changing clothes:

flour sack clothes

shirt made from vintage flour sacks, 2006

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.