My treasure today I guess reflects the era in which I grew up. The fact that my Grandfather was a Methodist minister meant that I spent a lot of time in my early years going to church. The question that always preceded the exit out the front door was "Have you got a clean hankie?" So that's my treasure today....my little collection of hankies. Handkerchiefs or 'hankies' as they were known were very important back then. You even got little boxed sets of them or gorgeous handmade hand crocheted ones for your birthday. You received them as a momento from travels afar.They were good in a crisis (tissues just don't hold up nearly as well) they saved your nose from offending odours by dabbing a little scent on to them to be sniffed if this unseemly circumstance should arise. You could wrap them around a cut finger.They could add flair to some drama by being flipped and flapped in the air to make a point. But the thing I loved the best was that some were just so pretty and real works of art.
I have here in this photo my treasured collection. Many from my childhood and many made from pure irish linen. One even came in it's own sweet little box.
These ones have my initial on them. Two of them are hand embroidered and crocheted. The blue one came in it's very own bag all the way from Europe as a gift from a friend.
These two belonged to my Grandmother and were crocheted by her. The top one is very old. I treasure these two as she was
never without a hankie. Quite often she even had a spare (you never knew when someone would have need of one)
This one is very special as my friends dear Mum crocheted it for me for my 50th Birthday.
So I guess I would have to say I was a 'hankie' girl as I am sure a lot of girls of my vintage are or were. I am constantly on the search for a vintage hankie box...you know the type made from beautiful floral cards covered in hard plastic and crocheted together to make a hexagon box with a lid with a tassel. I know it's out there some where waiting for me. I am linking up to
MELODY to share my treasure today. Why don't you pop over for a visit too.
Some other very exciting news is my lovely blogging friend
DONNA from Donna's Lavender Nest has released her very first quilt design and it is very cute and I have a peek. Pop over to her very sweet blog and check it out. Well done to you Donna.
Hope your day is going well.
Blessings Michelle xx
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My DH late grandmother, together with my late mother and grandmother all had those lovely Hankee boxes, but alas other members of the families had snatched them up before me. .... thank you so much for bringing memories to me today of my beloved.
ReplyDeleteThat's certainly a lovely collection of hankies. It's amazing how many people these days don't even own a hanky! I've always got one. You can look into any of my cardigan pockets and there will be a hanky in there! Thanks for sharing your beautiful ones Michelle.
ReplyDeleteJust wait while I blow my nose. Sorry. I am never without a hanky although all my family would rather use tissues ( Nasty) Christopher and I shared a love of hankies and I have inherited his 20 million men's ones. I think he used them like tissues, as I seemed to wash that many every week. lol. Yours are just beautiful
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful range of hankies,they are heaps better than tissues,i have gone back to using hankies ,but i dont have pretty ones like you Michelle,lovely treasures.xx
ReplyDeleteMichelle your hankies are such beautiful treasures. Thank you so much for sharing my quilt pattern.
ReplyDeleteHugs
donna
Lovely collection of hankies Michelle, I still have hankies from my childhood and my husbands Nan used to give me hankies for my Birthday a loooong time ago, they are still unused. I do prefer to use tissues and they can be thrown away when used, I couldn't think of anything worse than to wash/clean dirty hankies. I had a lovely box like you are talking about when I was young my Grandmother gave me, it was a beautiful fan shape, I don't have it anymore, I think the plastic became brittle and it fell apart.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYour hankies are so beautiful!!
I always remember being asked the very same questions on the way out the door too :)
what pretty hankies... a lovely collection....
ReplyDeleteHugz
Love all your hankies Michelle - I grew up the same way and I have quite the collection too, even all my dad's hankies which aren't nearly as pretty, lol! Loved seeing your beautiful gifts for mum's day, you are blessed!
ReplyDeleteYour hankies are just beautiful Michelle. I have a lovely assortment as well and I treasure them!
ReplyDeleteThe hankies are so very pretty, Michelle, I like the idea of flapping it about to make a point, ha ha, my Nan did that with hers! I have all my hankies still & treasure them. Thanks for sharing... x
ReplyDeleteThanks for so many fabulous memories - I was certainly a hanky girl too. I remember having lavender oil put on my hanky so I could sniff it - I really must have thought I was a little princess.
ReplyDeleteHello Michelle,
ReplyDeleteSo pretty, I am a hanky girl too. I still have one I won at a Birthday Party when I was in Year 4. Mum used to make hankies out of the floral sheets when they wore out in the middle.
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
G'day Michelle. What a truly beautiful collection of hankies you have. Seeing them brought back so many memories of seeing both my mother and father as well as my maternal grandparents with the hankies that they carried with them always.Take care. Liz...
ReplyDeleteReally pretty hankies, I don't have any left from my childhood. I can remember always buying my Dad some at Christmas with his initial on... I bet he loved getting those LOL. Hugs
ReplyDeletewhat gorgeous hankies. I love a 'real' hanky too. Not too fancy these days I just go for man size. Practicality over prettiness I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful hankies - I love the pretty crochet edged ones.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy their softness.
That's a beautiful collection Michelle. I love the lacy ones. Very classy.
ReplyDeleteMy Nanna was never without a hankie either and I inherited her collection when she passed away too.
From the time I was a little girl.... always had a hanky in my hand .....
ReplyDeleteand still to this day.....
thanks to my Grannie .....
So Sweet. I, too, have hankies but am afraid to use them in projects. They are too pretty to cut up. I just enjoying looking at them from time to time.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle: I'm Connie at http://hotflashncraftn.blogspot.com/, a new GFC friend, I would love if you stop by and be mine, too.
ReplyDeleteI love your collection of hankies. I bought my granddaughter one, she had no idea what it was.... it's awesome that you have some of your grandmothers. Thanks for sharing.