This is a feedsack. If they all came looking like this, you wouldn't be wondering how to tell feedsack from other vintage fabric.
Know how often I find them like this? Almost never.
Sometimes I find them still sewn into a sack, but without the label, and that makes them pretty easy to identify, too.
But if all you've got is a piece of fabric - how do you know whether that's feedsack? There's only one way that I know of, which I learned from Sarah, who knows her way around a feedsack. And from anything I've read, it's about the only sure way to identify feedsack.
Feedsacks that are still sewn closed have stitching like this.
Here's how they look on the other side. When that heavy string is removed, it leaves telltale holes.
Which look like this. Which is how you tell whether fabric is feedsack.
Pretty easy, no?
So that's what those holes are from! Thanks for the lesson!
Posted by: Gina @ VintageJunkinMyTrunk | July 17, 2012 at 09:21 PM
I'm going to ask a blatantly ignorant question that I could've researched myself, but I'd rather chat with you.........What precisely is Feedsack? If its use was for holding feed, then what kind of feed?
Posted by: Maria (Magia Mia) | July 17, 2012 at 11:10 PM
Another thing learned in blogland! I now will have to go thru my fabric stash and see if I have any feedsack fabric.
Great find on that first photo with the label!
Posted by: laurie magpie ethel | July 17, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Never would have known. Thanks for the lesson.
Posted by: Kim Kenward | July 18, 2012 at 07:27 AM
@ Maria, they were used to hold all sorts of farm animal food and food for humans too! like flour and sugar. The flour and sugar bags are smaller than bags like chicken feed.
People can also look at two of my favorite books: http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Feed-Sacks-Fabric-Schiffer/dp/0764326112/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1342617260&sr=8-7&keywords=feedsacks
http://www.amazon.com/Feedsacks-Beautiful-Quilts-Humble-Beginnings/dp/1933466189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342617260&sr=8-1&keywords=feedsacks
That pink one is to DIE FOR!
Posted by: Sarah | July 18, 2012 at 09:15 AM
I can't really see that well. Why don't you send me a few so I can see them up close? Kidding! Could you love these anymore? Gorgeous...smiles...Renee
Posted by: Renee | July 18, 2012 at 09:34 AM
Thanks Barbara! I made a general assumption of chicken feed, but I wasn't aware of all the other uses.
How cheery did a pantry or barn look with bags like that in them? I can only guess there would occasionally be holes in the fabric from mice chewing through also......unless they had a lot of dependable cats :)
Posted by: Maria (Magia Mia) | July 18, 2012 at 02:35 PM
Thanks for clearing that up because I have been wondering how you tell the difference, too ever since you have been posting all your feedsack finds over last couple of years.
Posted by: Joy | July 19, 2012 at 04:54 PM
I've come across a lot of fabric piles, but I don't think I've ever seen a true representation of a feedsack like your example. Thanks for sharing, I learned something new today!
Posted by: Mitzi Curi | July 20, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Thanks for sharing the clues you use when looking through fabrics!! I still can't get over how many you found at one time!!
chris
Posted by: chris mckinley | July 20, 2012 at 10:18 AM