Just a few comments on your proposed use of wood chips and the fabric.

If you want a real mess, get the fabric caught in the tines of your
tiller...not a pretty sight!

Over time, the wood chips will decompose, making a great home for weed seeds to
germinate. I don't really have an answer to this situation but I'm now looking
at many feet of decomposed wood chip paths where I need to manually shovel up
the composted material, haul it out and redress the paths.