Thursday, March 19, 2009

Let's Talk About Rickrack!

Some of you may have already seen the new Quilter's Home issue featuring collecting Rickrack. It inspired me to show you some of my collection! Hope you enjoy!

Before I start though, I want to show you the cute Iron Keeper that was also featured in the magazine using my Rise N Shine fabric! Thanks, Stasia, for emailing me and letting me know it was there!

Now on to rickrack.....

As most of you already know, I am a rickrack fiend! I absolutely love the way that it looks with feedsacks and repro fabrics. Before I found a good source for cotton rickrack I used only vintage cotton because the colors are so much nicer with vintage fabrics.

After collecting quite a few, I noticed that the labels were just wonderful! Many of them are from companies that we would expect like Wrights, Penney's, Talon, Coats and Fruit of the Loom. Oh, you didn't expect Fruit of the Loom???

But the really fun ones are those that we've never heard of today such as those below:

Notice how they seem to borrow themes from one another? Cameo starts out as a rose, then adds a cameo which is picked up by Lady Fayre. Here's another example from Warren's old and newer label and it's similarity to Boiltex. I have no idea which came first.

It's interesting to see how Wright's changed it's label through the years, along with it's price!

Penimaid was an old label for JC Penney's as you can tell from the package on the right.

Some companies even included a spool of matching thread to use in sewing your rickrack!

The next picture is one of the cutest I've seen. Little Prudence was precious!

I also love the Tailor Bird brand and once in awhile you see odd ones like the Princess rickrack that is wrapped sideways.

One of my most recent finds is this rayon rickrack in a box from Trimtex! Don't you love it? Next to it are their cotton cousins in more typical packaging.


Well, that's it for rickrack! Hope you enjoyed looking at some of my collection. Do you have any interesting ones to share? I'll put them on my blog if you do.

Hope everyone is having a great week! Blessings~

18 comments:

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Oh I love Rick Rack and so glad it is coming back, I have some of my Mom's left but of course would always like more. I love your collection, the little girls, just darling. the price, how true is that! Thanks for sharing, and congrats for being in another magazine!

Barb said...

Thanks for showing all the rick rack, really enjoyed it.

Eileen said...

I am so in love with this post! I collect ric rac too.. but I have nothing like some of these. I have not seen Prudence before.. that is darling!!
Thank you so much for showcasing them, and pointingout all the intersting names and facts.

Abby and Stephanie said...

I LOVE rick rack!!! What a terrific post. I was just at an antique mall last weekend and saw the rick rack with the little bobbin of thread attached. I'm kicking myself for forgetting to go back and get it. Oh well...

I wish rick rack you buy in the packages today were cotton not polyester.

Anonymous said...

What a great collection! My envy knows no bounds!!

Little Lady Patchwork said...

Wow! Where do you find all of these little lovelies?

Thanks for sharing your collection!

Sherri said...

I loved this post! It was fascinating to see all of those packages! Thanks a lot!!!

Dawn said...

Rickrack rocks!! Thanks for sharing your collection! It was fun!

Anonymous said...

LOVE your rickrack! Can't get enough of the stuff. The rickrack with matching thread is a hoot--what a great marketing idea.

Sarah said...

It always amuses me to see the old ones with the 10 cent price tags, when the new stuff is crazy expensive!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

Hello Miss Glenna!! I am loving all your rick rack. Funny how inexpensive it used to be. I love the tiny itsy bitsy ones. Next time I'm traveling thru an antique shop I'm getting you some rick rack. I see it all the time. You've got quite the collection. I love the ones with the matching thread too. Very unique.
Hugs

Anonymous said...

Glenna - I LOVE the Trimtex box with the window. I want to come live in our studio!

Rose Marie said...

You have quite the collection. I love rick rac and have used it a couple of times now in my quilts. Gives my designs an added sparkle.

Nanette Merrill said...

You're killing me with the rick rack. Seriously. KILLING ME! The feedsacks are hard enough to resist.

Ann Ferguson said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. Wow!Love rick rack and your collection is phenominal! I noticed reading down that you do packs of feed sack squares. I do that with African fabric and just did a post about it before I saw yours!
Definitely going to visit your website Glenna.
Ann.

Marta Leggett said...

I love your display of Rick Rac! I have collected for a while, and just love the fresh look of the design, reminds me of my mother and her sewing our dresses back in the 50's. I have decided to sell some of my treasures on my Etsy site if anyone is interested. Etsy.com/shop/shabbyhostess. I'm not sure about advertising this, but I do love your display and all the memories this brings back. Keep up the good work!

Debra Amon said...

I just won an auction for a whole box of rick-rack. The bid was for "sewing notions" so I was super excited to find that almost the entire box is rick-rack. There was one package of Prudence in the lot, but unfortunately, my granddaughter got into the box and tore open the package. Sigh! I appreciate your post. It will give me a reference to detrming the age of the rick-rack. I will use it though--I make aprons out of vintage feedsack fabric.

Linda said...

Such a wonderful collection! I love it.