Feed Sack Dresses

image image image image image image image image image imageClothing made from feed sacks was a great boon to the economy of the cash-strapped depression. Β Farm wives eagerly collected and traded these pretty printed bags. Β Three would make a nice ladies dress, provided the skirt was not too full. Β Two would make a short-sleeved shirt for a man when plaids and stripes came in. Β My mother was born deep in The Great Depression and remembers her mother showing the store-owner a scrap and asking him to Β “Try to get me one more of this nice rose print if any come in.” Β Crisply starched and ironed, they made sturdy, attractive dresses. Β Fading was a problem. Β Hems were deep so they could be let down. Β Her mother frequently used rick-rack to conceal the fade line when the hem was dropped. Β The tie belts at the waist made it possible to adjust for longer wear.

Underwear was made from the soft cotton flour bags. Β As often as not, my grandmother used strips of rubber cut from inner tubes for elastic. Β It was not unknown for the rubber to snap and bloomers drop to the floor, humiliating the wearer and delighting onlookers. Β Fabric remnants went into a scrap bag to be made into patchwork quilts.