Question:
I had the chance to go to an "estate" sale today while my husband had to drop off some paperwork at work. The ad listed "vintage material" and there was a wide assortment of stuff from the 40s through today. Much of it has already been cut into pieces for quilting. There wasn't much that was too exciting in yardgoods but I did buy several pieces of 36" fabric that look exactly like feedsack fabric but they were definitely not feedsacks. The pieces are about 2 yards in length and have the same weight, weave and even prints indicative of feedsacks. So was feedsack fabric sold just as "fabric" as well as used in feedsacks?
Answer:
Well, let's see. Yes, the same base fabrics and similar (or maybe the same) prints could be printed with different end uses (feedsack or regular yardage)
I think the only way you can know for sure if a piece is actually a feedsack is by looking for the telltale holes along the edge where the stitches were. That, and having such an extensive collection or good reference books that you recognize nearly all the prints that were used.
That's for the 'legal' definition of feedsack.
I think Joan K has some articles on feedsack fabrics (the griege goods, etc)
I get the feeling that I'm not answering your question... What am I missing?
Edited to ask...did you buy those precut pieces?

goodworks1 at ebay
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Answer:
goodworks1, I knew I was not explaining it very well as I was typing. http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_wink.gif But I think you answered my question. http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_smile.gif
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Well, let's see. Yes, the same base fabrics and similar (or maybe the same) prints could be printed with different end uses (feedsack or regular yardage)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
What I bought were several pieces of 36" wide fabric that are definitely not feedsacks as they are a couple yards long and do not have the stitching holes. But the fabric is identical to the fabric that feedsacks were made from. I never knew that the fabric was sold as yardgoods as well as being made into feedsacks. I'll spend some time looking through Joan's archived columns which I should do more often anyway!
I bought some of the precut pieces - the ones that were cut from vintage cottons. The cut pieces are in excellent condition and were cut very carefully but some of the yardgoods I bought are damp stained so I'll probably end up washing them before I try to sell them which I usually hate to do.
There were several quilt tops at the sale as well. Though the woman seemed to be very accurate about cutting the pieces she seemed to piece in a pretty slap-dash manner. What was also interesting was that you could find 1940s fabrics mixed with modern fabrics in the same quilt top. It looked like maybe she saved fabric for a long time but only recently got into quilting.
I ended up with a giant box of stuff for $19.00. It will take some time to go through it carefully. I found a neat old Vogart pillow top with a dog embroidered on it stuffed into the bottom of one bag of scraps. I think I will probably end up listing most of it in "lots". Whenever I get back to listing that is!
Answer:
just a couple thoughts here....
I think the idea of checking for holes on uncut feedsack fabric is definitely the "only" way to call a piece authentic feedsack fabric. Of course, if it's already cut up you have no chance except for knowing where it came from etc etc.
Recently I have an allover floral fabric that was VERY much like feedsack material. Was very tempting to use that term in the description but didn't. Instead I referred to it as a cheesecloth like muslin. (probably lost some hits on it for this but felt it more appropriate).
This is a great example of our "upcoming if not already here" dilemma with fabrics and dating and reproductions. Because of the vast interest revival in early Americana looking fabrics in another 5 to 10 years it'll become even more tricky to accurately date used/washed pieces of fabrics with old style prints. It's easy (tongue in cheek) when they are new... but give them a little age, use and wash and they'll SORT OF begin to look like the older ones!
For crafters and sewers, it probably isn't a big issue. For collectors and lovers of early textiles it becomes more of a problem.
Like everything else, once an old idea/item becomes popular for sure tons of new look-alikes are going to show up.
Don't you just wonder where all the 21st century designers are????? http://community.here.com/infopop/em.../icon_wink.gif
Barbara
Another Time Antiques
www.boycetime.com
Beam Me to Ebay!
Answer:
Barbara, you're sure right about the fabric reproductions. Most of the new ones that I have seen are 42" wide and that pretty much distinguishes them from the authentic vintage fabrics but once they're cut up and used in quilts or other projects it's going to be harder to ID. And now I'm seeing new chenille spreads and new tablecloths with the old designs. Looks like we're gonna be in the same dilemma as the depression glass folks were several years when the reproductions caused the bottom to drop out of the market.
Joan

