Known for elaborate patterns, damask fabric prints can add visual interest and sophistication to any quilt project. Quilters may choose damask fabric for its intricate and detailed patterns, some of which may be reversible if they are a “true” damask fabric (more on that in a bit!). Many of today’s damask print fabric for quilting is only printed on one side of the fabric - in this instance, the term “damask” is intended only to convey the style of the overall design.

What is Damask Fabric?

Originally damask fabric was created by master weavers who threaded their looms with two different types of thread–one matte and one shiny, often in the same color–to create a pattern that contrasted in texture and sheen. Damask print fabrics first appeared in the work of Chinese hand weavers around 300 BCE. Eventually damask print fabric traveled with Marco Polo along the Silk Road back to Venice. In fact, damask acquired its name from the city Damascus, Syria–a major trading post on the Silk Road. For this reason, you will sometimes also hear this type of fabric referred to as Damascus fabric or Damascus print fabric.

Damask designs were as unique as the weavers who created them–often featuring natural motifs such as flowers, leaves, vines, fruits, and birds but also scrolls, fleurs-de-lis, and paisleys. Because the production of damask fabric was the labor-intensive purview of a master weaver, it was used for furnishings or worn only by royalty and the very wealthy. This changed when Joseph-Marie Jacquard–a French weaver and merchant–patented his machine in 1804.

Jacquard invented a mechanism that fitted onto a weaving loom and controlled which warp threads would be raised before allowing the weft thread to pass under them. The brilliance of the system was a set of punch cards that controlled hooks on the warp threads. These punch cards could be easily created for any damask pattern and could be used over and over again to replicate the damask design. Because of the Jacquard Loom, damask fabric became affordable for the average person.

Today, damask fabrics are created on computerized Jacquard looms. They are relatively inexpensive to produce but retain their old-world elegance for both fashion and home decor applications. Damask print fabric has also become very popular. Fabric printers today can achieve crisp, stunning images that layer colors in ways that achieve texture and depth. Therefore, fabric designers have created damask print fabrics that look a lot like woven damask designs for a fraction of the cost.

For those who love damask fabrics, Missouri Star has a nice selection of damask print fabric by the yard that is perfect for quilting. We even have choices of damask print that are 108” wide and perfect for quilt backing. If you are looking for damascus print fabric in precuts, or damask fabric that is multicolored, or traditional monochromatic damask fabric by the yard, we have options that will add elegance to your projects.