Grain sack fabric is all the rage these days. Rustic yet refined the Grain Sack pillow creates an atmosphere of warmth and welcome. Its textured surface lends this pillow a distinctive personality. And the way the dye spills in and out of the weave creases creates appealing color contrasts. This pillow is the perfect addition to the vintage farmhouse interior. Exposed brick walls and log beams will be so at home with Grain Sack.
The classic grain sack pillows were made from hemp fibers and adorned with stripes in blue, red, green, gold or other colors. The natural texture and neutral colors captivate farmhouse decorators, and the appealing fabric is used for pillows, upholstery, table runners, or aprons.
Source of the Material
European grain sacks – Vintage European grain sacks, a great deal of the grain sack fabric used in decor nowadays is actually vintage 19th-century European grain sacks being repurposed. Classical grain sacks are long and skinny, around 19 inches wide and 48 inches long. Hardly surprising, these bulky sacks were made for the purpose of transporting grain to market.
Antique European grain sacks were handwoven from hemp, which is sturdy and naturally pest proof. Grain sack fabric have different colors, like off-white, tan and gray. European sacks are pretty thick and have demarcation markings, like a stripe or series of stripes sewn into the fabric. These markings are often embroidered or stenciled. Like lobster buoys and livestock branding, they visually denote the farm from which the grain sacks sprang. The identifying markings enabled the bags to be returned to the owner after depositing the grain.
American feed sacks. American sacks were purpose made for different products, like flour, sugar and seeds. So are typically named feed sacks in comparison to grain sacks. They are usually formed from tightly woven cotton and can vary in thickness.
The bright, graphic imagery on the cotton sacks is basically printed on and may potentially bleed or fade when washed.
How to Decorate With Grain Sacks?
Body pillows. Owing to the long, narrow shape of the sacks, many people make the whole sack into a body-sized lumbar pillow. A tie is made to seal off the open end.
This is a pillow you would fancy sinking into, hence if you’re heading this way, look for a squishy pillow insert with a bit of breathing room around it. The last thing you’ll want it to look like is a stuffed-sausage casing. A down-blend insert matches perfectly. These bigger sack-sized pillows have a playfully scruffy, casual appearance.
Decorative pillows. If you like a neat style, both feed sacks and grain sack pillows work well for small-size throw pillows. To add a bit of interest, try playing with the stripe placement in the center as well as off-center.
The Final Words
If bringing the old days back doesn’t appeal to you, but you find the look of grain sack material attractive consider upholstery or slipcovers using new fabric. In contrast to antique sacks, new fabric is wider about 54 or 55 inches, and you won’t need to worry about discoloration and working around holes, etc.