THE FLOUR SACK

FLOUR SACK DRESSES

THE FLOUR SACK BY COLLEEN B. HUBERT

IN THAT LONG AGO TIME WHEN THINGS WERE SAVED,WHEN ROADS WERE GRAVELED AND BARRELS WERE STAVED, WHEN WORN-OUT CLOTHING WAS USED AS RAGS,AND THERE WERE NO PLASTIC WRAP OR BAGS, AND THE WELL AND THE PUMP WERE WAY OUT BACK, A VERSITILE ITEM, WAS THE FLOUR SACK. PILLSBURY'S BEST, MOTHER'S AND GOLD MEDAL, TOOSTAMPED THEIR NAMES PROUDLY IN PURPLE AND BLUE. THE STRING SEWN ON TOP WAS PULLED AND KEPT; THE FLOUR EMPTIED AND SPILLS WERE SWEPT.THE BAG WAS FOLDED AND STORED IN A SACK THAT DURABLE, PRACTICAL FLOUR SACK. THE SACK COULD BE FILLED WITH FEATHERS AND DOWN,FOR A PILLOW, OR T'WOULD MAKE A NICE SLEEPING GOWN. IT COULD CARRY A BOOK AND BE A SCHOOL BAG,OR BECOME A MAIL SACK SLUNG OVER A NAG.IT MADE A VERY CONVENIENT PACK,THAT ADAPTABLE, COTTON FLOUR SACK. BLEACHED AND SEWN, IT WAS DUTIFULLY WORNAS BIBS, DIAPERS, OR KERCHIEF ADORNED. IT WAS MADE INTO SKIRTS, BLOUSES AND SLIPS.AND MOM BRAIDED RUGS FROM ONE HUNDRED STRIPSSHE MADE RUFFLED CURTAINS FOR THE HOUSE OR SHACK,FROM THAT HUMBLE BUT TREASURED FLOUR SACK! AS A STRAINER FOR MILK OR APPLE JUICE, TO WAVE MEN IN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD USE, AS A SLING FOR A SPRAINED WRIST OR A BREAK, TO HELP MOTHER ROLL UP A JELLY CAKE, AS A WINDOW SHADE OR TO STUFF A CRACK,WE USED A STURDY, COMMON FLOUR SACK! AS DISH TOWELS, EMBROIDERED OR NOT, THEY COVERED UP DOUGH, HELPED PASS PANS SO HOT, TIED UP DISHES FOR NEIGHBORS IN NEED, AND FOR MEN OUT IN THE FIELD TO SEED. THEY DRIED DISHES FROM PAN, NOT RACKTHAT ABSORBENT, HANDY FLOUR SACK! WE POLISHED AND CLEANED STOVE AND TABLE, SCOURED AND SCRUBBED FROM CELLAR TO GABLE, WE DUSTED THE BUREAU AND OAK BED POST, MADE COSTUMES FOR OCTOBER (A SCARY GHOST) AND A PARACHUTE FOR A CAT NAMED JACK. FROM THAT LOWLY, USEFUL OLD FLOUR SACK! SO NOW MY FRIENDS, WHEN THEY ASK YOUAS CURIOUS YOUNGSTERS OFTEN DO, "BEFORE PLASTIC WRAP, ELMERS GLUE AND PAPER TOWELS, WHAT DID YOU DO?" TELL THEM LOUDLY AND WITH PRIDE DON'T LACK, "GRANDMOTHER HAD THAT WONDERFUL FLOUR SACK!"

No Dean For Texas

Now that it looks like Dean has gone somewhere else I can relax and start putting things away after packing some stuff just in case. After being through hurrican Beulah as a kid and being part of the Houston evacuation due to Rita three years ago I panic and start packing every time there's a hurricane in the Texas Gulf Coast. I have left my pictures and important things in containers ready for me to just pick up and go. My husband left for New York on Thursday to take a class with his company and just the thought of him not being with us during a hurricane was making me very nervous. He was doing everything he could think of before he left. He bought new tires for the van, he borded up some windows and he got his stuff in order for his job. My son Chris had just come in from New York and he was the one who would be driving us out of Houston in case we left and he didn't want to go through the traffic craziness. Now Dean has gone to Mexico and feel bad for the people that will lose everything but am relieved for the people in Texas, especially after all the rain we have already gotten. We have had a flooded back yard for weeks and when my husband and I went to get Chris from the airport we couldn't get there because the streets were flooded and the traffic line trying to get to the airport was super long and not moving. We just came back home and went back later after the water receded. I haven't done any piecing nor quilting. I will instead spend my free time with my son Chris while he's home.

