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There's an old song entitled "Everything Old Is New Again," and nothing proves it more than the new interest in chenille cloth. The term is applied to upholstery, carpets and other fabrics that are used in modern decor. But the original chenille was first a simple bedspread.
It is an interesting story that began in a tiny Georgia town.
At the turn of the 20th century, a young girl named Catherine Evans created a unique wedding gift by adapting the technique of candlewick embroidery into a new art form. Using a bold pattern that she saw in a quilt, Evans sewed and knotted thick cotton yarns onto unbleached muslin. Then she clipped the ends of the yarn knots and washed the spread in hot water. The result was a fluffy yarn design that took on a unique look. The muslin tended to shrink in the process, making the yarns more secure. She finished the edges, and the bedspread was complete.
The result was a lightweight spread that could be used as a topper over warm blankets or alone as a summer blanket.
Catherine Evans' unique bedspread caught the attention of other Dalton, Ga., women, and she soon was refining and teaching her...