactured, and the manufacturer.

This vintage Irish Moygashel linen fabric came with the original label, letting us know with absolute certainty that it's from one of the finest linen manufacturers in the world.

I read online that Moygashel Linens was bought by Ulster Weavers Apparel from the Lamont Group in 2001.

Find this vintage Moygashel linen fabric, with the original label, is on Revival Fabrics website.

Also, be sure to check out the photos of vintage fabric labels, and vintage fabric hangtags on Revival Fabrics Facebook page.

OP Art - Optical Illusion - Retro Fabrics

Just in! and added on RevivalFabrics.com website are some really cool, and not so easy to find vintage optical illusion and OP Art fabrics from the 1960s.

Wikipedia has interesting information on OP Art, be sure to check it out.

Happy Friday to you and have a great weekend!

Deal of the Day!

Be sure to check the NEW Deal of the Day! on RevivalFabrics.com

Check out today's Deal of the Day!

I'm offering a great daily deal on vintage fabrics and retro fabrics that could be:

* a great price for the day on a fabric
* buy a yard get a yard free
* who knows what other kind of steal or deal it could be! You have to check the Deal of the Day to find out.

Don't forget to check back on RevivalFabrics.com often, the Deal of the Day will change often.

Full Bolt of Retro Fabric - Buy the Bolt get 1 yard free!

I sure get stoked when I find a full bolt of retro fabric and vintage fabric ! It's much more common to find fabric remnants in 3 - 5 yard pieces.

On Revival Fabrics right now is 11 uncut yards of retro fabric on the original Everfast cardboard bolt. I'm offering the 11th yard free if you buy 10 yards. In this economy, I want my designing and sewing friends to have all the help they can get. (The discount will automatically apply upon checkout. The fabric is also sold by the yard, if you don't need 11 yards)

This vintage fabric is quality, reflected in the original $4.00 per yard price sticker on the end of the bolt --- quite high for it's time in the 1960s - 1970s. And also cool to find original sticker prices.

Printed on the selvage of the fabric is Everfast Fabrics, Inc.

Everfast was known in it's time as a manufacturer of deeply dyed fabrics with colors not prone to fade in the sun or in the wash.

If you are an independent designer, and have a large order from one of your buyers, you certainly could make many handbags, purses, jackets, pillows, or tablecloths from this authentic retro fabric.

Cubism Art Movement - Vintage Fabric

If you like the early 20th century Cubism art movement, you'll like this avant-garde Cubism influenced vintage 1960s - 1970s fabric called "Roses Cubism" with blue and green roses at Revival Fabrics.

"Roses Cubism" vintage fabric, in comparison to the second photo, a 1915 Rij-Rousseau portrait, has a striking similarity to the abstract lines of the Cubism art movement. (photo used with permission from Wikimedia Commons).

As with many vintage fabrics, you won't find the original artists name on the selvage of Roses Cubism. But regardless, fine art design on fabric, it's always a gem to find.

Vintage Fabric - Friday Favorite - sunflower power

This vintage 1960s voile fabric makes me want to sing "The sun will come out tomorrow..." it's such a cheery print. No need to break out in song though, here in Oregon there's not a drop of rain in sight and the skies are blue.

Happy weekend!

If This 1972 Vintage Retro Fabric Could Talk

Last week I posted about how I excited I was to find this retro fabric with an actual date printed on the selvage.

It had me wondering...what was happening in 1972 when this vintage fabric was manufactured? Here are a few things it could tell us about:

1) David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust: men and women alike, we are still in love with David


2) Republican Richard Nixon wins the Presidential election over Democrat George McGovern. Two short years later, bad boy Nixon gave his resignation speech due to the Watergate scandal.
3) The VW Beetle was the most produced car in history.
4) Sanford and Son starring Redd Foxx as Fred G. Sanford, a junk and antique dealer, debuted in 1972 and ran for six years. When I was young, I felt I couldn't have enough stuff. Garage sales were heady events for a girl with a pocket full of jingle-jangling quarters. In our little white Datsun, my Mom and I would hit every garage sale within a 10 mile radius on many a Saturday. I'd hone in on stuffed animals like a pigeon and then move on to ceramic animals, oftentimes sidetracked by anything cat or rainbow themed. Nirvana I tell you, nirvana! I was seriously impressed by the rooms of stuff on the show. Sanford's cranky attitude didn't fool me as a kid, that mischievous twinkle in his eye gave him away.
R.I.P. Red Foxx


5) Platform shoes, all the rage for a night on the town.
6) At the movies, The Godfather was number one.
7) America was reading I'm OK, You're OK. It made the New York Times best seller list in 1972.

Vintage Fabric ~ Friday Favorite

Today we can take off our detective caps.

Most vintage fabrics require a bit of detective work to figure out the era. Tightly woven vintage cotton often "says" 1940s. Metallic gold print keys you into the 1950s. And if you have a mind boggling pink and orange color combination with smiling mushrooms, you know that the fabric probably hails from the groovy 1960s.

Today my favorite find is a vintage 1970s fabric with the actual manufacturer's date printed on the selvage: "1972 Russell Mills, Inc." Mystery solved. In two seconds flat. It's from 1972. wuhuu!

to heck out this vintage retro fabric

Vintage Fabric Friday Favorite

One of my personal favorites for vintage fabrics are print designs and colors that just "pop". I recently found a retro fabric with eye-catching red against a cool looking background that is a printed faux blue denim. It's such nice supple cotton, and would would work well for a swingy dress or even a man's shirt. You gotta love unisex fabrics.

Check out the The Jelly Bean Bedazzler