Scrappy FEEDSACK Quilt
There isn’t much waste at my sewing table! Since I began making pincushions to sell about 4 years ago, I have saved any of the leftover scraps from the ‘backing’ squares that can be put in this quilt. Some are pretty tiny, but it will give me a history of the feedsacks I’ve used and tell a good pincushion story!
Bits and scraps of quilted feedsacks
I think what makes this so fun is the bright colors and fun prints. Did you know there are over 18,000 documented feedsack prints? They were created from the late 1920’s, when there was a shortage of paper. Mills began using fabric bags to use for feed, flour and sugar sacks. They realized that women were reusing the fabric to make usable items, so that’s when pretty prints came on the scene! Bags were continually made until the mid 1960’s. You can almost look at a print and guess the era. I would guess this orange to be from the 1960’s, wouldn’t you?
A great variety of feedsack prints
I have only worked on this quilt when I attend retreats. I had gotten this far last August, 2023, when I was at a retreat in Illinois. Kinderhook Lodge, in Barry, IL. Click on the link to check out a fabulous location!
I keep a full sewing table AND I always sew on my featherweight!
I was at a retreat over the last weekend and was able to almost add another strip. Debbie helped hold it so I could see where I was at! Another great retreat center, Corner Block Lodge, in McPherson, KS. This one sleeps and sews 12. Click on the link to learn more about the location.
Almost finished with another strip!
I came home and late the same night, I finished the last strip. I was SO close and just couldn’t go to bed without seeing how much it had grown. At this point, February 26, 2024, it is 60” x 70”. I hope to keep adding until it becomes a king size quilt!
A look at the back
How will I finish this quilt? You can see the top has already been quilted in each individual piece, but it does need a back. My plan is to put a feedsack backing on the longarm, then a thin layer of batting. I plan to do some ditch stitching every 3” or so. Definitely not EVERY seam, but I don’t want to re-quilt what has already been quilted. Also note, I don’t worry about directional seams. When pressing, I just iron over the top! Once I have batting on the back and have it quilted, you’ll never know which direction the seams are headed!
I’m out of scraps finely, but should have a bunch more by the time I go to the next retreat in April! I made a quick YouTube video that shows the recent pics. I’ll stay on this one and plan for it to grow throughout the year. I hope it inspires you to put your scraps together!
Kelly