Where to Find . . . Oilcloth

While visiting Winkel to photograph Hubble, Mike and I noticed the shop’s fantastic selection of oilcloth on the roll ($10.99 per yard). Now there’s a throwback to an earlier age. Oilcloth is a printed canvas, originally treated with linseed oil to make it impermeable and more recently coated with plastic, almost like a vinyl. Because it’s so easily cleaned — just wipe and go — oilcloth was used for decades to cover picnic tables and hardworking kitchen tables.

Today, the fabric reeks of nostalgia which is one reason crafter extraordinaire Erin Leah Pryde loves working with it. I found Erin through Winkel where a postcard depicting a set of Erin’s oilcloth pillows (above right) is displayed; she maintains a Flickr page where she posts shots of her various craft and kitchen projects . . .

I love this shot of Erin’s bathroom — the oilcloth shower curtain is balanced beautifully with the lucha libre mask. This is one Canadian decorator with a fun sensibility. Erin’s kitchen is just as wild — she has augmented her oilcloth curtains with vintage chalkware fruit and vegetable plaques.

Erin got hooked on DIY early in life: “My mom was a home economics teacher,” she explains. “She kept her creative side busy with projects like creating a life-size Big Bird using bath mat remnants and feathers. Once she returned to work she got both me and my brother (and any kid in the neighbourhood who wanted to learn) more involved, having us pick out fabrics and sew our own summer shorts. All along I’ve had a great appreciation and respect for the process. I think that’s why I find DIY projects so enjoyable and rewarding.”

Erin adds that she loves working with oilcloth because “of its vibrancy — the vivid colours and bold patterns. Its durability is another great feature, especially when creating things meant to last a long time.”