How do I identify Feedsack fabric?

How do you know if what you find is really a feed sack? The most obvious way is if it's still sewn into a sack shape. If it's not, then the best way to tell is to find the stitching holes around the selvedge edges and across the width of the fabric. You'll often see the remnants of a curved seam, as well.

What are Feedsack fabrics?

Feed sacks were initially made of heavy canvas, and were used to obtain flour, sugar, meal, grain, salt and feed from the mills. They were reusable, with the farmer bringing an empty sack stamped with his mark or brand to the mill to be filled.

What is a vintage Feedsack?

Related Categories. eBay. In the mid-19th century, heavy canvas or linen feedsacks (sometimes spelled as “feed sacks”) replaced many barrels and tins for the storage and transport of flour, animal feed, and other bulk goods. The invention of the lockstitch sewing machine,...

How old are feed sack quilts?

development during Depression

… of the 1930s popularized the feedsack quilt. Cloth sacks in which animal feed and flour and other staples were packaged were produced in a wide variety of cheerful prints.

When did they stop using flour sacks?

Sadly, packaging changed in the 1950s. Flour companies found an easier and cheaper way of packaging their products with paper sacks. This decreased the use of flour sacks, but it is a trend that has not completely died. In fact, flour sack towels are a vintage item that is found in homes all over the world.

THE HISTORY OF FEEDSACKS, how feedsacks were used in everyday life || Historical Ponderings

How can you tell if a fabric sack is flour?

How do you know if what you find is really a feed sack? The most obvious way is if it's still sewn into a sack shape. If it's not, then the best way to tell is to find the stitching holes around the selvedge edges and across the width of the fabric. You'll often see the remnants of a curved seam, as well.

What kind of fabric is flour sack?

The sacks, made from finely-woven pure cotton, were strong, soft and durable. As such, the sacks were repurposed following a thorough wash and bleach into everything from towels and polishing cloths to bed linens and underwear! Today, flour sack fabric is still made from 100 percent cotton.

What size are feed sacks?

Sacks were eventually produced in sizes of 49, 24, 12, 6, 2 lb (22.2, 10.9, 5.4, 2.7, 0.9 kg), and during World War II sizes were standardized to 100, 50, 25, 10, 2 lb (45, 23, 11, 5, 1 kg) to aid the war effort by eliminating waste and making it easier for millers and housewives to estimate required material.

What is a flour sack quilt?

Between 1840 and 1890 cotton sacks gradually replaced barrels as food containers. Many of the logos on the flour sacks were circular, a legacy from the time when these logos had to fit on the top of a barrel. ¹. Women quickly discovered that these bags could be used as fabric for quilts and other needs.

What were flour sacks used for?

A flour sack, feed sack, or flour bag is a cloth sack, usually made of cheap cotton, used to store flour or animal feed. Flour sacks are often printed with simple designs and trademarks to indicate the millers and companies making or selling the flour.

What are grain sacks made of?

The grain sack fabric she sewed is called hemp, and it comes in rolls that are around twenty inches wide. Some families personalized their grain sacks by using a custom stripe design woven into the hemp. These stripes were predominately blue or red.

Why do you think quilts were popular during the Depression?

Quilts were popular during hard times because quiltmaking was a cheap hobby that made use of small scraps left over from other sewing. Makers often incorporated feedsack fabrics, which appear today to be the ultimate in recycling and frugality.

Is flour sack and cheesecloth the same?

Flour sacks are not really sacks at all, but sheets of fabric made of very thin cotton threads. The weave is tighter than cheesecloth, but loose enough that you can see through the cloth. They're not really intended to be used as dish towels, except for maybe polishing streaks. What they are perfect for is straining.

What is the difference between a tea towel and a flour sack towel?

Tea towels are known for being a fairly thin towel with the primary purpose of drying and polishing delicate things or as decoration for the kitchen. Whereas flour sack's are typically a thicker, sturdier material that's also more absorbent and versatile.

What did pioneers use for towels?

Knitted pads, rabbit fur, even grass were all used by women to handle their periods. In America, Johnson & Johnson developed their own version in 1896 called Lister's Towel: Sanitary Towel's for Ladies.

When were flour sack dresses popular?

Flour sack clothing was a staple for many from the 1920s-1960s. But, let's take a quick look at the history behind those flowery flour sacks! Let's go back to a time when everything was all about scrimping and saving on behalf of the war effort. These dresses were worn by women young and old.

Why do horses have feed bags?

A feedbag, feed bag, feeding bag, nosebag, or morral, is a bag, filled with fodder, and attached to the head of a horse, enabling it to eat. The main advantages are that only a small amount of the feed is wasted, and it prevents one animal consuming the ration of another.

What is so great about flour sack towels?

Being extremely absorbent, lint-free, and super delicate compared to ordinary kitchen towels, flour sack towels are great for removing stains, drying dishes, cleaning windows, dusting, and much more.

What is flour cloth used for?

Flour sack towels can be used for lots and lots of household tasks; cooking, cleaning, drying, polishing, crafting, drying, wiping, and serving. Flour sack towels are not as thick as dish towels, and not as light as cheese cloths, but fall in between.

What is the best brand of flour sack towels?

What is the oldest quilt in America?

'The Martha Howard Quilt,' oldest known in America, on display this weekend. CANTON, Mass.

What is a utilitarian quilt?

Sometimes the quilt's primary utilitarian purpose memorializes war beyond the warmth and cover necessary at the battlefield. Commemorative value appears in recounting its utility. One family quilt commemorates the Civil War in an especially poignant manner, without flags, battles, or symbols.

What were old quilts stuffed with?

The wadding used for bedding in the early years of America was almost always wool. It was easily accessible since sheep were often quite plentiful and most families owned sheep. The wool was shorn, cleaned and then layered in chunks between the quilt layers.

Are feed bags waterproof?

Flexible intermediate bulk containers are not waterproof or watertight. FIBCs are made from woven polypropylene and the woven fabric itself is not watertight or waterproof. Some bags are coated with a polypropylene laminate which can be on the inside of the bag, the outside of the bag, or both.