McClintocks Quilts - sales book

I was pleased to find this little book, which was used by retail stores to sell down quilts made by McLintocks of Barnsley, made in their Utilitas factory. McLintocks, together with Booth and Fox of London, dominated supplies of high quality quilts and quilted clothing. The company was founded in the 1850's, making undergarments and bedding in the 1860's, mainly for the British middle class. Quilted petticoats fell out of fashion, but the company survived for decades, as manufacturers of down quilts. The Utilitas factory closed in 1977, and has been refurbished as an office block by the local council.

This book illustrates the quilts (what we would call eiderdowns).....you could buy a brand new quilt.....or you could have old down quilts recovered...most interesting to me are the samples of fabric. It is informative to see these, to be better able to describe the fabrics used in my antique quilts...

You could choose the design of the eiderdown you wanted....plain or fancy...

...And choose the fabric you wanted for your bedroom...these are the least expensive fabrics, paisley cambric, what we would call paisley cotton. I think that this sample book dates from after WWII, but before decimalisation in 1973.  1960's? Not  much fabric left here, the samples have been cut so that customers could have slivers as samples to take home to consider...I have a throw in these fabrics...the cloth cost 8 shillings 11 p, or 51 p per yard. To recover a quilt cost about £5, a new quilt would cost about £10. 

This is printed cotton sateen which cost 9'6 per yard...

Plain taffeta at 6'6 per yard...

Plain crepe at 8'/3 per yard...

Plain satin at 8'6 per yard...

Satin beaute at 14'6 per yard....

Crepe brocade at 10'6 per yard..

Printed satin at 12' per yard..

And rayon brocade at 8'9 per yard. Evidently very popular!

I will have to study these fabrics.....