5 Best Farmhouse Fabric Ideas for Your Home
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Looking for the perfect fabrics to complete your farmhouse decor? Check out these five best farmhouse fabric ideas that will add charm and warmth to any room.
Modern farmhouse design is all about creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere, and the right fabric choices will make all the difference. Whether you’re looking for drapery panels, pillows, bed skirts, or upholstery fabric, these five rustic fabrics are sure to add charm and warmth to any room in your home.
One of the easiest and most budget-friendly ways to add a specific style to your decor is with fabric. By simply switching out pillow covers, or adding a table runner, it’s possible to transform a room in just a few minutes. Today I’m sharing five of the best fabrics to add farmhouse style to your decor. If you’re like me, and don’t actually live in a farmhouse, adding fabric and accessories is a great way to add a touch of farmhouse charm to any space.
Grain Sacks
First let’s talk grain sacks. My love of grain sacks borders on obsession. They are a modern farmhouse trend with a rich history, and each one tells a story. They are not the easiest things to come by, but the search is worth the end result. I buy mine on eBay and Etsy. They can also turn up in antique malls or flea markets. I have never found any grain sacks at my antique mall, and have the best luck buying online. Grain sacks are fun to repurpose into pillow covers or table runners, but if you don’t sew, one of the best ways to add them to your decor is with layering. Their clean lines and neutral palette lend them beautifully to farmhouse-style interiors.
Design Ideas for Incorporating Grain Sacks
Place one on your coffee table or dining room table under a tray. Use them on the back of accent chairs or drape them on a vintage ladder. Line wicker baskets or wire baskets with grain sacks, or stack them on open shelving. They can even be used to cover seat cushions, and they work great for upholstery. Keep in mind that an upholstery project would get pricey unless you have just one or two chairs…but it certainly would pack a punch. When we lived on Sutton Place, I covered my dining room chairs with grain sack inspired fabric, and it was much more affordable than if I had used real grain sacks.
ticking pillow cover | lantern
board and batten information
Ticking
Ticking is up next. It’s easily recognizable because all ticking has a specific stripe pattern. It was originally used to cover mattresses and pillows. You can still buy real mattress ticking in fabric stores…but my personal opinion is that it’s hard to work with. It’s stiff, and doesn’t soften after washing.
I opt for 100% cotton ticking that washes up beautifully, and is a dream to work with. Soft furnishings made from ticking are cozy, and add the perfect farmhouse touch. The most popular colors are red and blue, but ticking is now available in many different colors.
Mangle Cloth
Chances are you have never heard of mangle cloth, but it’s a very versatile and beautiful farmhouse fabric. Many years ago, I made a window valance for my kitchen on Sutton Place, with matching chair covers. I used a magnificent, long run of blue striped mangle cloth that I found on eBay.
Mangle cloths are very long and wide, with blue or red stripes running down the sides. They were used to protect fine linens when they were put through a mangle machine to be ironed. (Think an old fashioned wringer, but extremely hot.) Mangle cloths are not easy to find, and most of them come from Europe. The sides with the stripes are finished with a selvage (or finished) edge, so they can be made into a table runner or table cloth.
Linen
Of all the fabrics that lend themselves to the farmhouse look, linen is the most universal, and it literally goes with anything. White linen, ivory linen, flax linen…all of these neutral tones make beautiful decor items. For a solid fabric, it has incredible texture. Once it’s washed, it becomes softer and thicker. The more linen is washed, the better it gets.
Linen is perfect for curtains, throw pillows, table linens, and bedding. It’s a timeless, breathable fabric that has been used in farmhouse decor for centuries. Linen also has a natural, rustic look that fits in perfectly with farmhouse decor. If you are ever in doubt about what fabric to use, linen is a great choice. It’s a no-fail decision.
Burlap
The last best farmhouse fabric idea, but most certainly not the least, is burlap. Burlap is an easy way to bring farmhouse flair into your decor, and no sewing machine is required. It’s affordable, can be found anywhere, and is neutral in color. It’s a versatile and durable fabric that adds texture and a natural feel. It can be purchased at all craft, discount, and fabric stores, which makes it super easy to find.
