Reusing Cloth Sacks

[Ben Beam]

I did a lot of research before adding the Arbuckles' sugar sacks to the website, and came across some interesting tidbits worth sharing here:
With the advent of industrial sewing machines in the mid 1800s, double lock stitching made it possible to sew fabric secure enough to prevent splitting. This meant products could be shipped in sacks instead of bulky, wooden barrels or boxes. The first commercially made product sacks were heavy white canvas printed with the product name. The farmer could bring empty sacks back to be refilled.
Then mills in America began producing inexpensive cotton fabrics in the late 1800s. The cloth was softer but not as durable. The sacks weren't refillable, so women used them for quilt pieces and to make dishtowels, curtains, pillowcases, sheets, as well as diapers, underwear, aprons and children's clothing.

The product name was stamped on the sack in vegetable dye so the homemaker could remove it (with some difficulty) with the hope of returning it to plain white. There are stories of the wife who didn't bother to remove the "self-rising" label from the flour sack she used to make her husband's underwear, or of the young girl who tripped and fell, revealing "Southern Best" stamped on her posterior. There's also an amusing poem about same by Jessie Webber:
When I was just a maiden fair
Mama made our underwear.

With many kids and Dad's poor pay
We had no fancy lingerie.

Monograms and fancy stitches
Did not adorn our Sunday britches;

Pantywaists that stood the test
Had "Gold Medal" on my breast.

No lace or ruffles to enhance,
Just "Pride of Bloomington" on my pants.

One pair of panties beat them all
For it had a scene I still recall.

Harvesters were gleaning wheat
Right across my little seat

Rougher than a grizzly bear
Was my flour sack underwear.

Plain, not fancy and two-feet wide
And tougher than a hippo's hide.

All through depression each Jill and Jack
Wore the sturdy garb of sack.

Waste not, want not, we soon learned
That a penny saved is a penny earned.

There were curtains and tea towels, too.
And that is just to name a few,

But the best beyond compare
Was my flour sack underwear.

[Coal Creek Griff]

I believe that some manufacturers,  knowing that their sacks would be used for dish towels, printed attractive designs as well as the company name.  It made their products more "attractive" to frugal buyers.   We have some flour sacks with floral designs along with the company name.

CC Griff

[Coffinmaker]

I have several "Period Correct" examples of Pistachio Sacs that work just dandy for fired cartridge bags.

Coffinmaker 

[Major 2]

I believe that some manufacturers,  knowing that their sacks would be used for dish towels, printed attractive designs as well as the company name.  It made their products more "attractive" to frugal buyers.   We have some flour sacks with floral designs along with the company name.

CC Griff

they did ....all the way into the 1950's ,  I recall my mother had some...
in fact I believe some are reproduced and sold at Cracker Barrel 

Gee's ... stuff I knew as new is called antique or at the very least "vintage"

 

[Delmonico]

I believe that some manufacturers,  knowing that their sacks would be used for dish towels, printed attractive designs as well as the company name.  It made their products more "attractive" to frugal buyers.   We have some flour sacks with floral designs along with the company name.

CC Griff

More Depression Era  for that, when everyone was struggling,.  A company with a nice design could sell more flour than  one that used the paper bags.   

[Tascosa Joe]

In the 1950's chicken feed came in cotton print sacks.  At lot of my shirts were made from them.

[Coal Creek Griff]

More Depression Era  for that, when everyone was struggling,.  A company with a nice design could sell more flour than  one that used the paper bags.   

I didn't think of the era.  You're right.

CC Griff

[Capt Quirk]

What? Something like 6 posts, and not one comment on "Ugly Gals"?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

What? Something like 6 posts, and not one comment on "Ugly Gals"?

ALL women are beautiful! However some are more comely than others.

[Pitspitr]

ALL women are beautiful! However some are more comely than others.

Ummm, I don't know about that. All LADIES are beautiful, but I've seen some WOMEN who were really ugly, heart and soul.

Glen you'll appreciate this; a few years ago (as in, less than 10) the Corner Market was selling flour in printed cotton sacks (mostly gingham prints) with a paper label glued on. I think it was Robin Hood flour.

[Delmonico]

Ummm, I don't know about that. All LADIES are beautiful, but I've seen some WOMEN who were really ugly, heart and soul.

Glen you'll appreciate this; a few years ago (as in, less than 10) the Corner Market was selling flour in printed cotton sacks (mostly gingham prints) with a paper label glued on. I think it was Robin Hood flour.

Yeah, they did that, Humbolt Mills did too.