Today I thought that I would continue the Mother's Day theme and show you my vintage handkerchief collection. This is one of the largest collections that I have besides my aprons and embroidered linens of all kinds.
As you can tell, I just LOVE handkerchiefs. I am especially fond of the printed ones. They are so beautiful and colorful and each is very unique. I started my collection about 15 years ago and I'm still adding to it.
Most of them are floral and I adore anything floral and vintage. Some have fancy scallop edges that look like church or dress up hankies to me.
Some have straight edges and look like they were used everyday but still are very feminine. I really like how they all look together with all of thier different personalitys.
My older sisters and I always had handkerchiefs. My Uncle Ron used to buy each of us a boxed set every year for our birthdays. He lived down the road with my Grandma and wasn't yet married.
He was very good to all of us girls and when we would see him (almost every day), he would pick us up one by one and twirl us around and say, "How's my favorite niece?" He had a way of making each of us think that he was really meaning only us!
I remember one year, he gave my sister Tammy and I a set of days of the week hankies. I sure wish that I still had those...
These are all handmade and very beautiful. They are all linen with crochet or tatting around the edges. Some of them have pulled work in the linen also. They are all in excellent condition.
These are all white linen and also crochet or tatted lace. These are so gorgeous! The lace on these are so intricate it's amazing. All of these are in perfect shape with no age spots although I know they are very old.
Look at this round one. I have only seen one of these and of course, I bought it.
The following photos are all childrens handkerchiefs. I believe that they are because of thier size.
They measure about 7 to 8 inches each and are so cute.
I'm sure that I will continue to collect these treasures from the past. I can't seem to resist them and after all, they don't take up alot of space but sure do add a nice punch of color to my 1930's bedroom. I keep them in an old pink basket with a big handle on my dressing table. I love to switch them around so that a different one is showing at the top for me to enjoy.
Every woman in my life as a child always had a handerchief. I used to like to sit by my Grandma in church and she would show me how to make dolls with her handkerchief or a small one with mine.
My Mom always asked us if we had a hanky before we left to go anywhere. My school teachers used them and all of my Aunts and everyone else I knew.
Even the men except of course, they would not be floral. My Grandpa used to always have one in his pocket and Dad still uses red bandana handkerchiefs when he's working outside. He and also Mr. Honey use white cotton ones for church.
Do you have any handkerchief memories?
