Hankie quilt help!!!
 

I want to start a hankie quilt for my sister (for her 78th BD in september), some of my mom's hankies have crochet on the ends and some are scalloped. I do not like the butterfly folding, so I was thinking of using fusible bonding to bond the hankies to moda white fabric squares and maybe machine embroider around the edges. I was thinking of making the white squares the same size, (larger than the largest hanky), and squaring up the squares as the hankies are all different sizes. I was wondering if anybody did a quilt like this, and how messy it was (glue through the crochet) etc. Or is there a better way. Your advice and help is greatly appreciated.

I have made several handkerchief quilts. I applique the handkerchiefs to a plain white square, by machine if the edges are straight or by hand if they are scalloped. Then I use sashing and cornerstones in darker coordinating colors, and set them together on point. I use a print for the setting triangles.

your examples are lovely.

beautiful quilts, do you "glue them onto the squares before appliquing to keep them flat? what type of stitch works best by machine for appliquing. wow, love your quilts, they are works of art.

Those are beautiful, avgquiltr!!

Andi

Your handkerchief quilts are simply stunning! Gorgeous example of a handkerchief quilt!!

I am sooooo inspired right now! Your Hankie Quilts are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Gorgeous quilts! I have collected many hankies and want to do a quilt that has them folded like butterflies.

i saw one where they made those fu fu hankies skirts for emb. girls they were really cute

I do not glue. I use Best Press on the handkerchief, and then fold it twice and iron the folds. I also fold the background square and iron it. Then I center the handkerchief on the square matching the fold lines and use regular straight pins to hold it in place. I machine applique with a zigzag stitch with invisible thread. I also hand applique with invisible thread, which isn't easy because you can't tie a knot in it. I take a few stitches in the square toward the edge of the handkerchief, a few stitches away from the edge, then a few back to the edge and start my applique stitches. It holds the thread without a knot.