posted on October 25, 2000 09:15:52 AM new
Well, all that talk of bark cloth got me wondering.
1st: Is this bark cloth?
2nd: What exactly am I looking for when I do a burn test?
3rd: How can you tell if it's old?
I ask that final question because I found a web site selling reproduction bark cloth and have no idea how to tell if this is new, or just well preserved.
posted on October 25, 2000 12:30:35 PM new
Nope, not barkcloth. And here's why:
1. The print in your drapes dates from the late '60s-early '70s. Barkcloth was out of fashion by the mid-'50s.
The weave in your fabric is plain - under one, over one, etc. etc. The linen-like texture comes from the uneven thickness of the fiber. Although the fiber used in barkcloth is sometimes of uneven thickness, barkcloth's texture comes from the random weave - over a couple, under one or two, over another odd amount - and this is different on nearly every line of weaving. Now not every piece of barkcloth has the same weave, and some is coarser than others, but the primary characteristic is this irregular, "barky" weave.
Compare black-and-white pix of your fabric (left) with a barkcloth sample (right):
[ edited by HartCottageQuilts on Oct 25, 2000 12:34 PM ]
posted on October 25, 2000 01:02:47 PM new
Well, darn. But thank you HCQ. I think I better understand. So why are there so many that look like mine listed as bark cloth?
Any chance you could hit on the whole burn test deal for me? I thought I'd be able to tell something but instead stood there shaking my head saying "yep, it burned."
posted on October 25, 2000 01:46:39 PM new. So why are there so many that look like mine listed as bark cloth?
For the same reason poly-blend (or even double-knit!) quilts are listed as "antique": marketing, or optimism, depending on how cynical you're feeling Many sellers haven't a clue as to what they've got, but know "barkcloth" is a big seller, so hey, that must be what they have, right? Moreover, linen-weave stuff from the '60s/70s isn't very marketable (YET - give it 20 years), but you can start a riot with the right piece of barkcloth.
Sorry I missed your burn-test question on round 1.
Here's an excellent site for fabric ID - including dating (see the most recent vintage fabric article for some GREAT old 1930s fabric ads!):
Much of the dating info is pretty technical, but it gives a good argument for NOT washing vintage (pre-1950) fabrics before sale, since it removes some surface finishes which, for collectors, can be important.
[ edited by HartCottageQuilts on Oct 25, 2000 01:48 PM ]
posted on October 25, 2000 08:05:06 PM new
HCQ, I left you a reply to last night's discussion about garbardine. That doesn't look spelled correctly..oh well.. I replied that you hit the nail on the head twice about the dog and the material in question. Yes, I did exactly what you said and had to run inside and get Sansabelt out of bed to go comfort his dying dog as I was almost late for school. Now I buy his clothes and he looks much much better.
Many sellers haven't a clue as to what they've got, but know "barkcloth" is a big seller, so hey, that must be what they have, right? Moreover, linen-weave stuff from the '60s/70s isn't very marketable (YET - give it 20 years), but you can start a riot with the right piece of barkcloth.