Burlap rant

[XCashier]

WARNING: Long, a bit silly and probably won't make much sense to those who don't know fabric.

Last customer on my shift came up to the cutting counter with three rolls of burlap. She wanted thirty yards of it. Ouch. Since none of the rolls were brand new (ie, still wrapped) I had to unroll and measure it.

First roll was nineteen yards and some inches. Then the lady realized she'd miscalulated her measurements, and after several minutes with a calculator and scrap paper, figured out she only needed eleven yards. So I had to reroll a good chunk of it and remeasure it from the beginning. Ended up with an ugly red rash on my forearms.

Now, the customer wasn't really sucky, she was quite nice, and I'm glad she figured it out after the first roll instead of the third. But she was using the burlap for...get this...making table runners to decorate a wedding reception!

Apparently, it's the "in thing", to use burlap at a wedding. Um, why? It's ugly, smelly, scratchy, leaves splinters and welts in your skin. You could probably smooth a board with it if you didn't have any sandpaper!

Burlap as wedding decoration?! Yeah, sure, why have tawdry silk, satin, lace or velvet when you can have lovely BURLAP?! What's next, making the bride and groom's outfits out of it? Yeah, I can see that now...

VICAR: Do you take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife--
GROOM: GAAH! I do already! Hurry it up, this suit's itching like crazy!

Okay, maybe I'm being silly. I just do not understand fashion trends sometimes, especially when they're as stupid or ugly as this. Thank God I'm already married; I'd have to go Bridezilla on someone who insisted on decorating my reception with burlap!

[Pixilated]

Do they live in a flood plain area? Apparently burlap is used to control soil erosion ...

Sorry, after reading your post I had to go Google 'burlap' to find out what the heck its normal use is (apparently it was originally used for curtains and is now often used as wallpaper in theatres.)

It's also more environmentally friendly, so maybe all the runners are going straight to the happy couple's compost heap after the reception ...

[Draper Mel]

I imagine it gives a nice rustic look, but yeah, working with it is a bitch. She's going to have burlap dust in her underwear when she's done, and be finding it in her house for years.

[raudf]

Now, if it's an outdoor wedding, I can understand using burlap for table runners.. though using it for table clothes might be pushing it. Not only is it environmentally friendlier, it's durable for the kinds of abuse that most outdoor weddings offer.

Bonus: If used during the reception, people will leave sooner

[XCashier]

When I worked in a fabric store I detested having to handle burlap.

If you were to poll everyone who works at my store, I think they'd all agree that burlap is the most hated fabric in the store.

The assistant manager told me that burlap decoration for weddings was popular back in the 60s, too, and she thought it was tacky then as well. She guessed that it's popular because it's "natural". Well, a pit toilet is natural too, but I wouldn't want one at my wedding!

[Merriweather]

I don't recall ever seeing it used for a wedding in the 60's - it was very popular, and used for a lot of "natural" look decorating, but not any weddings I ever went to, nor magazines I read.

I could see it maybe for a "theme" wedding - with the reception in a barn, rustic decorations, etc. Otherwise, umm, can't see it. And as others have pointed out, there are certainly other fabircs a lot easier to work with if you're doing decorations.

[KiaKat]

Yup. Burlap is very popular with the current Elegant Rustic trend. Burlap, wildflowers, mason jars, lanterns, lots of rough-hewn wood, hay bales, and lots of yellow, orange, and brown. It's actually quite pretty. And the burlap is used in ways that keep it away from clothing and skin, but still provides a really lovely backdrop for the decor.

We considered it, but then realized that our original plan of using an apple orchard wouldn't work for a November wedding. So we moved it inside and adjusted the style.

[Skarredmind]

My art teacher in Middle school would refer to annoying things as a pair of burlap underwear.

"Skarredmind! Will you settle down and work on your project! You're like a pair of burlap underwear!"

[Ree]

Yup. Burlap is very popular with the current Elegant Rustic trend. Burlap, wildflowers, mason jars, lanterns, lots of rough-hewn wood, hay bales, and lots of yellow, orange, and brown.

Yep. What she said.

http://pinterest.com/yourweddingco/b...dding-details/

[XCashier]

Yep. What she said.

http://pinterest.com/yourweddingco/b...dding-details/

They make it look oh so fancy, but dang, I'm getting itchy just looking at it!

If it were me, I think I'd go with osnaburg. Coarse weave like burlap, costs a bit more, but 100% cotton, so no nasty splinters or itchiness! You could even wear it if you were so inclined.