It’s very simple to make no sew items with burlap, and it’s a budget-friendly way to bring a sense of warmth to your space. When prepared correctly, a straight and frayed edge is easy to achieve. It’s also thick enough to survive an application of hot glue! For a more polished look, try pairing burlap with a soft cotton fabric, white linen, gingham fabric, or any scrap fabric you have on hand.
Bonus Tip
One more way to add modern farmhouse style to your decor is to sprinkle vintage quilts around your rooms. I collect blue quilts, and I love to use them to add layers and warmth. Although rarely in perfect condition, smaller quilts are more affordable, so I look for baby quilts or coverlets. A great place to find them is on sites like Etsy and eBay, or at flea markets and antique stores or malls.
More Farmhouse Fabric Ideas
- buffalo check
- country plaids
- pastoral scenes
- toile fabrics
- fabric with botanical imagery
I hope you’ve been inspired to add farmhouse personality to your home with one (or more) of these fabrics. Find below links to sources for each one of them. The grain sacks and mangle cloths are the most expensive, but if you are patient, even those can be found for a reasonable price. If you decide to make a purchase, make sure to consider the shipping cost. Many sellers offer free shipping, but if they don’t, it can raise the price of the item. Have a wonderful time using these creative ideas to add farmhouse-style fabrics to your existing decor!
Where To Find Farmhouse Fabrics
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Blue is my favorite color, so I especially was intrigued with your decorating ideas. I like how you give practical ways to implement these and make them obtainable for the average home decorator. Thank you for the inspiration!
I share your love for quilts! I find if they are made with cotton fabric and cotton insert batting, they age well. Always look for 100% cotton! They make the best bedding…the colder it gets, I just add more and they are the perfect texture for summer!
Revisiting classic fabrics, and farmhouse linens, grainsacks and ticking makes my heart happy.
My great aunt found discarded heavy linen bags state road crews used, so she washed them and made all sorts of home items out of them.
But the talk of the town was, she used some to make cloth diapers for her babies – which were marked explosives. Those were dynamite bags.
Love following you! You give me lots of inspiration!
I enjoy today Home Style Saturdays #400 posts (not to mention all your recipes and home styling ideas.) Appreciate you wrote all these wonderful fabric ideas and hank you for sharing your time and talents with your readers!
I love blue and white decor. Thanks for all that you share.
Love your blanket ladder idea with all the blue quilts, beautiful!
. I like grain sack fabric but have never seen any in the antique stores where I shop. Your blue and white quilts are lovely.
Thank you for the easy napkin tutorial! I love the casual appeal of these linen napkins! I’m going to incorporate burlap decor for relaxed summer vibes!
Thanks, Ann, for tasty recipes, your comfy decor ideas, and heartfelt discussions.
Truly enjoyable content. I love the tips, and tutorials, and can’t thank you enough for the printables….I’ve downloaded many and get so many compliments.
Always look forward to your blog!!
Becky
I love the grain sacks too. I really like the pillow made from them and the ticking. That never goes out of style.
Love the ticking and quilts, relaxing and homey.
Love all the blue and white. Fabric sources are great too—I had forgotten about mangle cloth. It’s not something you see every day either.
Great post Ann! I learned so much.
Love your posts! Blue and white is timeless.
Such great ideas! Thank you for sharing your talent with this community!
You always have pretty and practical advice for home decorating!
Blue and white has always been a favorite of mine. I try to use it in my house when I can. Your blog has always been a must read in my morning routine.
Those heart ornaments are one of the first things that I ever pinned! I appreciate your blog being so down-to-earth with projects and ideas that are easy, affordable, and inspirational. Blue and white is my favorite. I have my mom’s Modern Delft wedding China in that color. I appreciate you! Blessings!
Love the blue quilts that you displayed. I’m considering having one commissioned. It’s my favorite color.
Love, love, love all your posts!! I’m always inspired after I read them.
Thanks for providing links to be able to replicate your style!
I look forward to each and every post!
I have never heard of Mangle Cloth, it’s a new one on me. I have also used drop cloth to make table runners and pillow cases. They say you learn something new every day.
Hand raised I’ve never heard of Mangle Cloth, great history lesson. I love linen and burlap. Would love to find fabric with a sage green stripe or dark brown, instead of blue or red, to use to create pillows, runners, etc.
