Thursday, June 4, 2009

Grain Sack Art

I created this grain sack picture recently. It's not completely done, but I thought I'd share it anyway. I love the quality of the fabric and of the graphics for something so utilitarian, the kind of thing made of plastic and thrown away without a moment's thought these days. Not only is this perfect for our farmhouse decor, but this grain sack has a story:

My husband works for a local newspaper that once occupied the building shown on this sack, long after it had been in use as a mill. When the newspaper owner sold the business and vacated the old mill building, he gave my husband one of these old sacks. We prized it, and were hesitant to stretch it for display, so we tucked it away. A few years later, my husband told our neighbor George about the old grain sack. George had a historian's knowledge of the farming industry around us, and he filled my hubby in on the building's long history. They went on their respective ways. A short time later, George wandered over with three of the identical sacks, which he had stashed away. Typical Yankee farmer--never throw anything away that can be put to good use.

George said the reason he had saved it was because it had a picture of a pretty place that he remembered as a boy. I think its pretty sweet that he passed them on to us.

My Old Mill Grain Sack is pictured here with our new Cromwell Zinc Cake Stand and one of our Vintage Style Milk Cans.