Show woman s world using cotton bags for garments reduces fabric cost to trifle cra C ra THESE THESE days theres a price tag 1 on everything so when we do corne come across something tree free we really stand up and cheer what is s crep you ask flour bags tor for instance those of you who buy hour flour or teed feed in large quantities know that the material in the bags Is well worth sewing effort and they can be made into some of 0 the most attractive garments youve ever seen ive seen many attractive prints in such bags that make lovely blouses or table linen and that even begin to scratch the surface of their possibilities ties dont scorn the white bags either not with all the attractive colors that are available in dyes two or three of 0 the white bags can be dyed at the same time and theres at least three or three and a quarter yards ot of material there tor for an attractive school dress dres for or the teenaged daughter most women recognize the value of flour bcd feed sugar and salt bags but too often their eyes are closed to their possibilities tor for anything except towels however experience proves that we can use bag fabrics for or not only those things already mentioned but also skirts draperies coveralls lingerie pillows pillow st etc just ask some bright 4 H girl how many things she oan name that can be made from cotton bags and shell amaze you cotton bags make year round dresses you dont have to confine wearing apparel out of cotton bags for just the warmer months after all cottons are a year round fabric before you begin a dress project for example collect enough of the bags so you can cut out an attractive pattern then rip these apart and dye them carefully to a shape pat that will fit you perfectly ov collect sederal cotton bags dry the material and press very carefully its no fun trying to cut and sew something that looks worn and wrinkled so prepare the material to look like freshly cut bolt goods some of the choices which you can sew beautifully from cotton bag fabric are these A tailored but casual dress with long or three ter length sleeves with contrasting colored stitching as the main trimming a full skirted dress with touches of dainty eyelet or lingerie trimming in the sleeves and at the edge of the skirt a tailored dress made of two different colors that blend well together this may be print and plain material combined or two solid colors combined lay out the pieces of your pattern on the material before you do any cutting whatsoever the fabric guide of the pattern will not be of too much help inasmuch as you are using material which will not fit reg illation yard lengths do not cut until you have fitted everything together and then pinned the pattern to the fabric pinking shears are ideal tor for finishing the edges of this cotton material to make pretty dresses after the material is cut sewing is done just as you would on any other dress no matter what the fabric just because you are using cotton bags however dont get careless with the sewing give it all the care you would it if you were making a dress out of ten dollar a yard material and the results will be well worth the effort how to cotton bag goods get the whole family to help you in collecting the bags and make sure you have enough of them before you start on your pet project As soon as you get a bag rip it apart and remove the labels the different type labels respond to different methods of removal on some bags they can be removed by soaking in warm soapsuds overnight preliminary scrubbing soaking and boiling will take out others exposure to direct sunlight is a good method of bleaching the bags in many cases when labels do not respond to the above outlined treatments soak the bags overnight in kerosene or turpentine then wash in soap and water it if any color remains treat them with a commercial bleach always remember which treatment works best with certain kinds of bags and file the information tor for future reference it if you are unable to remove all trace of the label finish the job ob by dyeing one of the darker colors that will cover up the last trace dark brown navy blue dark gray green or black are deep enough tor for this black is the only one which will completely cover a black ink label if you want to use bag material for lingerie use the lightweight light weight material and dye in lovely pastel shades such as pale pink yellow or blue heavier bags may be used for coveralls work smocks skirts and slacks in between weights of material are good tor for draperies and curtains pillows and ana table linens trimmings of all kinds add a dressed up finished appearance to any garment especially it if cotton bag material is used select it with as much care as you do the colors color of your dress |