OT - Flour Sack Dresses

Paul Rohrs_4

My mother forwarded this to me this morning and I had no idea that this portion of history existed. I guess fabric was very expensive back then.

Read on....


This is part of my childhood memories...not only flour sack dresses...Mom tried to do better...she would order what was called remenant bundles...which was left over frabric from other projects...ordered from National Bellas Hess. I remember printed flour sacks...and all the many uses.

Some of you are way too young to know about the FLOUR SACKS, but some of you will remember. I hope ALL of you will enjoy reading this very well-written article.

THE FLOUR SACK


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 VERSITILE ITEM, WAS THE FLOUR SACK.

PILLSBURY'S BEST, MOTHER'S AND GOLD MEDAL, TOO
STAMPED THEIR NAMES PROUDLY IN PURPLE AND BLUE.

THE STRING SEWN 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 T'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, ELMERS GLUE
AND PAPER TOWELS, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
TELL THEM LOUDLY AND WITH PRIDE DON'T LACK,
"GRANDMOTHER HAD THAT WONDERFUL FLOUR SACK!"



Regards,

PR

Ruthe Jubinville_2

I guess this makes me old

I can just remember them. My mother tells about them in many of these uses. Fascinating. Ruthe

Paul Rohrs_4

50 years from now

I am thinking that I will be sitting in front of a computer in my "Hover Chair" telling my grandkids what a keyboard was used for.

Regards,

PR

midway_2

those flower sack dresses

Yep, remember them well when I was going to the one room country schools. Bad me !! Used to always try to see if the girl's panties were made out of the same colored sack as her dress was !! Most of the times they were. This was back around 1935 near Wellsville, Mo. AAAHHH the good old days.

Kevin O. Pulver

Nice poem Paul

I'm too young to remember this first hand but have always heard about it from my Mother and Grandmother. My understanding is that it wasn't only flour, but chicken feed etc... that came in the floral print.
Dad's dog eats "Old Roy" (WalMarts brand) in the 50 pound heavy paper bags. I was always gonna surprise Mom by cutting some neck and arm holes in an empty one and taking a picture of Maria in her own, homemade "feed sack dress"
Kevin

Ruthe Jubinville_2

keyboard

what is that? My first computer was a Vic 20: used an audio style tape to run the computer. I think it had 56K available, maybe only 28k. I even think it is still in my attic. Jerry and I never ever threw anything away LOL.

[Deleted User]

i have a few in the basement

flour sacks that is, not dresses. i picked them up at a farm auction simply because they're neat, old things

Kevin O. Pulver_2

So Paul...

Is "Colleen B. Hubert" a real person, or just a fancy pen name for a certain nameless new columnist?
Is this a little taste of what we'll be finding in Hot Rods old spot? ;-)
I like it! Kevin

Big Will

At a time when huge landfills were of no concern

nothing was thrown away. Recycling had nothing to do with being green. Now we have disposable cars and swiffers. In Sonoma county we have no landfills all our garbage is trucked out. We have become so green and frankly liberal that no one will give and allow a waste site in there area. Yet we throw things out and use disposable things that should not be disposable. Ironic yes. Kinda makes my head spin. I sometimes wish I was born in that time. Sure it was harder to live and we have modern convenience now. But at that time a hard days work was a clear cut thing. A man could be held to his word. No legally binding contracts! Model T fords!!

Stop it my mouth is watering:)

Paul Rohrs_7

You're giving me way to much credit Kevin

All accolades go to Colleen B. Hubert to be sure.

If and when people start throwing fruit at me, I think at that time I will consider using the pen name "Bjorn Torun".

If anyone is considering throwing fruit, I prefer peaches, adequately ripened, harvested in late September from the western slope, early evening.

Paul