I was born in the mid 50s. My first experience sewing quilt blocks was using squares from feedsacks on a Singer treadle machine. Both the fabric and the machine had been passed to my mother from my grandmother. Now I have the machine and treasure the boxes of feedsack fabric that remain in my quilt stash.
I remember my mom making play clothes out of feedsacks for me. She used to talk about how much she hated having to make feedsack underwear for one of her uncles. He refused to wear the new-fangled shorts from the department stores!