Baby Heart Quilt Top

I have finally finished the baby heart quilt top I started three years ago. It's actually wider than it looks. I was hoping it would be wider than a crib size but than it would have been too square. I guess it's a good size. I can't wait to start quilting it. I would appreciate any quilting design suggestions. I am hand quilting it so I can't really do a meandering design. I really had a great time appliqueing the various blocks. The border had to be pieced because it was not enough fabric and I really wanted that certain fabric for the border. I don't think you can even tell though, but having to piece a border from the same fabric really bugs the heck out of me. But it's all pieced so it really shouldn't matter. HA!

Heart Quilt Top

I have been working on this little crib size quilt for the best three weeks. The little UFO had been stashed for three years. It was started with the intention of making it for a future granddaughter and since my boys are getting older you just never know when they will all of sudden get married and start having kids. I'm going to add one more boder on the botton with some angels and then add an around border. I have enjoyed making this little quilt since I like working with small blocks. It's given me a chance to look through most of my quilt books and realizing how many I actually have.

Dick & Jane Quilt Top # 2

This is how I decided to use the left over Dick and Jane blocks that I had left from the first Dick and Jane quilt top. I wanted this to be more girly so I added flower prints. I used all the retro girly prints I had that were big enough. I'm sure I could keep going using up smaller scraps from this quilt top but I think not. I wonder how many quilt tops I could make from the same fabric scraps. Another time. I will use the Baptist Fan quilting design and bind it with red fabric. Can't help but think of crayons when I see this quilt top. This will make a 52x57 quilt.

Dick and Jane Quilt

I just finished a Dick and Jane baby quilt that I had been wanting to make for quite a while. It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to because I was suppose to fussy cut the Dick and Jane blocks on point and didn't so I had to work with them as squares. I think it's more of a boy quilt so if I have a grandson it'll be for him. I have 6 more blocks left so I'm making one more baby quilt using a pattern similar to the Turning Twenty pattern. It's different but not too much. I'm just oing to make tops and quilt them in winter or as soon as I go back to school. It'll be part of my relaxtion in the evening.

Temple Flowers Quilt Finished

I finally have a new quilt picture to post. I finished this 54x54 inch quilt last night. I can't believe it took me so long to finish. I did hand quilt it but I took too long. I'm happy I was able to use up all the left over scraps from the Turning Twenty roe fabric quilt. Now that I think about it it's kind of weird that I first made a quilt with the scraps that I had left over from a top I haven't even basted. Talk about getting distracted. LOL! I am very happy with the results. I will patiently wait for a grand daughter to give it to. School is finally over and I can't wait for tomorrow so I can dive into my stash of fabric and quilting books. The quilting Goddess in me must have guided me into Half Price books last night because once inside I looked into their box of old cross stitch books and hit the jack pot. I found about 40 quilting magazines and each one was $1.50. I bought about ten and came home a very happy quilter.

Quilt Finally Finished

Man or man! I finally have a picture of a new quilt to post. Remember the Temple Flowers quilt I started back in October? I finally got it finished last night. I wish I had a grand daughter I could give it to :( . I am so happy with how it turned out. I just need to wash it to get all the markings off it. It will go into my quilt chest and wait for it's owner. Tonight I will start looking for new projects and whatever UFO I must finish. That won't be hard to do. LOL!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

I want to wish every mother a very happy Mother's Day tomorrow. My two older boys are away from home right now. One is in CA and the other is on his way there to visit, my youngest will be here with me so I'm happy. I'm happy that they are happy and healthy and I think that's all that really matters to a mom.

Texas City Quilt Show

These pictures were taken at a quilt show my neighbor and I go to every year here in Texas at a near by city. There were about 70 quilts on display. It's always such fun to see such creativity from so many different minds. The Bible quilt below was made by my neighbor. She hand pieces and hand quilts all her quilts.

The applique on this basket quilt was stunning. Just beautiful.

My favorite quilt at the show. Reminds me of stars at night.

More Time To Quilt

I am looking forward to more quilting time when school is out which is in two more weeks. The kdis at the school are getting louder and it's getting easier for me to get after them. If they get too loud I just point and they know they need to go to the end of the lunch line. It actually works. I am still quilting away tying to get my quilt done before my son Chris gets home. He will be getting home from Arizona by Sunday or Monday. I can't wait to see him. He will then go to CA to visit the Redwood Forest, visit his older brother, drive the coast and then come on back home. He will then go do his internship in New York for three months. I asked him if he ever got tired of flying and he said no. I get tired just by hearing him talk about it. I was wondering if any of you use the gloves for quilting. You know the ones that are suppose to keep your hands from hurting. My hand and fingers are begining to get sore after quilting. Please let me know if they do help. I have been looking over some very old quilting patterns that have no intructions for rotary cutting and that really makes me not want to even attempt it. I had been wondering the same thing Jeanne asked on one of her recent blogs about how to quilt a blanket stitch applique quilt. My neighbor just does the shadow quilting around each applique design and they look quite good. I'm talking hand quilting. It just amazes me how fast Linda and Jeanne turn out quilts. I think they have hyper active hands or something. I mean it as a compliment girls.

