Red Gone with the Wind Feedsack

Next to the Feedsack Dolly, this GWTW sack is my favorite. Actually, I have three of the sacks sewn together making a large tablecloth. I bought the cloth several years ago at an estate auction. Of the three colors the sack came in, red, yellow and blue, the red one is the most valuable at about $100 per sack.

I am blessed to be a native of the Shenandoah Valley of VA where feedsacks were plentiful when I was growing up because of the poultry growing. Our family raised 2000 broilers at a time, and had laying hens. The feed for other farm animals came in the bags, too, but mostly I remember the bags with the chicken feed. Nancy

Maybe, the quilt will be a wallhanging!!! :o)

Since I am starting to get well and have lots of other irons in the fire, I probably will quit with this project for now. I think it is pretty bright to be a whole quilt. Will leave it as my first cyberspace wallhanging.

You can imagine that I trimmed it with red rick rack!!!
Later, Nancy aka Shenanny

Making Progress on the Cyberspace Feedsack Quilt

Here's the first four squares made into a block of four so you all can see the design better. I will continue on with blocks of four as I find time. If this were a real (down to earth) quilt I would not arrange the squares until they are all pieced.

However, doing it this way on the pc I probably can use some of the blocks or squares more than once, and maybe won't get them lost in the shuffle!!! :o)

Later, Nancy
http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/mansion.html

My First Ever Computer Feedsack Quilt

Been cutting the pieces in my photo programs. Trying to re-create a crazy quilt like the ones my mother and I used to make. We called them "comforts". They were tied instead of hand quilted. Most had an old worn out blanket instead of a batting to keep us warm. Mom made them in the order of a string quilt, but we didn't have rolls of the "strings". We just cut and sewed the fabric as we needed to.

Here is the first square. Each square is almost 8 inches. I will continue working on my new quilt in Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 and Microsoft Picture It. Never dreamed I would have so much fun with this pc. I can feel my mom smiling down on me as I continue on. She called me her "dreamer" as she never new what I would be into next. The bad thing is that I never know what I am going to be into next!!!

Don't tell anyone, but I've been finding some of these pretty feedsacks online and just using pieces of them!!!! Hope some of those eBay buyers don't get feedsacks with missing fabric!!! :o) I would recommend this way of quilting to most anyone. It doesn't take up much space and doesn't mess up the house.

My Favorite Feedsacks

Dolly is my favorite. I had a little feedsack doll like her in the late 40's and early 50's. After I joined the Feedsack Club with Jane Clark Staple and others during the summer of 1993 (my first Switches and Swatches newletter was July, August, 1993) I put out a request for the members to help me find another Dolly. One sent me Dolly printed on a feedsack and also a half sack with the Christmas reindeer. I sent her a Kents Cloth of the United Nation and another sack for trade. I made the little quilt with some pretty juvenile prints and the feedsack plaid red, green, blue, and white tie for the old teddy bear. He was with my mother in the nursing home when she passed away. He brought her lots of comfort in her last days. She called him "Jackson". This photo appeared in Country Woman magazine a few years back with photos by some of the other Feedsack Club members.
Nancy

Who would have ever that that feedsacks would be in a blog? Who would have ever thought there would ever be such a thing as a blog?

Well, here I am again in this blogger mode creating things I never thought I would. I can remember back to 1947 when we got electricity at the old homeplace in Fort Valley, VA. We were embraced in the arms of the Massanutten Mtns. It was a simple and peaceful time then with my family and relatives nearby to comfort each other.

Feedsacks brightened our lives, and forged our creativity ahead even when used for everyday items. Daddy had purple striped boxer shorts, and mom had a maternity smock with large flowers. We made the most of what we had.

I could never have dreamed of this high tech computerized world back then. Who would have dreamed of a computerized sewing machine as we pedaled the treadle and played with the buttons in the oak cabinet drawer? Oh, I still don't have a computerized sewing machine, but would like to have one that does all the fancy stuff. Maybe, someday!!!!

I still have some of the buttons, and a few of the oak drawers where I store some of my treasures on the oak pedal organ from home. Seems we pedaled alot of things back then!!! Now, I have LOTS of the feedsacks, but not sure if I want to "peddle" them much anymore. :o)

Who would have ever thought that the humble feedsack would go so high tech and all over the world? It kind of bothers me as some know nothing of it's place in the heritage of our lives and the good ol' USA.

I hope to share what I can remember of my feedsack history with you all.

Later, Shenanny