Grain Sack Christmas Tree Skirt

I will make several Christmas Tree Skirts from Grain Sacks for Swiss Days.  The price will be around $110.   The back is linen, so it is reversible.   This is a thick grain sack and has a deep color similar to burlap, with a herringbone weave.  Most grain sacks are from around 1880 and made from linen and hemp which were probably grown on the farm that wove the grain sack.  Each farmer had a unique stripe to help him identify his sacks at the mill.  The heavier sacks will be for tree skirts and the softer ones for pillows.   This particular grain sack is 100% homespun hemp made around 1900 in Transylvania.

Front Porch Fall Decor

Summer is my favorite season.  I dread the ending of it, and yet as September starts, I am excited for Fall: it never fails to surprise me.  The front porch is ready to greet the leaves as they drift down from our 157 trees, causing me to stop sewing and scoop them up with the riding lawn mower, a task that I enjoy more than going to the movies.  As we near Halloween, the lawn furniture is stored, the potted plants taken to the dump, and the garden veggie plants are turning into compost.   September and October have gone by too quickly.  I eagerly await when it will be too cold to work in the yard and I can sew night and day.  Getting ready for Swiss Days has to be completed before Spring beckons me back to the yard.

Grain Sack Table Runner

Antique Grain Sacks make great table runners.  This one is double-striped in caramel, perfect for the Autumn season.  A 40-inch grain sack table runner is $50

Grain Sack Cuff Bracelet

How about a cuff bracelet made from a Grain Sack?  The inside of the bracelet is brass and is adjustable.  Price $30

Christmas Stockings and Hotel Utah Salvage

No two stockings are alike.  Materials used are seed sacks, grain sacks, mangle cloth, vintage tablecloths, 18th century French toile, and vintage ticking.  Prices range from $35 to $50.  The stocking holder is made from door casings and window casings salvaged from the Hotel Utah.  The knobs are antique porcelain door knobs.  When not using it as a stocking holder, is it a fantastic coat rack or towel rack.  More Hotel Utah salvage will be posted in upcoming posts.  How about a key rack, grain sack bulletin board, or chalk board?

Your Vintage Home Product Variety

Some close up photos of the items that will be for sale in the 

Your Vintage Home booth at Swiss Days in Midway 2014

Vintage Fabrics in my Vintage Home

Two examples of vintage fabrics in the living room.  I silk-screened the "Bless this nest" image on a homespun grain sack.  The ottoman/bench is covered with a heavy grain sack.  One grain sack opened up is the perfect size for upholstering a medium-sized bench or one chair back and chair seat.

Quilt Cutter Shapes

Can you imagine these beautiful shapes cut from old quilts as ornaments or bowl fillers?  Prices will be $2.50 for the small flat pieces and $5 for the large stuffed hearts.  A small price to pay for feeling the history of these quilts in your hands.  To make into an ornament, embroider around the edge and add a button and a thread loop hanger.  Or, embroider a word or name on a small scrap of fabric and attach it to the shape with a button or primitive stitches.

Grain Sack Trees

How about a Christmas Tree made from grain sacks, feed sacks, and seed sacks?  Some have original or added patches.  Some have a silk-screened crown.   To three I have added a newly grunged flour sack from Lehi Roller Mills.  All have original, antique striping and graphics.  All are a bit grungy.   There are nine in total and probably won't be anymore as the prices on seed sacks is getting too pricey.  The price at Swiss Days will be around $95/tree.

Swiss Days Booth

Here's a taste of what to expect at the Your Vintage Home Swiss Days Booth.  Keep an eye on this blog for details about each item.