Great ideas, thank you.
I’ve never heard of Mangle Cloth, but will now look for it. I’ve always been partial to ticking. It reminds me of my childhood.
Mangle cloth was new to me, too. Thanks for sharing from your experience and knowledge!
I hadn’t heard of mangle cloth before. So interesting; thanks for the info.
Love your decorating style!
Love the way you use fabrics in your home!
Thank you for always having great content. I have used many of your recipes and implemented many of your design suggestions in my home decor!
Beautiful pictures!
The ideas of using different fabrics to decorate your home has reminded me of our family’spast. My grandmother and mother would tell us stories of going to the grainery to pick out grain bags to make clothes and curtains 80+ years ago. Your article brought back these memories. Thank you.
I had never heard of mangle fabric. Thanks for mentioning it; I’ll have to look for some! I’d love to make a table runner out of it.
400!!! Wow! That’s amazing!! I have followed you for a long time, but not sure I have seen 400. 😊 I love the grain sack stripes. I have even painted them on the seat of a stool. Enjoy your blog every time!
Love ticking, still using my shower curtain I bought from you.
I always love your blue and white color posts. Congratulations on your 400th post
Congratulations on 400 episodes! That’s a lot of work and much appreciated by many viewers. Thanks for all you do.
Ann….I have always loved your blues. They catch my eye everytime. Your home is always so clean and immaculate. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me.
Beautiful blue and white quilts!
Love the kitchen valance made with mangle cloth. Thank you for sharing the resources.
It all looks so nice. When I had my son my Aunt Marie quilted a baby quilt for me. It is blue and white. She embroidered the blocks as well. I gave the blanket to my son who is now 46 to keep.
These are all great ideas! I am going to add the linen ornament to my list of ideas for Christmas this year!
I love your blog and look forward to reading each week. Thank you so much!
I love your blog and all the wonderful ideas. Thanks for all your hard work.
Love your blog, Ann. Yours is the only one I subscribe to. I love modern farmhouse. Have a great summer!
I Love pillow ticking and used the gray and white for curtains in our plant room.
Love the ornaments!
Love your blog!
Love all the fabrics Ann, I wish I had purchased some of your handmade grain sack items back in the day, they were so gorgeous!!
Congratulations on reaching a new milestone!!! Here’s to the next one!!!
You were right. I had never heard of mangled cloth. I also had never heard of ticking. All of your ideas are so good. I love the classic blue and white. The quilts you collect are beautiful. Thank you for all the great ideas.
I love how you present your content and I consistently make many of your recipes, especially the breads, soups and desserts! Yum!
I really enjoy your decorating ideas !
I’d never heard of mangle cloth but plan to find it! I’m a big fan of how you integrate blue in your decorating.
Ann I love your simple and classic decorating style.
Live simply is my motto in life. You make decorating simple and easy. Thanks for all the inspiration you have given me.
Very clever use of reliable tried and true fabrics…I learned something new today – Thank You!!
I LOVE your entryway and the summery blue chairs you have added!
Love the striped fabric for making pillows. Blue and white is so classic.
It’s funny how inspiration works. I started following OSP many years ago and even though my style is not Farmhouse, the ideas sparked by Ann have taken root and are adapted to bring my eclectic space to a level I had never imagined. Even the use of quilted fabric has brought about a charm I had not used for many years. I had long ago packed away a handmade quilt from my husbands grandmother. I will now find a way to incorporate and I can already hear the wonderful conversations and the happy memories that will bring. Again, Ann, thanks for that spark you ignite.
I love this article! I have bought grain sack cloth and ticking and made pillows then painted on them. Love the look of that in farmhouse look.
I love how you decorate with all these types of fabrics. I’ve not had much luck finding grain sack cloth anywhere. I also love your quilt ladder. I do have one that I use red quilts on. I meter was one to decorate with blues, but…I am beginning to lean toward adding it to my decor. I love all the blue you use. Your decor has always inspired me. Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions you give us. I look forward to your weekly posts!
Ann – I also love these country fabrics! I covered my chairs with the ticking fabric.
Thank you for your wonderful ideas!
