I've worked with bark cloth. I don't know if it's the same thing that you are referring to though. I used to live in Hawaii, where it was very popular in the 40s and had a resurgence in the late 60s, early 70s. It is usually 100% cotton, medium, to slightly, heavy weight, and frequently has tropical floral prints s/a heliconia, pineapples, hydrangia, ferns, etc. It works great for pillows and light upholstery. It looks fabulous with bamboo outdoor furniture. I've never tried it for quilting. It might be too heavy for that purpose.
~ C