Two years ago my cousin’s husband passed away unexpectedly at the age of 57. Jim was a wonderful man and this was a difficult time for our family. Another cousin flew up from Florida to stay with Mike and me. The morning of the funeral, as we were all teary eyed, Cindy asked me for a hankie. I handed her a packet of tissues. She then told me that difficult times like these demanded a hankie. I had never thought about it like that.
A few years before this my mom had given me a bag full of aprons and hankies from the women in our family. So I pulled it out
and we chose the ones we took with us that day.
Recently my friend, Eileen, and I were talking about how often we cry happy tears – especially during worship on Sunday mornings, in gratitude for what our Savior has done for us. I mentioned that I really should be following my cousin’s advice and use my heritage of hankies more often. She agreed, and said that she had purchased some hand-dyed hankies when we were in Paducah together, but they were too pretty to use.
I encouraged her to get them out because – if you never use it, you’ll never use it… so use it and enjoy it while you love it.
That was when I pulled out my bag of hankies once again, in preparation for today – Resurrection Sunday. I thought it might be a good topic to remind others of what our mothers and grandmothers knew. Hankies are a blessing.
In 2014 I wrote a post about a memory quilt I’d made called Lacy Hearts. I hand appliquéd hearts to muslin, embellished them and then hand-quilted it all. It was a fun project and I’ve taught a class on it a number of times.
Two of the hearts are made from hankies that were so worn I didn’t mind cutting them. The one in the upper left used the lacy edge of one hankie, and the lower right used the purple embroidery from another.
To read the post about this quilt: click here.
Some of the hankies in my collection look like new, like this one with the lovely edging made from variegated thread.
While many of the hankies in my collection were well used.
So many of them have lovely edging designs, but it seems that is the part that often wears out the fastest.
Others have beautiful embroidery.
I know that all of them came from a woman in my family tree, but I don’t know which one belonged to whom. In the photo above I think the one with the blue flower is likely my grandma Ardis’ because it is in very good condition. Blue was her favorite color, so I could see her saving that one for special occasions.
The next one was a souvenir of New York and I don’t think it has ever been used. The embroidery is lovely, but it has yellowed with age (I placed it on-point atop a white hankie so you could get the full effect).
The ones I have that are made from a printed fabric I think may have been the most utilitarian. This one is still in useable condition.
I think the following hankie is my favorite of the printed variety, but I can’t imagine how it got so stained. I wonder if one of my grandfathers used it to change the oil in the car ?.
Recently my friend, Vicky, made a quilt for a guild challenge centered around a “handkerchief lady” block. Her quilt is entitled “The Symbol of Love is the Heart”. Beautiful!
If you do an internet image search for handkerchief lady quilts, you will be amazed at the beautiful quilts that have been made from these lovely pieces of our past.
Do you have a favorite hankie? Do you use it? Would you like to share it’s story? Have you made a quilt from hankies? Please send me photos and stories at:
Face Mask Update
We continue to get requests coming in for face masks. As of today over 2750 masks have been donated through this project! Our contact and drop off points remain the same. Thanks to all who have been a part of this great project – and to all who continue to support our heroes! For all the information click here!
Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Helen Lambron says
Have hankies in vintage hankie box. Triangular box. Will try to send pix. Sadly, cannot. Will try a different way. Actually used two vintage hankies for simple quilt square for WMQFA Quarantine Quilt project.
Jana says
Oh thank you for the wonderful info. I have an embroidered dress (look like hankie material) and hankies from my grandmother. My mother asked me to sew them into some memory gift. No idea what to do with them until now. I love hankies. My mom and I inset hankies into the skirt of my wedding dress some 35 years ago. Great to hear about the face masks thanks to all
Nancy anderson says
Chris, I enjoyed creating a Lacy Hearts quilted wall hanging in one gof your classes. I have it hanging in my quilting room, a heart warming reminder of my Mom. ?
Linda Clark says
After my mother died I made memory box pictures for myself, my 3 sisters and brother. I backed the box with her hankies and decorated the box with her jewelry and momentos. Happy Easter.
Lynda Doberstein says
Dear Cousin Chris. I have several containers full of. Hankie. Some from our Grandma Moshe, some from my grandma Saeger( your Aunt Margaret) some from my other Grandma Klein and some my mom
There a wonderful gift.
Nancy Hansen says
Hi Chris,
Your blog this week reminded me of my mom. She was widowed as a relatively young woman, and was never very social. Lived inthe country ,no phone but the neighbors had all been her friends from childhood. Every year on February 6, her birthday, those ladies would all appear at the house. Each would bring a small gift, usually a card and a handkerchief. It always amazed me how they remembered to show up on that day with no communication. I still have some of those hankies.
Val Veilleux says
There were three sisters whose mom passed away! I made some ornaments for them! Here r two of them!
Lori says
I have Hankies from my Mother in-law , she passed away a number of years ago. I have put them in a quilt as the inside of open envelopes. It is on the quilting frame right now, I will send a picture when I get it completed
Miriam Bolton says
I would love to do something with my beautiful hankies. I love the doll affect on the quilt. My church ladies made a cancer quilt for me. Each lady made a unique block. One of my favorites is the hankie cut in half with the cut edges turned around and placed on the outside edges of the quilt and the decorative edging laying in the middle. So simple yet so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
MariLynn Bergmark says
When I was first teaching in 1958 through 1961, when my husband was in seminary, the standard “teacher Christmas gift” was a hankie or a box of hankies. I have many of them—- still in the gift box.
Gail says
Ladies in Independent Living and Assisted Living facilities would love it if you gave a talk on hankies and displayed your collection!! That would definitely brighten their day and bring back a lot of happy memories.
Lorraine Bahr says
When my mother died 20 years ago we found a drawer of hankies. I took them all and always take a pretty one with me to weddings and funerals. Many of them are plain white (yellowed now) with a white lace border. Some have a white embroidered design. Each time one of my grand nieces (my mom’s great-granddaughters) gets married I give them one of these white hankies at their wedding shower. I include a note telling them where it came from and suggesting they carry it with them as “something old”. So far 5 are married, 5 more to go. Each of the girls were thrilled to have a momento of their great-grandma to carry with them on their special day.
Susan Weber says
After my mom died I found her hankies in a box along with her button box. I took the hankies and pinned them to the top of my white curtains in my sewing room along with an antique unique button I love looking at them and remembering the times she used a hankie instead of tissue. Thanks for the memories