Wonder why it is called oilcloth when there is
nothing oily about it? Modern-day oilcloth is simply a cotton fabric
that has a thin coating of vinyl applied to the front, making it
waterproof and durable.
Our way back when ancestors, however, had not yet
invented vinyl, the poor dears, so they applied several layers of thick
linseed oil to their heavier cotton fabrics to make them water resistant
and more sturdy. It was not exactly a fast process, as it involved
stretching and fastening the fabric to a wooden frame of some sort, then
applying several coats of thick, stinky oil.
Housewives did this with gingham fabric and other
colorful prints to make their kitchen tablecloths more durable (i.e.,
more child- and husband-proof). People made their tents out of oiled
cloth to keep them drier outdoors, and men of the sea were well known
for wearing yellow oilcloth hats and jackets (both called Sou’westers
for some reason) to protect them from waves and rain (remember the
Gordon’s Fisherman in his floppy yellow hat and long yellow rain
slicker?) Them be the Sou’westers that were all the range with the
nautical types so long ago.
These old types of oilcloth were not truly water
proof, unfortunately. But in the late 1950s, fabric manufacturers came
up with the idea of applying a thin coating of polyvinyl to cotton
flannel, and the public went crazy nutso for the stuff. This popular
trend continues today, and it is fantastic to see just how many amazing
things people can make out of oilcloth.
Most of the oilcloth sold in the United States is imported from Mexico, but some designer patterns
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