I love the use of grain sacks whether they are new or old… thanks so much for the inspiration!!!
The ticking story brought back so many childhood memories. The screened in porch had cushions on the wicker furniture made of ticking. I believe it is a fabric that always looks fresh. I also learned about mangle fabric. I was not familiar. Thank you for the inspiration.
I love ticking fabric. It is easy to work with and adds so much beauty to whatever you are working with!
Love line😍. Especially loved the grain look dining chairs!
Such a great article on adding some delightful texture and an organic, farmhouse feel to a room. Thank you for the extensive resource list, too!
Always fun and inspiring to read.
I’ve been a fan of linen for decades now. It’s so versatile and I recently discovered the exfoliating benefits of using linen washcloths when I was my face.
Ticking is my favorite
Love you seasonal display of quilts on your quilt ladder! Such a unique idea!
Hi….you are right never heard of mangle cloth may have worked with it not knowing the name Grandmother use to make quilts love your ideas a tryed some of your recipes Thank You for sharing
I love using burlap for runners. It’s very easy to refresh the look with the seasons.
Loved your fabric ideas but now I just need to find the time to sew! So many ideas and you made me remember how much I dearly love “ticking”!
I have two love seats upholstered in camel and white ticking and they are about 35 yrs old. I bought them for our Virginia country house and now they are being used in our home in North Carolina which is where they were made.. I love ticking and how versatile and sturdy it is. Plus it can be dressed up or down with accessories. They have survived through my 10 grandchildren and countless pets!
Loving the suggestions. Thank you
Thanks for all your great ideas! Congratulations on your 400th Homestyle Saturday.
Lovely ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I very much enjoy your decor!
A great, informative post. Thanks!
Love the textures that these fabrics add. I watch for vintage roller towel machine fabrics, but they are harder and harder to find and often in poor condition. But they make wonderful dish towels or hand towels in the powder room.
Great post! I made ticking valances for my kitchen and have a burlap runner on my dining room table that I made. I love the idea of using mangle cloth!
Simple, clean and classic
Love the ideas for different fabrics. Remember most of them from my grandmothers…and have som of them.
All of the materials you discussed just bring comfort to a home, or at least that is how I think of them. Thank you for sharing your ideas of how to use them in so many ways!
Great Ideas! TY
I have faux grain sack fabric pillows on my sofa. The heavy fabric was an unexpected find at Restore. The French saying that looks like it was stenciled on made it perfect for pillows.
Love seeing a neutral palette with a pop of color.
Very helpful info!
What a nice giveaway. Love everyone’s posts. Great ideas and recipes. Love your grain sack items. Thankyou!
You have the most beautiful photos on your blog! Congrats on reaching the 400 mark!
I love your farmhouse touches. I used to decorate in that style in an old home we owned. Now I live in a modern home that just doesn’t look right with farmhouse style. Sigh….learning to decorate in a new way
Great Grain Sack post! Love, love , love the Saturday series. Congratulations on hitting this milestone! Please keep up the great work. Thank you😊
I have followed you for a while, and I recently signed up for the baking emails. I’m excited to try the recipes! Thanks.
Congratulations on your 400th post! I always look forward to reading your post. They are always so inspiring and informative. This post was no exception. I appreciate all the information you provided on how to use the different fabrics. I’m looking forward to giving some a go.
Love your ideas! I also decorate with pillows, throws & runners. Thinking about adding a blanket ladder to the family room.
Notice how most of the fabrics you mentioned are very natural and from the earth?
Can’t go wrong with that, IMHO. I am culling back to cottons and linens in my decor fabrics and my clothing. It just seems to make more and more sense to have something natural next to your skin, right?
Love your post Ann, your new home is a perfect downsize home. The back yard is adorable!
I enjoyed seeing your new place, but miss your hydrangeas and your dog. Took a class on collecting and one of the participants collected antique feed sacks. Some of them were beautiful, she has written a book about feed sacks and gives talks.
I also use your recipes, the salad one is my summer favorite.
Congratulations on 400th Home style Posts! I look forward to reading your posts!
Ticking is my favorite. I need to add some of it. Thanks for reminding me. I had never heard of mangle cloth. It’s pretty. Congrats on your 400th!
