Hi! Welcome to the board... Here's the short version of the history of Barkcloth as I know it... Barkcloth, in its original form was made from the bark of the Tapa tree in Hawaii. It is beaten, not woven. From that native cloth (if you come across that, it's now called "tapa" and is pretty rare), sprang forth what we NOW call barkcloth. Technically, barkcloth is a weave. To be exact it's a Momie Weave. From the 8th edition of "TEXTILES" (a textbook): "Momie is a class of weaves that present no wale or other distinct weave effect but give the cloth the appearance of being sprinkled with small spots or seeds. The appearance resembles crepe made from yarns of high twist. Fabrics are made on a loom with a dobby attachment or electronic control.... "Bark cloth is a heavyweight momie weave fabric used primarily in furnishings. The interlacing pattern usually uses spun yarns and creates a fabric with a rough testure somewhat like that of tree bark, hence the fabric's name. The fabric may be printed or solid. The rought texture dds visual interest to the fabric and minimizes the appearance of soiling." Now, a little bit more of the informal history... Before, during and following WWII, there were many GI's and sailors stationed in Hawaii. These sailors saw these brightly colored barkcloth curtains and other home furnishings (as well as some shirts) and brought or sent them home...back to the mainland. In the years following -- the late 1940's through the 1960's, bark cloth became a staple fabric in the home interior textiles market. The most collectable of these barkcloths are the atomic "Eames era" prints popular in the 1950's and early 1960's. I've seen barkcloth made in many fibers, from cotton and linen, to rayon, polyester and fiberglass. Below is a close-up picture of a cotton Hawaiian barkcloth. This was a THC Hawaiian Textiles fabric that I sold a couple months back: This next picture is a much heavier barkcloth, typically used for draperies, also cotton: Care depends on fiber content, fabric finishes, and use. I would recommend that most draperies be dry cleaned. I hope this makes it a bit clearer... --Karen

Sue Ann, It's treasure- stuff sells for outrageous prices! The texture is the dead giveaway- its thick and heavy, but not stiff. Most that I have found is in drapery panels, usually with a very big (like 6") hem- besides the "atomic" prints, look for the tropicals with big flowers. You can sell even scraps of this stuff, crafters use it to make handbags and pillows. I made some pillows with a cabbage rose print on black with chenille trims- they turned out so nice I couldnt sell them and have a stack on my wicker couch! camiller

Actually, that's a good idea...and since 99.9% of the questions we're going to get regarding fabric definitions will be "what is barkcloth?" -- I'd put BARKCLOTH & More in the title.

I did save that post from last night in html format, so I can copy and paste it into a new thread...just say "when"...

Sue Ann...

Your foam backed draperies will be a hard sell.

You'll need to clean them to see if there is damage to the draperies before selling (most are washable, at least that will save some money).

They will be expensive to ship if they are large and heavy. I would only list if the print or design had merit. By merit, I mean that the print was something unusual, attractive, or desirable. If they are those typical mottled solid colors from the 1970's, I'd say toss them and write them off...you can get those in any thrift in the country...

oops, did something wrong here.

Hi Sue Ann, I'm a newbie barkcloth identifying too. I find it much easier to id barkcloth by looking at the backside of it. Seems easier to focus on the weave when there are less colors distracting your eyes. If the weave is straight and even, and smooth (2 dimensional)I know it's not barkcloth: If it's has a bit of a drunken weave, with what I call fat worms woven into it...it's barkcloth: That's a really coarse barkcloth, so think of it as exaggeration. Most will be much more subtle, but I thought it might help just to see it. Have fun hunting and come show off your treasures! Ivy

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Hi.......i have been a collector of barkcloth for over 10 years now. I have collected over 300 patterns of barkcloth,floral motifs of the 30's 40's being my favorite.........The highly popular vintage fabric known as (cretonne) or( barkcloth). This is a soft, textured fabric that was originally imported from Cretonne, France, starting in the 1920s. It became very popular almost immediately, and the American manufacturers renamed it barkcloth, indicative of the fabric’s nubby weave. The fabrics are primarily cotton with an unknown quantity of rayon or linen sometimes added, but there is no practical way to determine each fabric’s content any further.

The tropical prints popular in the 1930s were a direct result of Art Deco’s linear forms combined with America’s love for floral prints, which have held a monopoly since the beginning of the 20th century. The influence of Hollywood’s lavish set designs also added to the tropical fantasy, and these patterns thrived into the 1940s, providing fun and delight in interior design.
Sometimes, the tropical flavor was distilled by the addition of stripes for "mainstream" acceptance. Later on, an almost Folk Art sense was added by the use of scenes ranging from the nautical to Grandma Moses to circuses and the American west.

Going into the 1950s, the natural elements of leaves and feathers were combined with geometric forms. The clean lines of the new Scandinavian furniture and the world’s new delight in science helped to popularize this. Add the influence of Bauhaus and the prints soon became full-scale "atomic," now only representative of the earlier nature-inspired designs. Dali, Arp, Calder, and Miro were evident in the dynamic flair of fabrics decorated with boomerangs, flying saucers, and cocktail glasses. And to complete the transformation, silver or gold "Lurex" thread was often added to the fabric. The florals of the turn of the century had now completely disappeared.

Barkcloth faded from the interior design scene in the 1960s, but the recent interest in mid-century design has saved it from extinction. The prints add a feeling of optimism and nostalgia to the contemporary home, and have become highly collectable.
I have used barkcloth for many decorateing projects........it is truely a beautiful textile.

Giving this post a bump to keep it in circulation.

Remember -- any post with no activity for 14 days falls off...and since this one is linked to the sidebar thingy now, we've got to keep it active.

--K

Great post. Thanks for all the info!!

I feel silly asking this b/c I feel like I should know LOL but Matelasse is not the same as bark cloth is it? I have a pretty sure feeling it isn't but I just want to make sure.

I'm back. This is a piece I sold last March: