What you see here is a grocery sack 2/3 full of very old, ladies' hankies. When Mother decided to go to the rest home, she gave me these, saying, "Some of these are really old. Some are mine, some were Mom's."What do you do with old handkerchiefs that your mother and grandmother blew their noses in, and with which, perhaps, they dabbed at their tears?
Nobody in my mom's family has been interested in them, so far; if they had been, they'd be welcome to them.
They're wasted on me. Maybe if I were good at crafts I'd do something with them. But I'm not.
There must be 200 of them.
I looked on Ebay, and I see there is a demand for old hankies that are in "like-new" condition. But many of these are very well-used and worn. There's one with the state of Missouri on it, and one rather shaped like a star. Many are crocheted around the edges, and I can't help wondering if my maternal Grandma did the crocheting.Does anybody have ideas? Because if I don't get some sort of guidance in the next month, I guess I'll offer the lot of them on Ebay. I hate to just throw them away, because they obviously meant a lot to my mother.
Charity shop, homeless shelter or Christmas presents for those you don't like! say they are antique . . .lol Happy sneezing
ReplyDeleteThere are quilts that you can make out of old hankies. I can try to find you a pattern if you are so inclined to make one. If not ebay is probably your best bet.
ReplyDeleteMake a collage of some of them in a frame?
ReplyDeleteOh I like the idea above . . .a family snot-loomb!
ReplyDeleteDoes your Mom have some stories that could go along with the hankies? Maybe scrap book them with the story from your Mom. That way it can be shared with future generations. Kind of like a keepsake of and for your Mom
ReplyDeleteDeb
I remember working in a framing shop and we got the most interesting things to frame. I like the idea of picking out a few of the prettiest ones and having them framed as a special keepsake. A quilt is also a nice idea - you don't have to use the whole hankie - just the nicest pieces of the material - even if the whole thing is the size of a throw.
ReplyDeleteOne of the crafty, creative bloggers that I follow makes pillows and sachets out of them. Maybe you could deal direct with her and do a barter. She makes you a pillow or sachet out of the hankies of your choosing and she gets the rest to do with what she wants. That way you keep something for memories sake that isn't hiding in a drawer and you don't have to make it. :-)
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to one of her hankie sachets: http://primrosedesign.blogspot.com/2007/02/new-sachets.html
The hankie sachets are the best idea! Personally, I wouldn't be able to part with them!
ReplyDeleteYou can frame them, that is in right now. Or you can give them to me and I will frame them and proudly display them in my home.
ReplyDeletesarah_brouwer@hotmail.com
This is going to sound horribly funny, but I am dying to find some old hankies -- all colors, all conditions! I'm decorating my little girls' room in a vintage theme -- hankies will adorn the window treatments, pillows, etc. Are you still trying to get rid of these? I'd be happy to pay for the shipping if you'd want to send them my way! Thanks! Amy ~ mafenner@st-tel.net
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to figure out what to do with my Mom's handkerchiefs. She died three years ago at age 92 and had a lovely collection, many holiday or seasonal related.
ReplyDelete1) I've seen some framed, mounted on a piece of fabric (maybe tacked down to stay in place), with an appropriate mat, framed with glass. 2) A second option would be to make a four-seasons, seasonal, or similar designs table runner or centerpiece by stitching them to a suitable backing fabric. 3) An individual pretty one could be stitched to backing fabric and the pretty areas of the hankie (flowers, etc.) could be lightly puffed using trapunto (outlining designs with quilting-type stitching thru both layers, then cutting a small hole in the backing fabric and insering a small amount of polyfill, then stitching the hole up from the back). Then it could be framed.
I'd be very interested in buying your handkerchiefs from you if you still have any left.
Jan
P.S. I forgot to leave my email address: jabittner@charter.net.
ReplyDeleteJan
I would love to purchase them. I collect them and love to use them. thanks
ReplyDelete