Friday, January 2, 2009

For The Love of Barkcloth

I adore vintage textiles and fabrics, so I thought I would share my favorite which is Barkcloth. Barkcloth gets its name from a primitive fabric which is made from the fibers of tree bark found in tropical and subtropical countries. The outer bark is stripped from the tree with the inner bark separated from the outer bark. The inner bark is then beaten with wooden beaters on an anvil to spread the fibers. Larger cloths are made by layering and felting smaller pieces together during the beating phase.


Barkcloth made its way to France in the 1920's and was made using cotton mixed with rayon. The introduction to barkcloth to the United States was the imported material from France known as cretonne, a woven cloth with a nubby texture. By the 1930's Barkcloth was manufactured in America and from upholstered furnishing to window treatments and was favored for it's durability and dense weave.


Florals, geometrics, abstracts, botanticals, leaves and birds are all common designs. Today many design houses are reproducing barkcloth using older designs. If you're buying barkcloth fabric for one of your project's, be sure to ask if it is vintage or a reproduction.


A new addition to the Pink Pig is this beautiful sofa with matching club chair. This set is from the 1920's and the barkcloth slipcovers are in excellent condition. I love the coordinating pillows that match the seat cushion on the chair. A perfect and romantic set for any Cottage Home. I would love to see your favorite collection of barkcloth. Please send me a photo of your favorite barkcloth collection...it could be a pillow or chair or maybe a beautiful set of drapes in your bedroom. pigpinkw@yahoo.com


5 comments:

  1. DuniJanuary 4, 2009 at 5:00 AM

    This is a very interesting and informative post! I always wondered what barkcloth was and came from...now I know!
    I have a vintage purse that is made from pineapple fiber and has an unusual texture.

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  2. niartistJanuary 6, 2009 at 3:21 PM

    I love the barkcloth! I found a reproduction of a toile barkcloth called Bosporus. They have it in Brick and Wheat - and it's lovely - I know you'd really enjoy it! You can find it at Calicocorners.com. I'm browsing the store - just scratching myself trying to figure out what to buy!

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  3. rkdsign88January 8, 2009 at 1:04 PM

    Thank you for this very useful information. Your blog is lovely.

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  4. WaterroseJanuary 15, 2009 at 11:13 PM

    OH I love barkcloth. I made my bedroom roman shades of a tropical pattern...here's the link if you are interested.

    http://waterrosez.blogspot.com/2008/03/topical-bark-cloth.html

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  5. UnknownJanuary 16, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    I've been looking for my photos of this great barkcloth love seat I had, as soon as I find it will send it over.
    Great article, I have my own blog www.workguideforwomen.com. I would love to add you to my blog roll and hope you will do the same - let me know your thoughts. I am also part of www.ShesConnected.com you should check it out and add your profile, it's a great way to promote your business and blog.

    I look forward to connecting with you and continuing to read your blog.

    Best,
    Ariel
    Homesweethomeblog@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete