My recent quest - to find Polish folk fabrics

Most of you reading here realize I am living in Poland. Let’s get that point made just in case you are new here.

My recent quilt top where I made the Moda pattern called “Sunshine” kind of spurred my own interest in the Polish fabrics available here.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of fabrics became unavailable - all sold out due to all the mask making that people were doing. At least that is what I heard. I have my own personal collection, so I didn’t go on a search for any fabric during that time. LOL In fact, I sold some or gave some to a friend who made some masks.

But, I am, and have been captivated by all the different folk designs here in Poland. As I mentioned before, there has been an influx of these fabrics in the last few years and it makes me very happy. I have purchased directly from two of the companies that produce these fabrics.

I know there is another Polish producer of these fabrics - maybe even two of them, and I cannot find out the names of them yet. Hopefully I will though…

What I have done is scour the internet sites - we have a major auction site that almost everyone uses for everything you might not be able to find locally and have it sent to you. No kidding. We couldn’t find cornstarch locally. No problem. Order a box and have it sent to you! Can’t find shoes your size? No problem! My son bought a unicycle off this site many years ago now. We couldn’t find one anywhere at all! Then he found it there! I have also managed to find a few pieces of Polish folk fabric on this site.

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There are several types of fabric available here.

Let me explain.

First - these are very nice high quality fabric with a finish like you would find with Robert Kaufman or Moda or Benartex, or Andover, etc. - and it is about 40+zl/ meter (39”). At the moment, 40 zl is just over $10 but the dollar has been fluxuating - it was more like $14 not very long ago.

Let me show you. These are the nicest fabrics I can find here. I like them all very much. They are a pleasure to work with and a nice weight. None of these have any name at all on the selvage. So far no one has done that here. It makes figuring out who produces them quite a challenge.

Many years ago now I found these fabrics. These are the same quality as the first group and about the same price. Sadly I can not find these anywhere, anyhow, on the net at any price now. These are what they call “Krakowski” fabrics - and are used in the folk costumes from that region of Poland - Cracow (Krakow). They are a bit silky, but the place where I bought them assured me that they are 100% cotton. They sewed like it.

There there are all the rest. While “ok” quality - fine - they do not have the finishes on them that the first group does. These run about 15 zl/ meter right now. That’s about $4-$5/yard (meter) at the moment.

Then I found a place that sold these fabrics specifically for making bedding sets - but these were colorations I didn’t have - and large designs. Not sure what to do with them - we’ll see. The one that is different here - according to the website, it is a mountain design as well. The others are from the Lowicz region of Poland.

Oh, and I just ordered in one more set - and actually I am not at all thrilled with the quality of these fabrics. These are the “mountain” fabric designs. The weave on these is a bit open and rough. In fact, I am actually NOT HAPPY with these. It will not stop me from using them, but I won’t order them again from the place I got these. I believe this design is a classic design and probably—hopefully, I can find them printed on a different griege good. I would not recommend this fabric to anyone - at least by touching it. Maybe I’ll try washing it and see what happens.

Then, the other day I found some of this fabric recently- it was sold as bedding.

Our Lidl had these advertised last week. My husband mentioned it casually - as he knows I love these fabrics and I hadn’t been out. (Actually I’m staying home mostly unless I really need to go out for something.) So, then, naturally, I “had” to go out and see if our local store still had any. They did, so, I picked up these two bedding sets - duvet covers. I can use the fabric from it - even though it is a 200 count satin finish cotton fabric I will use it anyway. It is beautiful. In fact, I’m going to bring one of the pillow covers up and use it now on my bed! No, it doesn’t “go” with my quilt, but I like it! (The one I want to use now is the bottom set - the pillowcase.)

And there you are! I’m in a pretty good place now with my Polish folk fabrics. I would love to find more of that kind with the roosters as I’ve seen it with a yellow background and gray, but they seem to be sold out everywhere. More than that, I wish I could find the original producer - but that’s still a mystery to me! If you are Polish and reading this and know the major producers of cotton bedding fabric here, please write me! I know of Kejt and Kary. What are the other producers of these fabrics - especially the ones of the more luxurious types and then the kind with the roosters?

There are two more pieces I’d love to get that represent a region of Poland that I don’t have any of yet. It’s newly produced here, though, so I have time to get some before they sell out!

I thought you might enjoy this little foray into the folk fabrics I can currently buy here in Poland. At some other time I’d like to basically “pick apart” a given fabric and explain what the different parts mean or represent. Would that be interesting to you?

Have a great day wherever you are reading!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store!

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