Special to the Opelika Observer
Sarah Bliss Wright, a member of the Alabama Humanities Foundation’s Bold Speakers Bureau, will present ‘Alabama Cotton and Bemis Bags, Pieced into History’ Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library.
The presentation focuses on the evolution of feedsack quilts from cotton bags to a rural-household convenience, to a Depression Era neccesity, wartime way of life to an urban re-purposing fad.
This progression, steered by the textile bag industry and its extensive research and development, led to improvements in cotton bags and to changes in marketing psychology and advertising strategies. Bemis, the country’s largest textile bag company, led the way, capitalizing on ideas that would boost sales, make a profit, and keep the textile bag a viable choice in the packaging industry, resulting in millions of yards of free fabric in the hands of creative women.
By placing these quilts in the historical context of the textile industry, we examine the role that Bemis Bro. Bag Company and Alabama cotton played in providing feedsacks, and ultimately feedsack quilts, for the nation.
For more information about the speaker or program, call (334) 705-5380. The library is located at 200 S. Sixth St.