My one aunt loves carrots and having her feet rubbed, I know this because my mom points it out to me every time I open a bag of carrots or ask her to rub my feet :)
I can't remember much, but for some reason I have a thing for numbers like my grandmother... also an attribute my mother reminds me of... often.
Well, today she told me I remind her of my great aunt Helen too
- among my stubborn, impatient, and independence seeking qualities ... she was apparently also very resourceful.
She was living on a remote farm in Montana with her husband and children and of course money was tight, but more than that, availability of products was pretty much non-existent. So... she started salvaging old "gunny sacks" (the burlap bags that potatoes and other goods would come in) and she re-purposed them. Not to be outdone by all the city women who had the luxury of ordering from catalogues and decorating their homes she got creative with what she had.
She started dyeing the burlap bags and making things. Drapes, chair covers, you name it. Funny thing is... burlap wasn't revered as glamorous then, which is why she dyed it... not the case these days. Burlap is back!
Old Aunt Helen... the pioneer for not buying anything new... I guess all the pioneers were :)
Well Aunt Helen would be happy to know that although she has no idea what Pinterest or any other website is... she was a trendsetter.
Paper bags are kind of my thing. They're sort of the burlap of today. Not sure I should attempt drapes with it but I do love the color and feel for just about everything. Looks like it goes hand in hand with burlap :)
Trader Joes bags are my burlap sacks.
Too bad most things I buy aren't packaged in burlap because in order to get it these days you kind of have to go down to the store and buy it... new.
I know "everything has been done before" but in this case, I'm glad it's resourcefulness and not just the same old love song...
(who am I kidding I'll always be a sap for the mushy ballads :) and now burlap too. ha
Maybe when the year is up I'll do some decorating with Burlap in homage to my Great Aunt Helen's resourceful ways and in gratitude for passing it along... not to mention it might get me a few pins on Pinterest! ha
(I don't quite understand that site but it's on my "to-do" list)
It is good to know that crafters and homemakers find more than one way to use the burlap sack. And these ideas are amazing. I’m truly captivated by the burlap drapes. The rough texture gives an interesting character to the space. But the pillowcase takes the cake. It is simple and elegant.
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