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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Fabulous Feedsack Fabric

Hi guys! I found a fabulous stash of vintage feedsacks at an estate sale a couple weeks ago. These are the printed midcentury feedsacks. A savy mid century salesman noted that housewives were reusing feedsack cloth to make utilitarian pieces of clothing and housegoods like quilt backs and underwear. He brilliantly deduced that if his company printed patterned fabric on their feedsacks that farm wives would tell their husbands to buy that brand (which they did!) Shortly other feed sellers followed suit. Soon there were also flour sacks and sugar sacks in these cheery prints.These were especially popular in the Depression years as money was tight. These feedsacks supplied about a square yard of cheerful fabric. The small yardage was used for a lot of children's clothes and smaller projects such as aprons and quilt pieces. I have seen feedsack children's clothes, curtains, feedsack table toppers, pillow shams, and feedsack trimmed dishtowels and pillowcases. I have an amazing feedsack quilt in my antiques booth that I am planning to list online shortly. It was made from large matching feedsacks in the same pattern but different colorways. If you bought a couple matching bags, you had enough for larger projects like women's dresses.
This lady was a quilter and had a large stash of feedacks. I almost hyperventilated! These are all opened full sacks except the ones from the red and white polka dot piece on down are smaller flour sacks.The blue one on top with rosebuds may be staying with me!
I have seen and sold a lot of feedsacks..I always look for them, but I am amazed at how many patterns crop up that I have never seen before! (The green one on the bottom may be staying with me too.)
These are a few favorites from the first dozen I took pictures of to list. Some of the bags have small spots and I will be selling those as is. Some have larger spots that I am going to try to soak out before I list them. This one is bright orange.
Mid green with purple pansies..or violets..
Cute aqua daisies..
A wild green and orange and tan floral..
A cute geometric floral in aqua and yellow and white. I think I have an apron in my booth in this same pattern in apple green!
This one is very intriguing..I have never seen one like this. I love the silhouetted black ferns and the red florals..sweet william?
This is a striking Deco pattern..I think these may be azaleas. These are going on EBay first with a starting price of what I usually ask for them on Etsy. Some patterns go a lot higher than I would think to price them and even though I love them, I really don't know a good pattern from a common one..I just know what I like! If they don't get a bid at my start price they will be heading to Etsy next. My Ebay ID is dakotakid59 (actually that is my husband but I list under his ID too) if you want to follow them. I probably won't get them on til Monday. Hope your week sends unexpected treasures your way too! Until next time! Julia

5 comments:

Donna said...

Wow, what a fabulous find!!! I'm so jealous. If it were me, I would keep them all!

hopeandjoyhome said...

Donna I would love to but I cannot start that mindset or I get myself in trouble!My friend Debbie would always tell me that too "How can you sell that?!" (Debbie if you are reading this I love ya girl..you enabler you! LOL)I do keep a few things but generally they go. I feel like if they are going to a good home or use it is OK. I have sold a few things I regret but mostly I am ok with it.

Annette said...

I think I would faint if I found that much vintage goodness at once! I agree with Donna...I would keep them all, lol!

Sandy said...

I love the look of feedsacks. They are simply beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Working on feedback throw using churn dash pattern it’s turning out really pretty and going together well just started but it’s fun using the old material