Do you know barkcloth? The vintage barkcloth we generally know today is a fabulous fabric from the 1940s, '50s and '60s. It is a cotton fabric made from a dense weaving process that results in a smooth backing and "nubby" top. 

The original barkcloth, however, was a very thin fabric created from the bark of an Asian Pacific tree -- thus the name. 

Growing up we had white and brown barkcloth curtains in our living room. I'm not sure where my mother got them, but I never really thought about it back then as many of our neighbors also had barkcloth curtains, just in different colors. One had avacodo green and another's was gold. All of those curtains are long gone now -- probably they were thrown away when the new styles of curtains arrived on the scene. It's too bad they didn't know what they had -- vintage barkcloth today can be rather expensive, and you really have to shop to find a good price. 

There is new barkcloth made today, but of course, I prefer the vintage from the mid-20th Century. The designs were fresh and original. One example of these great designs is the barkcloth I found to create the half apron shown here.

Enjoy your research on barkcloth and maybe you can find some of it in a great print to create something special!