Feed sacks, who knew???

[dhermann1]

While searching online for vintagey kitchen curtains, I came across this interesting little story. I've heard the famous line "I can make a dress out of a feed sack", but this sheds a whole new light on it. Anyone else aware of this? It's pretty cool.
http://www.rickrack.com/feedsack.html

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Wow, very interesting!

 

[Feraud]

Didn't Marilyn Monroe wear a dress made from a feed sack in a movie?

 

[Big Man]

... Anyone else aware of this? It's pretty cool.
http://www.rickrack.com/feedsack.html

That is interesting. I never knew the "history" of feed sacks, but do very much recall my grandmother having her own feed sacks that she took to Mr. Parks' mill in Nebo to have her corn ground into meal.

 

[Wil Tam]

Didn't Marilyn Monroe wear a dress made from a feed sack in a movie?

no ... I think it was Doris Day ... she was stuck in a room without any clothes to wear and she fashioned a toga type garb out of a feed sack or sheet or something ... can't remember the name of the movie ... but I think it was with Rock Hudson?

 

[Miss Neecerie]

<<<-----------------------------knew

 

[carouselvic]

from GEE JAKE by Elkin Thomas

Uncle George Snowden didn't have much money
But he sure had his peace of mind
With an old brown mule pullin' one-row tools
Singin' all up and down the line.

Aunt Mae Dell was a by-his-side honey
With a smile on her face all the time
Cookin' buttermilk biscuits in an old wood stove
Makin' flour sack dresses look fine.

 

[Feraud]

Found a pic. Not sure if this is from a movie but here is what I was thinking of.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Found a pic. Not sure if this is from a movie but here is what I was thinking of.

Bah...thats a potato sack..-totally- different...burlap vs cotton or linen..

Burlap is a rough fabric so i sincerely hope they lined that dress..

My grandmother made her way in the world by taking burlap, sewing it into bags like that..etc..and also mending them for reuse.

Before they moved to the plastic sandbags....burlap was -it- and she did a reasonably booming business well into her late 70's in the garage of her house. (They did once have a whole industrial shop, called Owl Bags, but eventually sold it)


D, the burlap sack heiress

 

[Feraud]

I knew someone was going to bust my chops over the semantics of a feed sack vs. potato..

 

[carouselvic]

I dig them tatters!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I knew someone was going to bust my chops over the semantics of a feed sack vs. potato..

But I was -nice-.....

I used to get to go play/work in the shop when I was a kid....they had a super cool sucking machine...stand under it holding a bag with a bit of stuff in it...seeds or corn or whatever...and the sucking machine would suck the bag inside out and all the stuff out of it....and take all the stuff to the -dust room-....and no joke...they -sold- the dust to someone. I have not a clue what one would do with large quantities of burlap dust and random bits of feed corn.....

Then my Baboonya (grandma) would check the bags for holes...and sew patches over them...or even make really damaged bags smaller using huge industrial machines.

and -this- is why I never learned to sew actual clothing...she didn't do clothes, just sacks.

 

[Tomasso]

I knew someone was going to bust my chops over the semantics of a feed sack vs. potato..

You deserve it after that ruse you perpetrated over in the Sportcoat thread. :whip:

 

[dhermann1]

I don't know how far people have gone into that website, but what amazed me was the great variety of really nice patterns the sacks were made out of.
This site actually has original material available for sale. I'm considering using some as my kitchen curtains.

 

[Feraud]

You deserve it after that ruse you perpetrated over in the Sportcoat thread. :whip:

lol O.k., I'll accept that.

 

[RondoHatton]

In the kitchen of my childhood (mid 50s) were "dish towels" made from cotton flour sacks, very soft and faded but printed labels still legible, perhaps wartime or pre-war? Wish I had 'em now, I'd frame a few.

 

[Warden]

In our vintage clothes collection we have two skirts that where made from wheat sacks.

If I can find them I'll put up a picture.

Harry

 

[Big Man]

I knew someone was going to bust my chops over the semantics of a feed sack vs. potato..

That's so bad ... but true.

 

[Miss Sis]

Yep, I'm with Miss Neecerie on this one! The person who thought it up originally was a genius.

On a similar note, my Nana told me about making trousers for my Uncle, b.1938, as a toddler out of old flour sacks. She mentioned boiling them to get rid of the advertising but no more details. I suspect she dyed them but never thought to ask.

 

[dr greg]

spud bag

When I was a kid we used to make raincoats out of spud bags by pushing one corner into the other to make a sort of monk's cowl lookin thing, very effective, I still do it now when I have to do heavy work in the rain on the farm and would sweat too much in a Drizabone.