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I wonder how the printed feed sack fabrics (used for feed sacks) would compare to the fabrics available now?
They seemed to hold up well to wear and washing.
I also wonder if the wealthier people thought that feed sack fabrics were "unsuitable" for them to use.
I have one grandmother's quilt from the coal mines of West Virginia and one great-grandmother's feed sack quilt created in the 1930's-1940's from the family cotton farm in North Carolina. Both are quilted with string from the grocery packages that were wrapped on their purchases at the farm/coal store. They are well loved. The one from the cotton farm has cotton balls right from the field as the batting. Told never to wash it. So it has been laid out on the lawn in the sun but still have never been used in my home, just on display. Not sure of the batting of the one from the grandmother whose husband worked in the coal mine. They are worn but treasured.
Busy in Ohio
I have never had or sewn any fabric from feed sacks. I know that EB has used some in her quilts that she has made. It probably doesn't have the chemicals that are used to produce fabric and it has to be well made to contain whatever was placed inside.
A Good Friend, like an old quilt, is both a Treasure and a Comfort
I have a trunk full of feed sacks . I love them I get out and play with them.I have had fun collecting them I taught my granddaughter to spot them and I am going to start a grandmother flowergarden quilt. They have courser weave than todays fabric.I wore bloomers made out white ones dresses out of colored solid and prints. I started school 1940 wearing them but by 1945 we bought ready made.
A lot of us raised on the farm would have had an even sparser wardrobe had it not been for feed sacks.
Please become an organ donor
It really does save lives, my husband is living proof.
I'll bet there wasn't enough wealthy people to make a guess. We used feed sacks for dish towels, underwear, mens shirts, and we made mattress covers with them.LOL DH Mother made a gown that we have. Lasted many, many years. I wish I had a ton of them.
I had similar experiences...my grandmother and mother. I remember going to the grist mill with my grandfather in a horse drawn wagon and picking up the bags of flour and grain and seeing all the bags with cloth designsOriginally Posted by barny
I love feedsacks! I've been collecting some lately. I'd like to use them in a Letha’s Electric Fan quilt or even a regular fan quilt or wedding ring design with an all white backdrop.
The image below (via Imgur) has a quote attached "When they realized women were using their sacks to make clothes for their children, the mills started using flowered fabric for their sacks. The labels were designed to wash out."
I'm sure nowadays they'd just raise the price...
My Machines: Singer Featherweight 221 (c. 1940), Kenmore 158.1430, c. 1926 Free, Singer 66-8 Redeye 1921
Coveted: Singer Rocketeer, Elna Supermatic (green)
Caption for the photo. "Hey! You like my stash?" lol!
I noticed the labels are "Sunbonnet Sue", wonder if that's where the pattern came from!
The image below (via Imgur) has a quote attached "When they realized women were using their sacks to make clothes for their children, the mills started using flowered fabric for their sacks. The labels were designed to wash out."
I'm sure nowadays they'd just raise the price...[/QUOTE]
Sue
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