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Here are a rabbit chow bag and a seed bag. Because the colors are badly faded I decided to embroider over the patterns. The housewife would ordinarily remove the printing so the bags could be put to other uses.

Work in progress.

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This is my first embroidered sack. Half of the pattern is faded away but I loved the mother rabbit and her bunnies.

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Greenheron, I love your feedsacks! Thanks for posting them.

I used feed sacks with a border of square dancers on them to make a gathered skirt in home ec way back when. We couldn't afford fabric.

mltquilt

I'm wondering if you are talking about the "flour sack" towels that we can still buy, which are white, or are you talking about the feed sacks made with printed cotton fabric from years ago? I haven't seen anyone use the flour sack toweling for quilts. Has anyone used them for quilting? They have a bit of texturing to them - at least all those I've seen do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greaterexp

I would agree - the flour sack towels available now are great for wiping dishes, very absorbent - but I would not use them in quilts. The weave is too open. I have been referring to fabric used by a local flour mill used to package their flour, and to the vintage sacks sometimes found at auctions or for sale by quilters/collectors.

I don't like messing with the tea bags, I just use instant coffee granules..

Here is a quilt that I need to restore and I am hoping that flour sacks are suitable.

Every summer Granma made me shorts and tops to match out of flour sacks. Good memories.
I loved going with her to the store to choose which one I wanted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenheron

Printed sack pictures: Two of these are still stitched on the bottom and side.

Thank you so much for posting these pics, I had always wondered what type of prints they were!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quilt Mom

A little research into flour sacks will also show that the sacks originally used were printed. In the depression, companies sold goods (flour, sugar, animal feed, etc.) in fabric sacks. As added incentive to buy, the companies used fabrics that the housewife/mother would use for clothing, curtains, quilts. It is quite interesting to see the variety of items made from the old sacks. A friend of my mother's told of wearing underclothing that still had the brand name of the sugar company on it.

As to current flour sacks, there are still companies that use the fabric. We pay a premium for it here, to get flour in fabric. I have not used the flour sack (towels?) from Sam's. Let us know how it works.

My mother made my underpants from Gold Medal flour sacks during the Depression. Their motto was "Eventually, Why not now?" One time I had that across the seat of my underpants!! But remember I am a great grandmother and 85 so only the smiles remain today and not the embarrassments!!