Congratulations on 400 Home Style Saturday posts! I look forward to this every Saturday.
I enjoyed reading your post, but my favorite farmhouse fabric is gingham! Just love it! And I enjoy the HSS feature, because of the one-stop shopping. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoy your blog and many of your recipes! Homestyle Saturday is the best!
Very informative
Thank you for devoting this post to fabric. I feel like it’s a very much overlooked accessory.
Wonderful ideas and pretty pictures! Thanks for the ideas.
Love the grain sack table runner. Your home is so inviting.
I love your DIY ideas!
I always enjoy being inspired with your home decor ideas. Thanks so much.
I enjoy your blog every single day! I am so in love with all your blue and white decor and love your decorating style.
great ideas – thank you, thank you for doing this. fell, broke, my wrist surgery, and can’t do anything to get my home ready for summer – so enjoying seeing all you ideas!
I have followed you for several years, and I love all of your content. This is a great post!
Thank you for all you share and do!! 🥰 Love all of the modern farmhouse fabrics. Some of my favorites also.
I love buffalo checks and ticking material, just a country gal at heart!
What an inspiration you are. Each post makes me want to rest quietly in the serene rooms you create.
Love reading about the fabrics. I ordered a full bolt of off white denim to have made into a couch slipcover. Washes beautifully.
Thank you such great information on fabrics. I didn’t know anything about ticking prior to reading this. I also appreciate all of the list of where to source the fabrics you discussed. Your style and home are lovely.
Thanks for for the tips! Love the look!
Linen and ticking… always a classic and nice summer feel. Love how you applied it this season.
I do love quilts and decorating with them. Thanks for the links.
Love your farmhouse decorating style! Especially the white and blue for summer!
I love the way you decorate. Simple but beautiful. I am going to try to find grain sacks. I love that idea. I do have some burlap and will try that also. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
Great ideas! I learned some things, thank you.
Thank you for your ideas and tips. I love the way you simplify home decorating.
Ticking + grain sacks + linen + mangle cloth coupled with quilts for extra interest – what could be more perfect…?
Thank you for this very informative article on fabrics. Enjoyed reading it.
I always look forward to your post – so down to earth!
Your blues and whites and linens are such a beautiful combination! I’m always admiring what you’ve done in your home. Just gorgeous!!
Good fabric choices for a homey feel.
Great info. Changing just some throws and pillows gives a room a whole new look. Thank you for the tips.
Great ideas! Love them all ❤️
Luv the farmhouse look. I have lots of antique furniture throughout my house. Just luv the ticking & mangle cloth. Will be making pillow covers & the stars for Memorial Day decorations to go with my other items. Thks Donna
Inspiration just spills out when reading these blogs. I love to see how your home uses these ideas and variations too! I have some old grain sacks that my grandmother gave to me!
I love the way I can change the whole look of a room with pillows and a throw! Thanks for keeping things simple
I love blue and white, too! Thanks for inspiring me, every time.
Beautiful photos & design :-))
All very good ideas!
Thank you for the post. I enjoy reading your blog!
Good morning, Ann. Thank you for this very informative article that explains the differences between the fabrics in an easy format. I love the look of the grain sack table runner.
Love your home and the idea of fraying edges. I’ve been doing it for years. Easy peasy!
Ann, I love your aesthetic! Especially your use of blue throughout your home. I am slowly introducing blues to my home – it is such a restful color that goes with anything! (think jeans!) All of these beautiful country fabrics to choose from!
I just love all these fabrics! I just bought a new grain sack look table runner and, best of all, it was half price AND blue and white! I also have a couple of inherited quilts on display and another burlap table runner. Now I’m going to be on the lookout for mangel cloth. Thanks for the ideas!
Love this post on farmhouse textiles! I grew up in the house my grandparents built and there were always lots of ticking and mangle cloth around – many stored up in the attic. My family and I now live in an even older house just up the street that was my Great-great Aunt’s house. A little farmhouse. Thanks so much for the inspiration and where to source them. I’m on it.
Love the rustic look! Thanks for all the great advice.
Thank you for your practical ideas and your inspiration!
