Burlap for your Country Wedding
Burlap is not just a fad, a passing trend. It's timeless and here to stay. I have had, and continue to have brides who want a country wedding and love to DIY . Even with hiring out for the decor they still want to help and add their handy work to their wedding. So whether your the DIY bride, mother, family member or wedding planner, this article offers useful information and where to get your burlap. Thank to http://premiertablelinens.com/ for permission to repost
Burlap
– History & Care Instructions
An Asian native, the jute plant has long been the workhorse of the textile industry. Ancient
Indian and Chinese civilizations relied on cloth woven from jute fibers for
clothing, household goods and farm chores.
In Europe, Jute was woven into Burlap, also called Hessian
cloth, and was used for wrapping bales of cotton or hay and for stitching grain
sacks for transporting wheat, barley and rye from farm to mill. In rural homes, Burlap did double duty as
curtains and chair covers.
Today, the quest
for ecologically sustainable natural fibers has sparked a renewed interest in
this humble cloth. The popularity of simple country style decorating has
transformed burlap into a coveted choice for home furnishings. In addition,
the trend for rustic themed special events has put burlap on the top of savvy
wedding planners’ Must Have lists.
Whether for your
front hall, banquet hall, resort function or your local reception hall/barn
dance, Burlap is ideal. It is a strong, durable, color and light fast. It’s
biodegradable and carbon neutral (meaning it balances the carbon dioxide
required for it’s production and transport with the carbon dioxide the Jute
plant removes from the air we breathe.) Burlap is the ultimate eco friendly
fabric and the most fashionable table linen fabric today.
How To Eliminate Burlap’s Odor
Being Eco-friendly, however, doesn’t mean that it’s
absolutely perfect in every way. There’s no getting around it… fresh burlap —
while a thing of unparalleled beauty — has a earthy scent. The odor’s strength
depends on how the cloth was finished, how it was stored and a variety of other
factors. Our Burlap is refined and contains no additive or Formaldehyde which is
found in many other Burlap fabrics being sold that are inferior quality or
imported.
Unless I need to use my Burlap right away, I simply place my new
Burlap tablecloths and table runners in my screened in porch (in fair
weather) or the garage (during the rainy season.) It takes about a week to
notice a big difference. Those with sensitive noses sometimes say that a trace
of ‘eau de Burlap’ can still be detected, but I don’t find this bothersome.
If you are in a
hurry to recover that old chair frame or use your new Burlap table linens, simply
take a slightly damp washcloth and rub it over the fabric’s surface. Flip the
cloth to the other side and repeat. The Burlap will need to dry off,
but this usually only takes the better part of an afternoon. Dissolving a bit
of baking soda in warm water before dipping in your washcloth is also helpful.
Just be sure not to add too much baking soda as this can leave a white residue.
How To Clean Burlap
Although nearly carefree, there are times when your burlap may
need laundering. Whether a wedding guest drips chocolate sauce on your burlap
tablecloth or your curtains seem a bit dusty, the first step in cleaning Burlap is to give it a good
shake and let it air out on a sunny day. Sometimes this
is all it takes.
Tougher stains can be removed by gently dabbing the surface
with a washcloth dipped in a mixture of vinegar and warm water. Rinse with
plain water.
When all else fails,
wash the Burlap in a sink or bathtub using a small amount of gentle liquid
detergent. Feel free to swish around the water but resist active agitation.
Agitation can cause the fabric to release fuzz (short fibers) or fray at the
edges (which is why you WON’T want to put your Burlap into the washing machine
in the first place!)
For stubborn creases, choose a
low heat setting and cover the area with cheesecloth. Press along the crease
line on both sides, using the iron’s mister. Be patient, this really works!
For those that need a Burlap
that can be machine washed, Premier Table Linens also offer the Havana Faux
Burlap which is 100% Polyester but yet looks like Jute Burlap.
Check out this Ralph Lauren Lauren inspired Burlap Ruffled Tablecloth
