THE SACK OF UKRAINE

Grain sack from the Ukraine with initials and with pouring lip



French easy chair (one of a pair) covered in Ukrainian sack cloth,
note  the 'lumbar swell' back support feature, so comfy!There is a small elegant sofa to match - if you have room!
These original furniture items are very reasonable  as I like to turn this sort of stock over quickly and go to France and find more.

 This post will be more picture than print - a grain sack  showing one of the lovely shades that were introduced to these humdrum articles in daily use on the farms of distant Ukraine - beautifully hand-sewn with strong hemp twine, they are grain-proof and often have a pouring lip at the top end for avoiding spillage and waste and a piece of strong hemp cord to tie round the neck of the sack, with two buttonhole stitched eyelets.  The stripes denote the village or farm from which the grain came so the empty sack could be returned to its owner or possibly filled with the milled flour, and some of them have large initials embroidered in big cross stitch half-way down the sack.   I used to buy similar sacks from Hungary and my first sale of them was to a very top designer who used them to cover some easy chairs and the upholsterer made the covers with the initials bang in the middle of the back, which was  a really good touch and a talking point..  I gave up the Hungarian sacks as they seemed to be everywhere, no longer exclusive, and the colours of the stripes were very strong in blue and red;  and I now prefer the softer more natural shades of caramel and soft blues and creams produced further East and in Northern Europe.  They are so much easier to blend with existing furnishings and more closely woven for good shape and long wear;  covering chairs is costly so go for the best!