MadQuilter

How pretty!

Cathie_R

I am not sure when this started; I think 30's. Farm wives would buy chicken feed in these pretty cloth bags. When they had enough of one pattern they would make clothes, curtains, etc. from them. I'm sure a lot of people on this board wore clothes made from feed sacks and you see a lot of the fabric in vintage quilts. (If this is not correct someone will surely correct me).

Gal

Thanks Cathie, I thought it was flour or something like that, how lovely, I bet they are well prized nowadays! Very pretty prints!

Gal

Cathie_R

I doubt if the holes would disapear. Are there selvages? If they are 35" wide they are probaby fabric yardages of the same era. Nice find. In antique stores the feedsacks sell for a lot more than you gave for them.

Cathie_R

I have a large collection of them. Can't decide if I want to use them in a quilt or keep them whole. They are probably worth more kept original.

martha jo

I was a child during WWII and fabric wasn't readily available but my grandmother would save her feed sacs for me to have a dress. As you grew, it took three or four so it was thrilling to get enough to make a dress. Flour came in them later. Also, sugar came in sacs that were a course off white and had writing on them. Your sacs look exactly like I remember feed sacs. They were sewm together on the side and the selvage was across the top.

BellaBoo

The holes are from the thick string that held the sack closed. My grandmother use to save the string.

Gal

I recall the flour bags made of cotton,( in the 50's) my Mum made me petticoats and nickers from them. She bleached the writing out, then made the undergarments and added her own lace or embroidery stitches to make them pretty. I remember one set had lovely Dutch girls on it with windmills and she put blue Rickrack along the bottom of the petticoat, it was nice enough to wear on the outside, all the work she put into it!!

Gal

earthwalker

Fantastic find!

I have been saving the bags we buy rice in...mainly from Pakistan I think....I plan on incorporating them into a quilt backing - the logos are pretty interesting, Tigers and suchlike.

Gal

Earthwalker, I have been doing same, from the Indian shop we have in the city, very attractive bags too! I have not got enough to make anything yet tho.

Gal