Bits and Pieces - Vintage Bark Cloth

I've gone through lots of boxes in recent weeks, and I truly thought I'd been through all these boxes before. Apparently, I'd only given them a cursory glances. With more focused exploring, I have come across a genuine vintage find that I somehow had overlooked.

I have been dreamy-eyed over bark cloth ever since first seeing it made into a zipper bag back in 2018. (here's the post) After understanding what it is and realizing how much a part of my parents' and grandparents' homes it was when I was a child made me very interested in finding some. These fabrics symbolize the warmth of hearth and home for me. Curtains, upholstery, pillows - all the simple comforts.

Bark cloth! It is hot-hot-hot in the collectors' world. Do an Ebay search of bark cloth and see the asking prices on various cuts of this stuff. I see it occasionally in antique malls and the prices are astronomical.

So buried in a box with random other quilting stuff was this gray bit of bark cloth - 2.5 yards and 36" wide. It looks pristine. Never used. I might even recognize it. Maybe this is leftover from a pillow on Grandma's sofa? Or curtains in the family room? Or upholstery on a small chair? Memories from so far back are fuzzy, but I do think I 'know' this fabric. 

You can bet, as I go through any old photos, I will be checking out all the couch cushions! I betcha' I will find this fabric. *wink*

So, this is not the most flamboyant of bark cloths ever produced; it's gray and tame and solidly Midwest farmer's wife style.

And I haven't a clue what I'll do with it. Honest! I could use it, but how? I could sell it, but do I really want to? For now it is back in the box, tucked away in the closet with a few other gems found in Grandma's boxes of sewing goodies.  

Stay tuned for more Bits and Pieces yet to be revealed. I plan to have several more. 

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Bark Cloth - A New Interest

A month or so ago, I saw the most adorable little zipper pouch on Instagram. I've sorta' been on a bit of a bark cloth "kick" ever since. Below is the pic I saved, and you can click here to make your way to other gorgeous beauties by this designer.

Seeing this fabric sparked a memory in me of fabrics I remember from my childhood - not just in our own home, but at both grandparents' houses, aunts' and uncles' houses, probably many friends of our family, too. Then I remembered a piece of this cloth that I actually own stashed away upstairs in the sewing room.

Why I have saved this fabric, I have no idea. I do not remember where or when I got it, either. The piece is sewn into a case for a smallish pillow, but that does not help me remember my origins with it. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste, you know?) *grin*

Perhaps bark cloth is seeing a resurgence in popularity. I wonder if it's the combination of design and texture that appeals so much? A week ago, DH and I attended the Columbus BIA Parade of Homes, and the very first home on the tour featured a bedroom decorated with bark cloth window treatments, pillow, and chair upholstery.

My piece of bark cloth is in very good condition, so I think I will try copying the inspiration picture and see what kind of a sweet zipper bag I can come up with. Add some embellishments of lace or denim or simply a complimentary fabric, perhaps? Yes, that sounds nice. And don't forget a sweet beaded pull.

One aspect of Instagram that I have come to appreciate is the concept of # (hashtag). If I am interested in something, I can just search that item with the # in front of it. So, for example, when I wanted to see more bark cloth, I entered #barkcloth (don't use spaces in a hashtag search) in the search bar, and WHOA!! What a vast array of beautiful fabrics I found. Then I also searched #vintagebarkcloth, and that elicited even more! I admit to being slow to the game on understanding hashtags, but IG has helped to enlighten me.

This new interest in bark cloth prompted me into a nearby thrift store to see if I could find any items like curtains which were made of bark cloth. Nope. But I think I will remain on the lookout for it. As I have seen the vast array of designs on IG, I find myself more and more drawn to it.

Happy Saturday! I am taking my little stash of Lake Effect hexies on a quick overnight to Columbus. Progress has been steady on those hexies, and I feel a big final push coming on for finishing them off.

Happy Quilting, Friends!