Burlap: love it or hate it?
Over at Pam's place there was a recent discussion about the increasingly popular use of burlap in crafts. Many many people commented and nearly every single one agreed that burlap is itchy and stinky. If so many people don't like it, how has it become a trend? I guess it's a little like bell bottoms which were a trend not only once but TWICE. And I hate them. 
I don't hate burlap. I love burlap. I've loved burlap ever since working at the Coffee Roastery where 100lb weights of coffee beans were shipped in rugged burlap bags and stacked all over the place. I love the smell of the jute which is what burlap is made from.
Why would anyone want to use it in a craft? You certainly can't wear it, unless you use it as a replacement for a hair-shirt do-it-yourself-punishment project. You can't use it for pillows or furniture, again, unless you are a masochistic twist-brain who enjoys discomfort. 
In designing bags for carrying groceries in my main concern all along has been durability. Quilting cottons are really nice and if you make a quilted bag with them it might stand up the the rigors of heavy bottles and cans being lugged around in it. I have been using my oilcloth bags but oilcloth is actually just vinyl and the corners are all worn out to increasingly big holes now. 
Canvas is good but boring. I figure that anything strong enough to ship 100 pound weights of coffee beans in will stand up to the job. 
Aesthetically speaking I love the mixing of rough with fine. Of durable with sweet. I love to see pretty with utilitarian. It's a juxtaposition I never tire of. So perhaps this goes some way to explain why burlap may be a burgeoning trend in crafts and design. It's not costly either which is another big plus. For these bags the low cost of the burlap allowed me to afford using a nice printed cotton for the trim and lining rather than a plain cheap muslin which I had to use for the printed cotton duck market bags.
What do you think?
What do you think?
Comments (10)
I love the bags made with burlap. I think it looks good but yeah, stinkey and scratchy. I've seen it a lot in pillows and regular carry everyday purses. I would not want something that scratchy up under my arm while shopping.
Of course LOVE the ruffles, my fav kind with the pinked edges!
Posted by pam | January 14, 2010 11:13 AM
Posted on January 14, 2010 11:13
and hey? did you prewash? how will that wash up in a bag? Sometimes my groceries are yucky on the outside and I'd need to launder my bag.. just curious.
Posted by pam | January 14, 2010 11:14 AM
Posted on January 14, 2010 11:14
I would hand wash line dry. The burlap is really strong but it wasn't meant to be laundered like clothes. I would spot clean and then sometimes wash in the sink. It could probably be washed on a gentle cycle in the machine and line dried but until I get to try one I won't suggest it. I would never pre-wash a loose weave like this. I saw what happened to yours!
Even though canvas is washable, they are a pain because they get scrunched up and nasty, so I don't view this as a negative aspect, though I know some will.
I just wanted to make an alternative to the cotton duck I've been using. I also wanted a bag that I could afford to line with the nice cotton (I have a LOT of nice cottons on bolts from when I had the store).
Pillows out of burlap? Very punishing!
Posted by angelina | January 14, 2010 11:33 AM
Posted on January 14, 2010 11:33
OH! I absolutely love these! I've always been fond of burlap...it has a very solid meaning to it. I suppose it's because it has been around for so long and is one of the last textiles that is pure and without any toxins added to it. I often sew with burlap, anything from outdoor cushions to bags to curtains(if the weave is tight).
Posted by Kathy | January 14, 2010 12:43 PM
Posted on January 14, 2010 12:43
I love burlap. I like the texture and the scent. And there are different grades, some quite fine. Back decades ago when I did crafts, I used to make Christmas ornaments from burlap. Burlap is easy to cross-stitch and has a quaint old-fashioned charm.
Posted by mss @ Words Into Bytes | January 14, 2010 6:11 PM
Posted on January 14, 2010 18:11
mmm... chocolate covered strawberries....
Posted by Lucille | January 14, 2010 6:23 PM
Posted on January 14, 2010 18:23
Love it! And I love durable, good looking bags that I can haul around the market stuffed with several days worth of vegetables, cheese, a baguette, a dozen eggs and a poulet rôti.
"pretty with utilitarian" - exactly!
Posted by Loulou | January 15, 2010 11:16 AM
Posted on January 15, 2010 11:16
I like the brown one, with strawberries. It's so pretty.
But I don't like burlap. I can't stand anything rough underneath my fingers, not even sharp flour, or rigid denim, so I would never use it. It just doesn't feel right (IMHO).
Posted by Maja | January 15, 2010 1:19 PM
Posted on January 15, 2010 13:19
I love the smell of it too. I am planning to get some soon to use as curtains for the girls' closets. We had to take the doors off of them and I saw in a magazine you can use burlap and then trim the top with some fabric and there you go. I figure it matches everything and is cheap. I would not want to wear it though or have it close to my skin. :(
Posted by amy | January 15, 2010 1:39 PM
Posted on January 15, 2010 13:39
Love it! I like the texture, utilitarian look of it, the recycling. The chocolate coloured one is especially tempting.
Posted by French Knots | January 17, 2010 9:31 AM
Posted on January 17, 2010 09:31