Let's chat about the 1930's
04-27-2011, 05:30 AM
#41
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 33
I was born at the end of the 1930's(1938). My family had lived through the great depression and my aunt raised chickens and sold eggs to mom and pop grocery stores in town. My Mother made some of my dresses from feedsacks. She made a lots aprons, also. I still have one little dress made from a feed sack; blue with cowboys on bucking horses. I recently found a reproduction fabris of the same print bu in brown. We only went to town once a week and made lists all week to be sure to get all that was needed. Stores and businesses were open 6 days a week and closed at 5PM. Nothing to do at night. It was still a good life.
04-27-2011, 05:46 AM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rosedale, Indiana
Posts: 2,003
Right now I'm working on making graduation quilt for the daughter of a dear friend from quilt blocks she found in the attic of their family home that dates from the early 1900s. I don't now why whoever made them did not finish them. I think they are made from feed sacks and scraps of men's shirts. They are not very attractive and very wonky. They only thing I could do with them was applique them on fabric and then try to make a quilt out of them. I think about whoever made them a lot as I'm working on them. One even has a small blood stain on it as though she pricked her finger on the needle. They are all hand sewn. Unfortunately, she washed them after she made the blocks and they are so distorted it's really hard to work on them. Some of the pieces in the blocks are are even pieced together. Either she was very frugal or very poor. They blocks are all small, gingham checks and stripes together - very busy blocks. I agonized over what to do with them to turn them into something that the young lady who will get the quilt will like. It's not one of the pretty quilts I'm known for but I hope she reallizes how much work I've put into it. I will post pictures when it's finished.
I'm not sure what this has to do with the 30s but the feed sack thing just started a train of thought that I though I'd share.
Thanks for listening.
I'm not sure what this has to do with the 30s but the feed sack thing just started a train of thought that I though I'd share.
Thanks for listening.
04-27-2011, 05:48 AM
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South Central PA
Posts: 326
since I was born in 1939, I do not have any stories but did pick up a book on Hobo signs made into quilt blocks the other day and would like to make a quilt or wallhanging of the blocks. One story I can tell you, my father went to apply for job as bus driver (in Washington D C) there were 2 openings and 300 men showed up for the job. He got one of the positions and worked for the transit company for over 20 years, taking out time to serve in Army during WWII. Take care.
Linda
Linda
04-27-2011, 05:55 AM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Gardnerville, NV
Posts: 1,816
Originally Posted by Ramona Byrd
My Grandma raised me during the depression, way back on a hard scrabble farm. All of my clothes were made from feed sacks, and I think that also included panties and "princess slips" which if I remember correctly, were more or less rectangles with neck and arm holes. All were starched and ironed, even ankle socks. At that time little girls didn't wear pants, as it was
considered unladylike. Now I rarely ever wear a dress!
My favorite that I can still remember was a chicken feed sack with little red feathers on it. When Grandma and I went to town, it was my job to carry the feed sack to be matched, ironed and carefully draped over my arm. When we got to the feed store, Grandma would chat with other women who were there for the same reason, and don't think long lasting feuds didn't start when one woman deliberately grabbed a feed sack that was the last one there, from a pattern she KNEW darn well an enemy wanted!!!
While Grandma was busy in front, other kids and I would go back to the little dusty store room and try to find a matching feed sack that held whatever kind of feed we needed, and if there were actually TWO of the same, then we would help each other drag the two together and sit on them to keep other kids away from MY future dresses!! Grandma would have the feed man mark it as hers, and she would contact one of her sons to pick them up and take them home for us. One uncle had a car and the sound of that OOGAA horn coming up the little driveway was music to our ears. it sputtered and banged but still made it up to the house.
Thanks for taking me back so far in my history...sure does bring back the memories.
considered unladylike. Now I rarely ever wear a dress!
My favorite that I can still remember was a chicken feed sack with little red feathers on it. When Grandma and I went to town, it was my job to carry the feed sack to be matched, ironed and carefully draped over my arm. When we got to the feed store, Grandma would chat with other women who were there for the same reason, and don't think long lasting feuds didn't start when one woman deliberately grabbed a feed sack that was the last one there, from a pattern she KNEW darn well an enemy wanted!!!
While Grandma was busy in front, other kids and I would go back to the little dusty store room and try to find a matching feed sack that held whatever kind of feed we needed, and if there were actually TWO of the same, then we would help each other drag the two together and sit on them to keep other kids away from MY future dresses!! Grandma would have the feed man mark it as hers, and she would contact one of her sons to pick them up and take them home for us. One uncle had a car and the sound of that OOGAA horn coming up the little driveway was music to our ears. it sputtered and banged but still made it up to the house.
Thanks for taking me back so far in my history...sure does bring back the memories.
04-27-2011, 06:05 AM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Antlers Oklahoma
Posts: 1,658
Oh yes I remember going to the store an looking for the exact material and print of what we already had at home. My mom would make me a dress,bloomers not panties. lol. I went to school in my home made clothes and felt like I was the best dressed one there. I got to gather the eggs every evening and got to spend some of the few dollars that mom managed to save back,nest time we went to town on Sat .I remember the bran new Ford my Dad bought for 5oo dollars and my Mom fussing at him because the car was too much money. lol
04-27-2011, 06:06 AM
#46
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Gardnerville, NV
Posts: 1,816
Originally Posted by dlong
I'm an early 40's but have memories of feed sack dresses. Both my grandmother's raised poultry and saved all the feed sacks and flour sacks for my mom so she could make dresses for me. My first coat was my dad's navy peacoat cut up and redone for a child's coat. Don't think they ever wasted anything, but don't remember ever feeling deprived or poor though I'm sure we were at the time.
04-27-2011, 06:09 AM
#47
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North Olmsted, OH
Posts: 144
I was born in 1941 into a family that lived as if it were 1920. We shelled black walnuts - anybody else done that? Way different from pecans! We went up in the mountains to pick huckleberries.
My Grandpa and Grandma sold the feed so Mom had her choice of which feed sacks to buy. I had 3 feed sack dresses - my Mom said that was all anybody needed - one to wear, one to wash, and one in case you spilled something on yourself.
My Grandpa and Grandma sold the feed so Mom had her choice of which feed sacks to buy. I had 3 feed sack dresses - my Mom said that was all anybody needed - one to wear, one to wash, and one in case you spilled something on yourself.
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