This 1930's Mom is hard at work sewing the children's clothes from her treasured supply of flour sacks. "I thought I told you kids not to run in the house! Now go outside and play - and don't slam the door!" (Remember those old screen doors?)
I actually cut an old flour sack towel and dyed it with tea to make it look more aged. I ran the fabric through my printer for the little dress. It was my first time trying this and I don't recommend it. My inexperience - the fabric DID jam the printer 2 out of 3 times. Only stubbornness and determination made me continue. LOL It says: Pillsbury's Flour - Bread Cake Biscuits.
My inspiration for this little piece came from this poem. I was really touched. I imagine our Mothers and Grandmothers lived this very life in the Depression.
1930 Flour Sacks
By Colleen B. Hubert
In that long ago time when things were saved,
When roads were graveled and barrels were staved,
When worn-out clothing was used as rags,
And there were no plastic wrap or bags,
And the well and the pump were way out back,
A versatile item, was the flour sack.
PillsburyÂ’s Best, MotherÂ’s and Gold Medal, too
Stamped their names proudly in purple and blue.
The string on top was pulled and kept;
The flour emptied and spills were swept.
The bag was folded and stored in a sack
That durable, practical flour sack.
The sack could be filled with feathers and down,
For a pillow, or tÂ’would make a nice sleeping gown.
It could carry a book and be a school bag,
Or become a mail sack slung over a nag.
It made a very convenient pack,
That adaptable, cotton, flour sack.
Bleached and sewn, it was dutifully worn
As bibs, diapers, or kerchief adorned.
It was made into skirts, blouses and slips.
And Mom braided rugs from one hundred strips
She made ruffled curtains for the house or shack,
From that humble but treasured flour sack!
As a strainer for milk or apple juice,
To wave men in, it was a very good use,
As a sling for a sprained wrist or a break,
To help Mother roll up a jelly cake,
As a window shade or to stuff a crack,
We used a sturdy, common flour sack!
As dish towels, embroidered or not,
They covered up dough, helped pass pans so hot,
Tied up dishes for neighbors in need,
And for men out in the field to seed.
They dried dishes from pan, not rack
That absorbent, handy flour sack!
We polished and cleaned stove and table,
Scoured and scrubbed from cellar to gable,
We dusted the bureau and oak bed post,
Made costumes for October (A scary ghost)
And a parachute for a cat named Jack.
From that lowly, useful old flour sack!
So now my friends, when they ask you
As curious youngsters often do,
‘Before plastic wrap, Elmer’s glue
And paper towels, what did you do?Â’
Tell them loudly and with pride donÂ’t lack,
‘Grandmother had that wonderful flour sack!’
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2010 GMT Views: 592
Favorited:4
Registered: April 14, 2007 Location: Wauwatosa Wi Posts: 4743
Fri, Jun 04, 2010 @ 3:42 AM
Very nostalgic piece of creativity here, Deb, and the poem really knocks it home for those who didn't live through times of want such as the Great Depression forced upon people.
------------------------------ God only gives us as much as we can handle; sometimes I just wish He didn't trust me so much.
Registered: June 23, 2008 Location: da U.P. - Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula Posts: 14987
Fri, Jun 04, 2010 @ 6:08 AM
LOVE this - it's a great tribute to the ingenuity of women in the past, and a sweet trip down memory lane! In this day of disposable everything, it's nice to have a reminder of how our mothers and grandmothers reused everything possible. Love it!
------------------------------ Broom Hilda
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Registered: February 22, 2010 Location: Posts: 141
Fri, Jun 04, 2010 @ 12:51 PM
Such a wonderful card and poem. I have a small quilt my great grandmother made from a flour sack and it is treasured! Wish I had a picture of her sewing it up!
Janice:p
------------------------------ Janice
�The willow knows what the storm does not:
That the power to endure harm outlives the power to inflict it."
Registered: October 25, 2010 Location: Switzerland Posts: 420
Sat, Dec 18, 2010 @ 12:02 AM
Goose bumps......
I'm new to the SCS blog and actually signed on to leave a comment on a lovely card by someone else. I've just discovered you amazing art. Thank you! (Crafts have been my sanity saver (stopping the world so I could get off for a spell)since I was quite young.
You manage to combine the magic of 3 in crafting in every post: Imagination, Skill & Technique, and on-the-mark-straight-to-the-heart!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!
------------------------------ Best wishes from Patricia P.S. Stay away from negative people - for every solution, they find a problem.