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Changing Clothes: wear/where * Care Symbol * Tag Exchange * No Enemy * Subversive Spinning * Flour Sack Clothes * Sheep/Wool Craft Tags * Links * Tag Collection

Flour Sack Clothes

The history of cotton flour sacks is a story of thrift and creative re-use. Reaching their hay day around 1930 - before paper sacks came into use - people used to purchase their flour in sewn cotton sacks. It developed to the point where the flour companies would print flowers and other patterns on the sacks to encourage customers to buy their brand. Housewives would soak off the paper labels and save the fabric to make clothes, curtains, pillowcases, and even underwear. There were some with doll or toy patterns printed on them so they could be turned into stuffed toys after the flour was all used up. See the vintage flour sacks below. Also see the Pedal Power flour sack that accompanies the bicycle-powered flour mill.