Saturday, April 28, 2012

PILLOWFYING, ETC. ETC. ETC.

 Did you know that you can still purchase flour in a cloth sack?  A friend alerted me that the Cortez Milling Company of Cortez, Colorado sold flour at our local City Market/King Soopers/Kroger grocery store in 5 or 10 pound bags.  I thought goods sold in cloth sacks was a thing of the past!
Of course, years ago all kinds of things came in cloth sacks.  When I cleaned out my parent's house, I found several empty sacks from local products that they evidently valued enough to save for future use.
A LARGE SACK THAT HELD 100 POUNDS OF POWDERED SUGAR!
A SACK FOR 2 POUNDS OF GRANULATED SUGAR.
THIS HELD ONE POUND OF GRASS SEED.
ANOTHER HUGE BAG THAT HELD POPCORN SEED.
I made a pillow for our screened-in porch out of the flour sack -- I thought the blue bird graphics were great!
 It is almost still too cold to sit on our porch, but I'm sure it won't be long now until we can enjoy it.
It was an interesting week around here as I tackled the learning curve on my new sewing machine.  I decided that this pillow would be a good first project on the new machine.  After sewing on the same old machine for 40-plus years, I knew it frontwards and backwards.

But with the new machine, I kept needing to stop and look things up in the instruction book -- things as simple as how to change the needle position, etc.  It was slow going and quite annoying at times, but I'm getting there.  For this pillow I figured out the cording, the zipper foot, and the general lay of the machine.  Next up will be the buttonholer and the walking foot.  Sounds like more pillowfying in my future!!

I'm joining the following parties this week.  Please check out these blogs, and thank them for hosting.  These ladies do a lot of work so that we can party together.
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday 
Smiling Sally for Blue Monday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday


19 comments:

Marilyn said...

That is a great looking sack, and the pillow is perfect! I wonder if one the the KS stores in Greeley would have any flour in cloth sacks? Maybe on my next trip to get my mom's groceries, I'll check it out!♥♫

Anonymous said...

Hi Sally! 100 pounds of confectioners sugar? LOL I guess my mother had feed sacks but I don't remember, but I know my grandmother did. I think she just threw them away. Glad you're becoming one with your new machine. Your little flour sack pillow is so cute.
Hope you're having a great Saturday.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Anonymous said...

Well it looks as if your new machine is sewing beautifully Sally! The pillow turned out so nice! I have just plain forgotten how to sew! I was trying to whip up a few bibs and some "pee pee Tee Pees" (have you heard of them?) and what should have been a 20 minute project took forever!

Your porch area is looking so cozy too! I don't remember the table out there- is that a new addition or have I just forgotten? Goodness it was COLD here today! After going to the baby shower I helped Bill with some more outside painting but we ended up getting so chilly that we stopped for the day.

I hope it warms up soon- I am so antsy to get my little seedlings in the ground!

bee blessed
mary

SmilingSally said...

You are so creative; I cannot imagine anyone more deserving of a new, fancy machine--even if you have to learn a thing or two. I wish that I could sew like you! I love your blues.

Happy Blue Monday, Sally.

The other Sally!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I love the blue bird design on that flour sack and the pillow you made from it! My children live in Colorado so I will have to ask them to look for flour sack flour and save the sacks for me as I'd love to make something out of them :)

Happy Blue Monday!

Ann said...

You did a glorious job on that pillow. That Blue Bird is beautiful. My Son and his family live in Colo. too--and I'm visiting in June, maybe I'll check out that store!!LOVE that sack-I've made flour sack pillows too.
Happy Blue Monday.
Ann

Annesphamily said...

I am a Colorado native! I will have to look around. What a terrific flour sack! I am not a talented seamstress but I do love this sweet flour sack and have to look for one. Thanks for sharing.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Great job Shelia! Love that blue bird design!
My BLUE entry. Have a great week!

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Hi, when I saw this at Coastal Charm link party I had to hop over. It made me smile to see the exact flour sack I just purchased at a gas station, (yes, I said gas station) we stopped at while vacationing in AZ. I have such a bird fetish that I instantly fell in love with the blue bird. When I told hubby I wanted it he said, "Why, are you going to make tortillas? I said no, I want to make a pillow. lol! Your sacks are all sweet and I love the pillow. I have a link party, Share Your Cup Thursday. I would love if you would share this.
Hugs,
Jann

Marianne said...

Oh what memories that Bluebird brings to mind! My parents lived in Bloomfield, NM not far from Cortez, CO. Mom always had Bluebird flour sacks in her kitchen. They were the perfect weight for getting damp and laying over her rising bread dough. They made good tea towels as well. They were the perfect size for making a doll mattress for little cradles and a pillow for my two year old son. He is 16 now and still has that old pillow. (Shhh! Don't tell!) When Dad passed away and Mom sold the house, she gave each of us kids a stack of flour sacks as little memories of her kitchen. I have been meaning to do something with mine for a long time now. Thanks for giving me the push I needed!

You can find Bluebird flour all over that region and if you pass through Cortez, which is near Mesa Verde National Monument, I believe you can buy the sacks right at the mill. I have also seen them on EBay but they are priced outrageously!

Happy To Be/ Gl♥ria said...

Just stopping by to say Hi..May you have the best week ever my friend..Hugs and smiles Gloria

Elaine said...

Wow, you have some lovely grain sacks and so unique too! I especially like the rabbit ears one.

Great job on the pillow. It will look lovely with your decor.

Lisa Lewis Koster said...

I have that same flour sack I saved from our mission trip to NM. What a great idea for it! Thanks for sharing!

Jessica said...

beautiful BLUE bird on the sack :-) Dropping by from last weeks BM

http://adventurousjessy.blogspot.com/2012/04/we-bought-new-pool-solar-cover.html

Gemma Wiseman said...

A creative way to recycle the sack, highlighting it's beauty as a piece of art! Great idea!

LV said...

Years ago, my mother made our cloths from the patterned feed and flour sacks. Have not seen them in a long time.

Kathy Walker said...

I haven't seen flour sacks in a long time...love your pillow.

Indrani said...

So well recycled and reused. We get rice in cloth bags here.

Kaye said...

Beautiful bluebird on the sack. One of my friends grew up in NC and said her mother made them dresses out of the flour sacks. I guess they came in flower patterns then.