When I picked up several feed sacks on our road trip back East I knew I couldn’t part with them all. This was my first attempt working with one. I was so surprised at the still vibrant colors and the quality of the fabric.
I decided to try out my new dress form and started draping away. Not that I have any experience with draping. But a girl can play can’t she? Plus there is not very much fabric in a feed sack and I wanted to make sure I used it all! I loved the gold ribbon and white lace and needed to add some room at the bottom so I would be able to walk in the thing.
After choosing black for the accent color I used the yoke pattern pieces from Butterick 7162. Once I realized I could pull it over my head I eliminated the buttons.
I pinned open darts into the back and front on the dress form then had a friend check the fit on me. This added some much needed shape.
I pinned open darts into the back and front on the dress form then had a friend check the fit on me. This added some much needed shape.
I finished the armholes with some bias tape and put in a tiny hem. The small hole near the hem was stabilized from the back with some iron on interfacing and a rose applique hand stitched on top.
I wore it to a city wide yard sale and the pool. It is so easy to throw over my head and go. It’s definitely one of the most interesting things I have made thus far. My brother offered to buy it from me and burn it. I also got told with the white strip down the center I looked like an old fashioned radio. A four year old told me I looked like a slide as I sat on the couch with her. What do you think? Super cute and creative, or just a little out there; like it should have stayed out there in the barn? 
8 comments:
Hmm, my thought is that the white is too OMG LOOKIT ME LOOKIT ME. Perhaps aging the lace with tea or coffee? It'll dim that glow.
But it's cute! And always a fan of over-the-head wear!
Thanks for pointing that out! I never noticed that, and I like the tea aging idea although I should have just not washed it if that was the case since it is vintage lace.
I love over the head wear too!
So cute! I've been buying feed sacks to do some kind of project with, but they're all pretty plain, except for giant type. My mom used to wear feed sack clothing during the Depression, and it was patterned.
Really clever!
Ooh! They are such mind stretching projects trying to figure out how to maximize the yardage. I wish there were pictures of the feed sack dresses ladies used to wear. I love that I was able to continue the tradition with this.
Hello. You can look in Google Images: feed sack clothing, and will find lots of pictures. Some of them, if you go to the website, includes information like this:
Feedsack dresses were an economic necessity for the hard-hit farming families of the 1920s and ’30s. But that doesn’t mean women didn’t take pride in creating one-of-a-kind designs. The bag manufacturers even began responding to market demand, according to the American History Museum, by printing ever-more colorful patterns on their products. Fashionable and frugal, the feedsack trend continued through WWII with regional contests for women to show off their skills. http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/threaded/2012/09/only-in-new-york-the-lady-in-lime-green/
Hey! Thanks for the info! That was a neat article.
I think you did a fine job on the dress. Very creative, I think it is most unique. I love the pictures. The dress with the boots well very good. I do not know a lot about fashion but I give your dress and the pics 5 stars
J Alex
Thank you. I enjoyed the process!
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