Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Sewing with Cotton Bags - 1952

Take a look at this Pattern Service booklet "for sewing with Cotton Bags", put out by Simplicity and the National Cotton Council in 1952. Often called Feed Sacks, these were sold holding products in the hope that the wife would insist on hubby buying the same brand so she could get enough of any one print to actually make something.
"Though your husband has been buying farm commodities in cotton bags and you have been sewing with them for years, it's possible that neither of you has realized what a bargain you are getting....And cotton bag fabrics this year are more beautiful than ever. There are smart plaids, florals, stripes, checks, modern designs, polka dots and conversational prints adaptable to a host of sewing needs...Dress print fertilizer bags have joined the fashion parade. And do you realize that with a ton of fertilizer, cotton containers bring you more than 20 yards of re-usable fabric?"
These patterns each list how many sacks you'd need to make the outfit. More tomorrow!


"Cover Dress- a smart design in crisp cotton bag fabric. Simplicity 3704 (35¢), sizes 12-20, 40. Size 14 can be made from 3 bags, 40 x 46.




4 comments:

  1. Wow! My mind is blown. I knew that women sewed garments from feed sacks, but I had no idea that it was promoted in this way. And as late as '52! Double wow!

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  2. Yeah, I was surprised at the date too. I know in quilting feed sacks were used, but I always thought they were a thirties thing. Who knew?

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  3. I can’t believe this that its too. With wonderful design & it’s many uses.
    . Its really able to like for everyone
    Cotton Bags

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  4. It's true - i think of feedsacks as mainly a '30s and '40s thing, but here's another edition of the same booklet a year later, in 1953: http://whatbelongstoafripperie.blogspot.com/2011/05/feedsack-envy.html

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