Has anyone made clothes from burlap?

I can't even imagine wanting to wear anything made out of burlap. It would have to be heavily lined unless she likes to scratch and be miserable while wearing this garment.

I agree.

They may be into mortification, perhaps they are making a hairshirt?

B

Between the odor, the itchy fiber, and the allergens that usually go along with burlap/hessian, I wouldn't even consider it.

Kay

The stuff that we call - burlap - would never be considered for human clothing - it is very coarse ! Perhaps a 4-H clothing project could use flour sacks ? or .. use burlap for a pet bed or scratch pole ? John T.

Only time I ever see anything made out of burlap is some sort of

JoAnns sells stuff they call "burlap":

Offered in an assortment of colors, the 100 percent jute Joann Stores Burlap fabric is ideal for a wide variety of fabric and decor based projects. This heavyweight, odorless and tightly-woven fabric is sanitized to eliminate natural oils. With its wonderful drape, this burlap fabric is perfect for creating a rustic chic wedding theme and home decor accents like table runners, no-sew window coverings, apparel, crafts, pew bow and much more. a.. Available in a variety of colors, each sold separately by the yard b.. 48'' Wide c.. Made in India

Apparently some city folks think its chic to go country AKA "rustic".

Anyone thinking about making a wearable garment using jute burlap really ought to go to a JoAnns, and rub some along their neck (or other sensitive body part) to be sure they could tolerate it. Meh

My younger sister made a slave costume for a Latin Club event at her high school out of a burlap bag, and I borrowed it to wear to a Sadie Hawkins dance at college.

This was well over fifty years ago, so I don't remember much detail. Burlap bags were still used for shipping things, so it was probably finer than the decorator burlap now available, and definitely a tighter weave than "agricultural burlap", which is still used as a biodegradable wrap for root balls and can be purchased at some garden-supply stores. You have to buy the entire roll, but it's cheap, and leftovers can be made into leaf totes. <

> I do recall asking Mom whether I should use a matching or contrasting patch, and she said that patching burlap would be overkill. "But Mom, there's a hole in it!"

A matching patch would have been more Dogpatchy, but I can almost remember using a red cotton print -- probably because I didn't have a scrap of burlap.

I'm pretty sure that I wore something under it.

There's no point to using burlap that isn't natural color, and I don't think decorator burlap comes in natural. Agricultural burlap is plenty natural, but the threads are about a quarter inch apart, which would pretty much rule out machine embroidery, and hand embroidery would take a hundred times as much effort as such a whimsical project could justify.

The wearing of the project had better be scheduled for cold weather, so that something thick with long sleeves can be worn under it. The sleeves are very important; your arms rub on clothing every time you move.

Burlap sheds like crazy; you must clean your sewing machine thoroughly and often when working with it.

I've never washed burlap, but I'd worry about clogging the drains. If I wanted wash the stink out of burlap, I think I would soak it outdoors, dump the water on the lawn, soak again in clear water, pin it to the line, and rinse with a hose.

The garment won't last long -- note the once-worn costume that had a hole in it, and you won't be able to buy burlap intended to stand up to being thrown around when filled with heavy stuff.

:> I am interested in helping a 4H girl create a unique outfit. I thought :> perhaps a jumper or dress made of burlap with machine embroidery would be fun :> and unique.

:My younger sister made a slave costume for a Latin Club event at her :high school out of a burlap bag, and I borrowed it to wear to a Sadie :Hawkins dance at college.

:This was well over fifty years ago, so I don't remember much detail. :Burlap bags were still used for shipping things, so it was probably :finer than the decorator burlap now available, and definitely a :tighter weave than "agricultural burlap", which is still used as a

coffee and a few other things still are, and the bags are available.

I've made a few bags out of used coffee bags, and they held up pretty well. The bags are silly expensive, if you have to buy them, though.

Yep - the local specialty coffee guy sells the bags for 2 or 3 dollars. I assumed that people woould use them for wrapping shrubs and young trees for the winter .. John T.

this is a good thred & a good group very frugle tnx