As a young 80 year old, I’m part of a group of multi talented crafters . Each week we get together to share the many ideas we find here then we each pick one that we haven’t done. We are expanding our knowledge and putting on a great Spring craft fair!
Ann your blog is one of the few I have sent to my email everyday. Love your easy decorating style. Congrats on 400 HSS.
Thank you for this post. I love fabric and with the current trend toward minimalism I am seeing less and less of it. I always enjoy your blog.
I love all the fabrics but burlap is my favorite.
Great ideas! Thank you for the many years of inspiration! 💙
Love the ticking article! Hoping to find it in greens! Was not aware of several of those fabric names etc. Great ideas.
Buffalo check, gingham, toile and burlap are my favorites! Thanks for the lesson on mangle cloth. I’ve seen it but never knew its history.
Thanks for the clarification on all those different fabrics, I would have lumped the all in the Muslim and linin category. The positive is they seem to be very durable!!
I love all of your farmhouse fabric ideas!
I love linen and buffalo checks or gingham. Pair them together and it looks stunning. I never thought of grain sacks before, what a lovely idea.
I love your blog because it is practical and easy to follow. I don’t feel like you are lecturing me and instead you are like a good friend sharing ideas. Thank you for what you do so well. Please enter me in the gift card giveaway.
I love all your farmhouse fabric ideas!
Great ideas. I will be using some of these in my new home.
Hi, long time follower here. Your blog was the first I followed! Congrats!
Thank you for all the great ideas.
I love all these fabrics but especially the grain sacks. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas.
Wonderful information.I love anything farmhouse.
Buffalo checks are my favorite fabric to use for pillow covers.
I loved the fabric tips and the diy for making linen napkins. I also love your ladder with your collection of blue quilts. Everything looks comfy!
Thanks for many wonderful ideas.
Loved this post – I had no idea what mangle cloth was but I have seen not and love it . I’m looking for some online today. Thank you!
Great fabrics! and led me to s site for some outdoor fabric I am wanting. Way to go!
Great ideas! I love ticking, linen and cotton cloths. I’ll check on Mangle cloth.
Thanks for all the lovely ideas!
Love your real approach to decorating. You always provide great idea we mere decorating mortals can achieve😁
I enjoy all of your posts. Thank you
Congratulations on the 400th episode. I feel fortunate to visit with you each week!
Tammy
Always look forward to your posts. I love your style!
What a great informative post – love all these fabrics. Mangle is new to me.
Thank you for the information on where to find farmhouse fabrics. All of you girls have such beautiful homes and style. Have a beautiful weekend. Kris
Never heard of Mangle cloth but I have used the other fabrics you have mentioned. great article and lovely pictures.❤
Another inspiring post…I start my day with coffee and perusing your blog. It’s my daily ritual that gets me going. Thanks for your work putting these together for all of us looking to ‘up’ our design game!
Always enjoy the wonderful, practical ideas.
Just learned something new-
Mangle cloth! Thanks for the info!!
Great ideas that are easily incorporated into my home.
Your staple is blue, many beautiful pops in your decorating; easy and relaxing!
Thanks for the informative post! I love all of these materials and use them in our home!
Great ideas.
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t know the names of some of the fabrics and have learned something new.
I love to sew and your post has some great ideas. Thanks for sharing!
I love the mangle cloth stars. So festive and a great idea to use as pillow covers also.
Truly love the blue quilts!!!! I too search for these quilts, with very little luck, but I continue to search. Good job on your collection-beautiful!
I agree, that small changes make a big difference. That’s why as I continued to read your post, I began the small change journey through our our home. It’s funny how once you start things seem to blend more harmoniously.
Your blogs and my coffee are the perfect combination!
I really like your style
Love all the information you shared and seeing how you incorporated these fabrics into your designs, just beautiful! Thank you for the opportunity to be entered into your very generous giveaway!
Love the Saturday blogs and the way you join together! It makes it like one stop shopping for “all things home” blogs. Keep ’em coming!
I love the fabrics you use. It transports you to Europe almost immediately. Textiles truly do add a softness to the living space and can really change the look of a room.
Your posts always bring a smile to my heart. So many great ideas!
I learned something new today- mangle cloth!
Another great post Ann. Just love all your ideas, your home is lovely!
