# Flour Cloth



## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Ok, I really can not sew. I own up to having been kicked out of the sewing home ec and being the first female sent to shop. It was GREAT.

I am looking for a place to buy flour cloth in a bolt form or at least by the year. I promise it is not for me but for a dear friend. Please Email me at [email protected] with leads (sorry to say but the word "flour" has to be in the subject to prevent the email from being deleted.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

Please excuse my bump but this is for a southern gal with GRIT. She is quite the sewer and even got her husband quilting. She is skilled at leather and fur sewing, She has not told me why she needs this item but she knows that I go here. She is such a dear friend and a female mentor to me. 

With out her my dh would never have understood/accepted that learning homesteading skills, from growing to sewing (ok I did with the help of the ladies made the ugliest pair of pants for my son but I did learn and the time was not wasted) to canning.

Flour sack cloth. Where is it?


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## threadneedle (Nov 14, 2006)

My brain must not be working this morning or yesterday either when I first read your post. Here's my question, what is flour cloth and what's it used for?


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Where I live, flour sack cloth is basically just WalMart quality fabric. You can buy it by the bolt, at inflated-from-wholesale cost of course, or you can also just pick it up for $5 or less per yd at WM...

BTW, I also took shop instead of sewing Home Ec.


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## sewsilly (May 16, 2004)

Perhaps if you explain what she's needing it for, we can figure out what flour cloth is... is it for a 'rolling cloth' to go with her rolling pin?

dawn


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

I am calling her now for the info. Left her a messagae so I will know later today. This lady has bought out at least one fabric store in TX, she tends to buy in bulk. I would imagine that she is looking for whole bolts of fabric.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I think this is referring to Flour Sack Cloth. 
Back in "The Day" flour came in Calico printed fabrics. After the flour was used, the lady of the house, washed out the flour and safed the fabric. When there was enough fabric, she made a blouse, or dress, or apron. That's the Flour Sack Cloth. Basically a nice, durable, calico type of printed fabric.

Here's a quick site that has some reference to it:
http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/feedsacks.htm
and another
http://www.quiltingandpatchwork.com/2008/07/13/memories-of-feed-sack-quilts/

Angie


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

Isn't flour sack the old cloth bags that flour and grains used to come in? During the depression they used it for clothes and quilts and stuff?


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Our local mill still sells flour in cloth sacks. I only buy the calico prints, since I do save them. 
But they're definitely your WalMart quality cottons....


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## sewsilly (May 16, 2004)

My homestead was in my family 5 generations back. There are feed sacks that contained animal feeds, and some grains that were then ground into flour, but I'm unfamiliar with flour sacks. I have some 'vintage' feed sacks and have seen reproduction 'reprints' of things that look like it... for instance, in my sewing room right now, I have a piece of yardage that says "jim dandy grits' and looks like grits bag, but is simply printed on there.
Based on the 'stories' of my great aunts, the flour and sugar came in barrels, but you didn't need too much flour laid back because of bugs... they ground their own whole grains for the most part. I'd be willing to bet that things were handled differently depending on the region of the country you'd be in, as well.

dawn


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Around here flour came in fabric bags. Usually a 25-50 lb size. Larger quantities did indeed come in barrels, but that was a lot of flour to use up. And tended to get bugs before it was used. 
My great grandmother was one who routinely made quilts from flour bags. But I have wonder if the fabric in those days was also on the low end. 
None of them have survived. 

I'm betting it's more of a time frame thing. Around the turn of the century to the early 40s would be my guess...


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