Quilting Update

What can I say, I haven't finished the small 54 inch quilt and it drives me crazy. I certainly am no Linda nor Jeanne. LOL!I really hate to work. It takes up so much of my quilting time. I have done a lot of progress though. I am now quilting the bottom edges. I would do some machine quilting on it but this small quilt will be for my first granddaughter so hand quilting it makes it more special. I had a hard time deciding on the quilting pattern for this little quilt because it's just made up of strips so I just went with straight lines. It also makes the quilting go faster.I made another trip to another LQS and bought some more thread for applique and some books. I bought some cotton silk finish thread. The time I appliqued I used some silk embroidery thread, so I don't know which is suppose to be best. I have used the silk embroidery thread for appliqueing but I didn't think it was strong enough. It was a sale day at the store and I kind of got distracted. You know how that is. I bought the Turning Twenty Around the Corner book and have decided to use that desing for my Sunbonnet blocks. If I use that design I won't have to make many more Sunbonnet blocks. I bought a pattern for a French quilt which is pretty much just quilting whole pieces of fabric with no piecing. I have so much pretty fabric that I don't want to cut up and have just decided to make them into whole cloth quilts. While I was looking at the notions at the quilting store I realized I pretty much have all of them, some that I bought back in the 80's and early 90's that aren't around anymore and that I'm glad I have. I just love quilting gadgets. I bought the really really small almost 1 inch iron for tiny pieces of fabric. I got that at 40% off. I can't resist those Joann's coupons so I may soon have all the quilting supplies they have at the store. I'm happy to report that my youngest son finally found a job. He will be working at Wal Mart and is quite excited. We didn't want him to work till he got done with high school, so, he is quite excited about earning his own money. Hubby and I are pretty excited about that part to.

Spring Break Quilting And Gardening

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since Feb. 21st. Time is going to fast for me. The school where I work will have all of next week for spring break and I am so looking forward to it. I am progressing nicely with my quilting and I better finish during that week off. Tonight I went to the book store and bought two new quilting magazines and an audio CD with a 15% off coupon. The name of the audiobook is Home to Big Stone Gap. I'll let you know how it is. I am so hooked on audio books. I just load them into my Ipod attach it to my ears and start quilting away. I usually get them at Half Price Books because audio books can be pricey. Oh, I would like to know what kind of quilting needles you guys like to use for any of you who hand quilt. I have a bad habit of getting about four different brands, thread four needles and then not remember which one is from what brand. I do that all the time. For the first time in a long time I finally went out to my backyard to do some gardening. The weather here has been in the 60's and it's just beautiful. I pruned my roses and fed them. I have several Angel Trumpet cuttings that need to go in the ground so I am planning on where to put them. I have a yellow one and had been wanting a pink one for a long time. When I found out one of my son's friend's parents had one I told him to try and get a cutting. He was sweet enough to remember to do so right before he went to Arizona. I let my hubby do all the planting since he's the one with the green thumb. I'm good with roses and herbs, but everything else just dies on me. Which reminds me I have to go herb shopping next week. I want to make a hypertufa elephant ear bird bath this summer. I even grew some elephant ears just for that purpose. Off to some more quilting.

New Cutting Matt

Yesterday I took advantage of the sale on the huge cutting mats at Joann's and bought one. I love it because it's about 59 inches wide and it covers most of my cutting table. I have started hand quilting the small quilt and am enjoying every minute. Im really glad I bought that small pvc frame. It's so portable and light. It's perfect for my small quilts. I can sit and watch T.V till I'm ready to go to bed. It's when I get back to my quilting that I realize how much I really enjoy hand quilting. I basted the quilt on the floor and boy were my legs sore the next day, and that was just a 55 inch quilt. Well at least my legs got a work out.

What I'm Working On

This is the quilt I'm working on now. It's a top I finished last summer and now am working on the backing. I made this top from the Turning Twenty left over scraps. I cut four big pieces of floral fabric and will sew them up together today and use that for the backing. Might as well make it real girly, top and backing. I'm getting a little bored with just a plain backing so I'm venturing into piecing my backings. I've always liked the idea but by the time I got to the backing all I wanted to do is be done with it and didn't want to deal with anymore piecing. I will try and bast it on the new folding table I bought at JoAnn's, with a coupon of course. I am so tired of floor basting. I figured it's going to be a small 55 inch quilt so I think I can do it on the table. This quilt will go to any grand daughter I have in the future. It took me a long time to collect this rose fabric. This picture isn't showing the borders but they are they three inch floral strips. The picture on top is the backing already finished. It may look kind of weird but I like it. I just couldn't pass up paisley fabric with roses.