Love all your suggestions for modern Farmhouse style!
Love how simple but classy using these fabrics to style with!
Love classic toile! :)
Love,love,love Grain sacks and ticking. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for always having interesting articles. You are right, I have never heard of mangle cloth, but now that I have im going to have to look for a some. Thanks for your inspiration!
Hi Ann, love your blog! Your wish list makes it so easy to help folks like me decorate. Can you help me with hanging string lights? Whether on a patio or fan shaped in a backyard. I cant seem to decide. We have a new home & I’m trying to decorate an outdoor space. Also helping my father in law decorate his screened porch space.
Perplexed in Tennessee,
Kelly Malone
Hi Kelly…my apologies for taking so long to respond. I love string lights, but I’ve never actually hung them. If I were to do it, I would do it as simply as possible! I would make a rectangle to mimic our patio. A fan shape sounds very fun though. Good luck!
Love your real approach to decorating. You always provide great idea we mere decorating mortals can achieve😁
Hi Ann,
I loved this informative article and will likely be making some purchases on etsy ASAP!
I do have a question on the uppermost afghan on your ladder! I so love the pattern of that piece. Is it also a vintage find?
Beautiful I just love that look
Hi Ann! I do live in a small old farm house and recently inherited two red, blue and white Persian rugs. They are beautiful and I want to make sure they blend in and add timeless beauty to my old house. I love all of your ideas and will be looking for appropriate fabrics to make my old house more beautiful. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Your home always looks so classy and comfortable.
What a lovely post Ann. On my enclosed porch I am using off white denim slipcover on the sofa and black and white ticking toss pillows. Also added a couple of black/white square pattern you used at Christmas-can’t think of the name.
xoxoxo
xoxoxo
It’s interesting that you mention Mangle cloth. I actually still have a working mangle. It was my mother’s. She and I both sewed so she had it to send her items through. It is wonderful to send your cloth napkins through and is a real time saver. I will often put through lengths of fabric to get them smooth before sewing.
Thank you for all your wonderful ideas and the links to sources… I have already gone shopping (buying) for lovely pillow covers :)
I find the smell of burlap very off-putting. Does washing it before using it eliminate that problem? I hate the petroleum aroma that seems embedded in burlap.
Hi Laurie…washing the burlap does remove a great deal of the odor. It doesn’t remove all of it though. I have found that the smell completely fades over time. I store some burlap runners in a drawer and when I open it, there is no smell.
Thanks, Ann, for the great post! I love grain sack! We have covered our dining room chairs in grain sack with the blue stripe. I had never heard about the mangle but I like it, too!
Although I don’t live in a farmhouse,I do love adding farmhouse decor to my home. I love all the fabrics you talked about in your post, very informative.
I love all of your sewing tips. Your knowledge of older fabrics got me wondering if you or perhaps one of your readers can help to identify some linens my husband acquired from his great aunt. There are six large cloths (30” x 15”) made of damask with cloth tabs sewn on the back of each short end. They are embroidered with his aunt’s monogram. She was born in the early 1900s. Any clue as to what these were used for? They are too large for a placemat and too small for a table runner. The tabs on the back have us puzzled. Thank you.
Hi Harriet…my apologies for the delay in answering. From your description, I think the linens are kitchen towels. The cloth tabs on the back are for hanging the towel on a hook. The linen most likely came on a roll that was 15 inches wide. It was cut into lengths to make the towels. What a treasure…you are very lucky!
Ann – I love this post! My home is not farmhouse, but I find myself drawn to some of the elements of farmhouse – chicken wire and pillow ticking in particular. I think what is so appealing about these various fabrics is that they bring a sense of warmth and relaxed comfort that is both inviting and appealing. And your home showcases that perfectly! BTW….I took your advice from your latest sewing post about creating patterns for items you sew frequently. Total game changer. I create a few patterns for pillow forms, and was delighted at how much time, effort and frustration it saved me. Thank you so much for that!!
Oh, my! Now I want to “collect” grain sacks. Thank you for a beautiful post.
The only thing I don’t like about 100% cotton is the wrinkles!!! Lol
Oh My goodness Ann!….Thanks for introducing us to the wonderful world of Mangle Cloth!!!