Learn about the history of thrifting feed sacks and using them for clothes and other home goods in this Humanities Kansas presentation. Thrifting and upcycling are not new concepts.
The practice of reusing empty feed sacks, flour sacks, and sugar sacks—also known as commodity bags—as raw material for clothing and other home goods was popular during the austere decades of the 1920s through the 1940s. Marla Day, curator of Kansas State University's Historic Costume and Textile Museum, highlights a collection of sacks from Kansas mills, thoughtfully selected to honor a family with deep Kansas roots in agricultural extension, 4-H, and a family-owned feed and farm supply store. This collision between commercial waste and homespun ingenuity provides a model for our modern emphasis on sustainability!
“Waste Not, Want Not: Reimagining Fashion through Thrift Style” is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | History & Genealogy |
Our mission is sparking curiosity and connecting our community through literacy and learning. The library features the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery, the Millennium Café, Chandler Booktique (bookstore and gift shop), free meeting rooms, computer training and free Wi-Fi access. The library has a collection of more than 414,000 books and serves more than 81,000 registered borrowers. Bookmobiles make 23 stops Monday-Saturday across Shawnee County. The website tscpl.org serves customers’ needs 24/7. The library offers state-of-the art technology, youth programs that encourage learning and reading, adult learning programs, online learning tools, events, and reference and research tools.
