~barkcloth and vintage fabrics~

Hello friends,

Well we are enjoying a couple sunny days here in Vancouver, still seeing our fair share of rain but the sunny days, they are just awesome!

 Life just looks a whole lot better when the sun is shining!

Today I wanted to chat with you about barkcloth. 

Have you heard of barkcloth?

 I hadn’t until a couple years ago when I met Ms L and her amazing collection of barkcloth fabrics.

Wikipedia describes barkcloth as “a soft, thick, slightly textured fabric, so named because it has a rough surface like that of tree bark. This barkcloth is usually made of densely woven cotton fibers. Historically, the fabric has been used in home furnishings, such as curtains, drapery, upholstery, and slipcovers. It is often associated with 1940s-through-1960s home fashions.”

Now Ms L has been collecting vintage fabrics forever and when my friend, Colleen of Vintage Home, set up for us to pay her a visit, I was all there!

Piles and piles of barkcloth and other vintage fabrics, all laundered and ironed and neatly folded. 

Ms L purchases barkcloth drapes and painstakingly unpicks them and cuts them into pieces of fabric.

 She told us of one pair of vintage curtains that when unpicked had money sewn into the hemming. 

Wish I knew the story behind that! 

Who sewed it in there? 

What were they saving it for?

Just look at this gorgeous emerald brocade…

I was really along just to take a look, but couldn’t resist and came home with a little stash!

 I plan to make some pillows for my beachy living room, I’ll show you once they’re done!

Tracey

~from flop to pop~french farmstyle pillow

sometimes it's the oops in sewing that have the most potential

and yes i know

~measure twice - cut once~

blah, blah, blah

i do, really, i'm a perfectionist when it comes to sewing, especially items i plan to offer for sale

but still i can't tell you how many times i've sewn pillows together with one of the backing panels reversed....

usually late at night

so what to do when i cut a panel too small?

and not just any panel

let me tell you, these transfers take a lot of time and elbow grease

well, how about overlay it on a red ticking background

fray the edges a little

love it!!

perfect for a french country home

flop to pop

get it:-)

(tell me i'm not the only one!)

and here's how one customer put it all together, doesn't it look so wonderfully french country

{Tammy purchased my chanticleer rooster pillow from The Passionate Home in Langley, where Carrie carries a selection of my pillows and products}

~don't forget to come visit at the market tomorrow~

Tracey

 

 

~sweet and simple burlap and ticking~

today i thought i'd show you two of the runners i've made recently for etsy customers

i love being able to make a piece just perfect for each customer's needs

this one is smaller and perfect for the centre of a table, or coffee table

it has a low profile but still has the interest of the ticking ruffle on either side

i liked it so much i listed another one in my etsy store!

this customer wanted a narrower version of my runner with vintage white ruffles

and she chose to have it made in the ivory burlap

so that's what I've been up to, sewing up a storm!

Tracey

~finally....~

finally it's our turn

we got our snow day! yay!

we rarely get a snow day here up north as it always rains and rains right after the snow

but today....

today i woke to that perfect stillness and brightness streaming through the windows

wish i could tell you i rushed out with my camera

but truth be told i am STILL in my pjs

(i did send the boys out to shovel though, being a responsible citizen and all)

so take a look at Sherri's post here, she actually got up and out with her camera!

so

 a day of ~fluffing~

(don't you love this ruffly bedskirt)

 ~nesting~

~a little sewing perhaps~

and maybe even some ~baking~

(i know, this preoccupation with food has to stop!)

but wouldn't you like to bake in a kitchen like this!

or at least sit and gaze at it over your cup of coffee vanilla rooibos tea

oh, hold on, just remembered, i have three kids home

*reality check*

i really WAS dreaming!!

ok, let's just start with a shower.....

happy snowy day!

Tracey

(photo sources unknown - google)