Old 08-10-2011, 06:14 PM
  #98  
lots2do
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine-ly Florida
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Originally Posted by jan22
When I was very young my father, a farmer, would buy grain/feed that came in bags. Each bag stacked in the back flooring of the grain store were made of printed cloth. Much rougher than todays fabrics. They were feed sacks or bags and my sister who was in high school at the time making all her own clothes would tease to go with him so she could pick out bags that would be future blouses and skirts or dresses. She knew exactly how many it would take for each garment. So after empting each bag, my mother would unsew the seams which were on 3 sides and then wash the bags. That was in the late 40's early 50's and those prints you show are very much like the bags he bought. Those years were hard and that is why neither my sister or I do not purchase any reproduction prints. We are not even tempted to go anywhere near them in the fabric stores.
My father also purchased seeds (wheat and corn) in smaller cloth bags. Now those are every course and were used for backing for quilts after much bleaching to get the printing off. Didn't always work so one of the quilts my grandmother had made has the face of Abraham Lincoln and another has a rooster. Not sure what a presidents face was doing on seed sacks back then but it's very clearly printed.
I'm thinking those prints are from the late 40's.
I enjoyed reading your response and learning about your memories. I can see why you might not be attracted to them now.
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