Cheddar and Poison Green

I received these 2 half yard medleys in the mail last week from Keepsake Quilting. They are both manufactured by Windham Fabrics and are reproductions of fabrics from the 1830-1860 era that were designed by Nancy Gere.

The name "cheddar" came from a shade of yellow that resembled the color of cheese. This cheddar yellow was often the base dye for the poison green color. Cotton fabric was first dyed yellow and then dyed again with indigo or prussian blue.

The Baum Textiles website says this about the fabric line:

"In the early to mid 1800s, "poison" greens and "cheddar" yellows were very popular colors, a pleasant diversion from the browns, indigos and turkey reds that were previously used in both garments and quilts. The contrast of the wonderfully bright colors afforded dress makers and quilters more creative possibilities than ever before. Although it wouldn't be until the 1870s for synthetic dyes to enter the market, these particular colors, achieved with natural dying elements, were overdyed to yield bright, intense hues.The origin of the name "Poison" green offers several explanations: most believe the name comes from its similarity to the arsenic-based and toxic "Scheele's Green" wall paper, used throughout much of the 19th century. Others argue that the original poison green dyes came from "wormwood", while another audience believes that it is aptly named for its use of arsenic as a mordant to fix dyestuffs; however, there is no evidence supporting these last two definitions."

I guess that I need to pick a traditional pattern for these traditional fabrics. Originally I was thinking of using them in a double wedding ring quilt but some of the motifs might be too large. If you know of anyone who has used these fabrics, let me know how they were used.