My friend, Adele, brought her vintage hankies to Paneras on Tuesday night to
show me. She is in her late 80s and has been doing needlework since she was
a wee girl. These hankies are all over fifty years old and were created either by
her mother or herself. Of course I grabbed my camera to share with you!
All of the centers for her hankies are linen. She said they cost 10¢ each in the day.
I'm especially fond of this first one with the southern belle in her beautiful dress.
The edge on this one is still bright and vibrant after all these years!
What respectable young woman didn't have a hankie with her monogram?
One of the girls teased Adele by saying that her initial is "A", too, so perhaps she
should have this one when Adele was finished with it. Yeah. Adele didn't think so.
This is pretty clever. A row of linen stitched to the linen hankie, then a lace insert,
with another crocheted finish along the outside edge. She had a couple like these.
This was the hankie Adele carried the day she was married. Her mother
made it for her. The linen was pastel blue, and then rows and rows of trim.
I think this is the sweetest one in the whole assortment. It is a linen hankie that
was signed by all of Adele's school friends. After the signatures were written
on the linen, Adele's mom backstitched each of the names in a different color.
As I held and examined each handkerchief, I found myself thinking about the hands
that worked each and every stitch. Hours spent laboring on something that has
been cherished and saved for a lifetime...and will be handed down to her daughter
to appreciate long after she's gone. I reflected on the importance of using quality
supplies when you're creating heirloom-quality pieces, and then my final thought...
"Who could possibly blow their nose in these?"
I'd rather think that they were used to wipe away a happy tear or blot a moist upper lip.
You know, something more ladylike.
I have my mother-in-law's and her mother's treasured hankies and I'll share them with
you another time. I keep them in an acid-free box when I'm not carrying one to keep
her memory close. They're reminders of a kinder, gentler time, and for me a reminder
of an elegant and loving woman. I feel good just having Evelyn's hankie in my pocket.
I'm teaching my quilt class today. I got all this month's blocks sewn; paper foundation
created; supplies pulled together and I'm ready for another great day with my students.
Tag always rides along and sleeps at my feet when I teach at the shop. He greets the
customers, schmoozes for lunch (unsuccessfully, because it's not allowed), and
he impresses everyone with his cute corgi-ness. I like taking him along, and everyone
at the shop (including Marilyn, the owner) thinks of him as an honorary mascot.
I also finished editing the video, and burning all the DVDs so that Handsome can
deliver them at his rehearsal tonight. I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself today.
Have a great day and do something creative...even if it's only something small.
If you don't do it for yourself, do it for someone you love. They'll appreciate it, too!