Answer:
lets do something about this!
Old hippies never die.....
It really bugs me how "Our" precious early pieces are "stolen" away like that!
I saw this coming back in the mid '80s with the slow but sure onslaught of "battenberg" came on the market. Everyone said, oh it won't make a difference because there is no comparison. Well I agree there's no comparison.... BUT IT DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Poetic license.... copyright.... whatever. It just seems that before it's too far gone, isn't there some legal approach to stopping the stealing of old designs for direct reproduction manufacture and profit?
This has been a bug in my craw for years! We (merchants and dealers) have an "industry" too and the blatant reproduction of early goods will eventually make our side of the business smaller and smaller. It's a policy that is protected in "other" industry. Copyright laws and patents and trade restrictions do their part. But we are rather un-organized as a protected field.
I'm not really sure what the answer is - I just hate seeing this happen. http://community.here.com/infopop/em...icon_frown.gif
Barbara
Another Time Antiques
www.boycetime.com
Beam Me to Ebay!
Answer:
I've read that Victoria Secrets representatives go to antique and collectible shows to buy old lingerie to copy. And wondered how they could do that? (legally)
Mel-
Answer:
If it isnt feedsack fabric is it perhaps floursack fabric? Up until a few years ago you could buy bulk flour in printed bags from flour mills.
I have a boxfull of ?feedsack?, I thought, now I am wondering...............some I believe has the string holes in the side, but I am wondering just how many do.........I need to look thru the box again. Now I am curious as to what I really have, fedsack or floursack. I hadnt thought too much about it before, but mine are mostly about 2 yard lengths also.
makintraks
Answer:
I've been under the impression that both flour and feedsacks have been called feedsacks by collectors.
I doubt if any fabrics that are still in 2 yard lengths were ever a sack of any type. Most sacks I've ever seen or heard of were oblong/rectangular in shape - I suspect because they were easier to handle that way. The largest ones probably held around 50 or 60 lbs (maybe up to 100 lbs) of whole or ground grains. (This weight is a guess based on the weight of a bushel of grain.) I just can't see a bag being 5.5 feet (72" minus seams = ~68") long.
But I could be wrong here... Maybe someone has a definitive site or info.
It's unfortunate in a way that this popular type of fabric only has the one recognizable name that really only describes one use of the fabric. On the other hand, there was a lot of variation in quality of the cotton fibers and in the tightness of weave and in the quality of the printing in the fabrics we now call 'feedsacks' - I don't know if the variations are regional or by company (the companies that used them for packaging.)
On another note, did you know that the gal (Jane?) who is the 'feedsack expert' and does lots of presentations, etc about feedsacks and was the leader of the feedsack club when it was active had all her class/presentation samples stolen recently? Folks figure that they'll show up on ebay eventually, but it's hard to tell.
I no longer have the Vintage Fabrics List email with the info, but no doubt it's available at Quiltropolis if anyone wants to read up on it....

goodworks1 at ebay
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Answer:
Well I know some of my pieces have the holes on the side, not sure about all of them. They are old and have been stored, typical small stain spots on many. I did not know about Jane's items being stolen, I haven't followed feedsack items, and this board is new to me as of today.
I bought this box of mine about 16-18 yrs ago at a local personal/property auction. I wanted the box full of stuff but they bundled it with a alot of other bedding items and someone else won it (cheap). But we ask if we could buy the box since he seemed more interested in the bedding than the box. He said he could have it, so we gave him a couple of dollars for it (I think his winning bid was $3-4.00)
I do remmeber, barely,some making blouses and dresses out of feesacks when they had enough matching ones. Also my cousin went to a flour mill a couple of hours from here in the 80's and got her flour in fabric sacks. (The ones I got at that time were white though)
Maybe Jane could tell by the prints I have whether it is real feedsack or not (I think it is , it is narrow)
I have seen the list of stolen/missing quilts, makes you sick to think people walk off with your items in broad daylight in front of so many people. (read about quilts being stolen at quilt shows)
makintraks