Quilt Is In Museum

Well I took two of my quilts to the museum on Friday. My neighbor went with me and she took two also. I am actually really missing those quilts. I have weird thoughts like, what if they get stolen, what if the place burns down, what if some kid puts bugurs on them. I know it's insane but those are my thoughts at times. I know that every visitor gets a pair of gloves as they enter just in case they want to examine the stitches of a quilt but I've never been without my quilts. I guess I need to start quilting another to keep my mind at ease. I was fighting a bad cold this pass week so didn't feel like basting anything. Then I'll be going to jury duty on the 26th and hopefully I won't get picked to stay on. That already stressing me out. I have to travel 35 miles and cross a big bridge to get to the court house. Been looking at some of Linda's eq patterns and I really like the pink and brown quilt she made up. That Linda is a busy bee. I wish I could get half as much as she does. Hope everyone has a great week.

Folk Star Quilt

I finally have something quilty to show. I took some pictures of the Folk Star quilt and I have to admit the pictures aren't that great but it'll do for now. I'll have to take some with my trusty 35. I really have become attached to this quilt.

Quilt Binding

I am happy to report that I will be done with the binding tonight. Now, how many times have I said that? I have about seven inches left to go. I'm getting bummed out about not being able to quilt as much as when I wasn't working. Working sucks more than a bucket of ticks. I want to start working on my SIL's grape quilt next. She has been patiently waiting for that quilt especially since she saw the finished top. I have to hurry since she sold me her car for a good price. I told her to give me a discount of about $500 since that about how much quilts go for now a days. LOL! Hubby and I went to pick up our son Chris at the airport today in the ugliest of weather. It was cold and raining cats, dogs, pigs, and cows. The kid was in Mexico for 4 weeks with his university. Lucky kid even went to Cancun and came back home with quite a tan. He will be going back to Arizona Saturday. Since I still can't post a picture of the quilt I am posting one of my Sunbonnet Sue's blocks. I have to make twenty more blocks for a twin size quilt and they are all different.

House Back To Normal

Now that my two older boys are gone I can continue my quilting again. I am still working on the binding for the star quilt. I have been working on the quilting on that quilt for three months now. If I wasn't working I would've be done a long time ago. I'm considering putting two of my quilts in a town museum not far from home. The museum has a quilt show every year that features quilts made by local quilters. The thing is they will be on display for almost two months and I don't know how I'd feel about having my quilts away from me. I know it's crazy but I do get attached to the quilts I make especially if I hand quilt them. You may find this hard to believe but I actually look forward to going to work now. I sure did get used to being home for the two week holiday I had though. I believe  Now, rumor has it the fabric department will be closing in all Wal Mart stores. I don't often shop there for fabric but I have purchased some. I heard they will still have the notions and sewing machines and some cut fabric but no fabric by the yard. I usually get my fabric at my LQS or at JoAnn's. If it weren't for the coupons I get from JoAnn's I wouldn't go very often. Well it's almost time to go to work and I must go eat some breakfast. Have a good one everyone.

Quilting Status

Here are a couple of pictures of my boys. Top one is of my oldest, JR sitting next to my baby, Ben sitting next to dad. The other is of JR right after arriving from CA. Just in case you're wondering why the stocking is above the door. That was Ben's crazy idea. I don't know why I can't post a picture of Chris. Oh well. Well Christmas has come and gone and now it's 2007 and I still haven't finished the quilt. I know, it's terrible. I asked my son if he wanted another quilt and he said he has such little room in his apartment closet that he would prefer for me to give it later just in case he moves so I'm not rushing it anymore. I am about done though. I'm working on the binding right now. It was great having my three sons together again. Chris left for New Orleans on the 29th and will be coming in tonight to leave for Mexico tomorrow. JR left on the 31st back to CA but was stopping at the Grand Canyon and Vegas. I can't keep up with their schedules anymore. A funny thing happened on Christmas morning that took me back to when my kids were small. I gave my oldest money and a sheet set to go with the quilt I was hoping to give him. Well, as he opened the box with the sheets he got a confused look on his face and asked why he got sheets. He then looked at what my hubby gave me, Ipod and other computer geek stuff which is what I wanted and he says, "Man, that's what I really want, you want to trade mom? I'll trade you the sheets for that USB drive." Chris laughed and said, "JR is jealous of what you got mom." I couldn't believe this was coming from my almost 28 and 26 year old. I swear it was like going back to Christmas 1986. Chris was happy with money and tyes I got him and my youngest Ben was over the moon with his new amp for his guitar. He was so happy to get it. My husband told him to play it as loud as he wanted as long as the dogs weren't standing next to it. I think this is the first Christmas I don't bake Christmas cookies. I can't figure out why. Time just went by too fast. I went to JoAnn's yesterday and bought some baby flannel and quilting books that were 50% off. My resolution for the year is to start quilting on News Year's day and do some sort of quilting everyday of 2007.