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Remodel & decorate in Mid Century Style

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Home / Decorating Resources / Window Treatments

10 Charley Harper barkcloth fabrics launching in July

Pam Kueber - July 8, 2019, Updated: November 6, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

charley harper barkcloth fabriccharley harper barkcloth fabricBarkcloth is a favorite fabric for curtains and pillows in mid century houses — and Charley Harper, a beloved mid century illustrator. Now, Birch Organic Fabrics has put the two together in their collection of Charley Harper barkcloth fabrics. There are 10 designs in all, and they begin retail shipping this week from fabricworm.com. Let’s look at some of my favorites from the new collection:

charley harper spring flowers barkclothAbove: Spring Wildflowers. I love the rich colorways.

charley harper barkcloth fabric outing designAbove: Fabric Outing. Charley Harper is particularly well known for his illustrations of animals.

charley harper barkcloth owltercationAbove: Owltercation. Harper also is known for his whimsy!

charley harper barkcloth birch fabrics song sparrowAbove: Song Sparrow. This would be a happy design to wake up to every morning, don’t you think?

charley harper barkcloth birch fabric turnstonesAbove” Turnstones come in a nice neutral palette.

charley harper bear in birchesAbove:  I’m also digging Bear in Birches). Very clever!

charley harper barkclothHarper’s illustrations are also quite graphical (is that a word?), rather than “sentimental.” They actually have a very fresh, current feel, even decades after they were originally designed. Thanks to Birch Fabrics marketing for kindly providing these delicious photos!

Where to buy:

  • charley harper posters
    8 Charley Harper travel posters — still available from U.S. government vintage stockpiles — see story here.

    This line of Charley Harper Barkcloth from Birch is available for retail sales at Fabricworm.com, shipping starts July 10

Related stories:

  • Read all my stories on where to buy barkcloth today.
  • And remember this one? Charley Harper travel posters — cheap — with free shipping — from U.S. government 1980s and 1990s stockpiles — still available!

CATEGORIES:
Decorating Resources Window Treatments

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12 comments

Comments

  1. Kay says

    July 21, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    If you check the Fabricworm site they have many other Charley Harper fabrics. They don’t all come up if you search Charley Harper unfortunately. There are knits and some nifty Christmas fabrics.

    • Pam Kueber says

      July 21, 2019 at 5:15 pm

      Thanks for the tip! I think you also can see the fabrics on the Birch site, which could help you cross-reference names to search for on fabricworm….

  2. Lisanne Freese says

    July 21, 2019 at 11:08 am

    I couldn’t afford the Charlie Harper clothing at REI a while back. It’s obviously loved by customers since none of it has shown up on ebay! Thanks for the link, I just purchased Rocky Mountain and Isle Royale (where my parents dragged me annually for mosquito bites).

    • Pam Kueber says

      July 21, 2019 at 11:23 am

      🙂

  3. Pamela Nordstrom says

    July 21, 2019 at 9:37 am

    Please check out these VINTAGE fabrics, which are beautifully kept, and come with their own stories…. Brian will work with you for custom looks, and the workmanship is superb. Delicious eye candy.
    If you love barkcloth this will make your head spin!

    https://www.etsy.com/shop/floridabungalow

    • Pam Kueber says

      July 21, 2019 at 10:19 am

      Agreed – and I have Florida Bungalow in my big roundup story on all the places I know of where you can find barkcloth >> https://retrorenovation.com/2019/02/04/where-to-buy-barkcloth-places/

  4. Retroski says

    July 11, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    I love these! They are “graphical” and retro. I can see them as curtains. Or pillows!

  5. Carolynapplebee says

    July 8, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    These are BEAUTIFUL!!! I was about to order new shades for the bedroom. Maybe I should make curtains instead.

  6. Debbie in Portland says

    July 8, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    I inherited a 1920’s wicker furniture set from my parents. The original upholstery is in need of replacement, and I’m thinking barkcloth. I have the Helen Koues “How to Make Slipcovers” booklet. Wish me luck, I haven’t sewn anything since high school!

    • Pam Kueber says

      July 8, 2019 at 3:09 pm

      You can do it, wishing you luck!

    • lynda says

      July 10, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      I have made slipcovers before. If you do some research, there are some tips on making yards and yards of cording on the net. The cushions look a little better with cording/welting. Also, if you already have zippered covers on the cushions, you can take apart the covers and iron them flat and use them as a pattern for your new cushions. Keep one put together so you know exactly how to put the new one together! If the fabric is washable, wash it first so it won’t shrink later when you wash it. You will love the feeling of accomplishment when you are done.

  7. CarolK says

    July 8, 2019 at 9:48 am

    These fabrics would be perfect for a birder like me. They also remind me of the chicken curtains on the enclosed back porch of this bungalow we rented for a few years. I loved those curtains!

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