My friend just lost her home to a fire in January. Just recently they were going through some boxes from the garage that were not damaged and she found several hankies that her husband's grandmother left. She is not a real creative person and wondered what she could do with them to hand them down to her kids and their wives. They are at least 75 years old (the hankies, not the kids). Any suggestions from you creative people out there?

She could use them to make the fronts of a pillow. Or frame them to hang on a wall.

I have a couple of friends who have used them as window toppers...simple and quite charming!

I made this pillow with some hankies that someone gave to me. It's not hard. Just pick a focus, then frame outwards with corners.

[IMG]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...Picture007.jpg[/IMG]

That is a really pretty pillow, thanks for the photo.

you're welcome. The hardest part for me was cutting into the hankies.

Wow..I love what you did with the hankies..so pretty.

That is a beautiful idea :D:D:D

Oh that's so nice--I'm with you on the cutting into! I have a whole pile from both sides of the family and haven't done anything with them yet.

I did let my sister make an angel out of one--will try to remember to take a pic and post.

applique each one to a square of fabric then combine them into quilts for each of the kids...

I saw a quilt wall hanging done with old handkerchieves and fell in love with it so I have started collecting them. All of the hankies were old fashion skirts. It was absolutely beautiful and you don't have to cut the hankies. I still have to work on exactly how to do mine as I couldn't get a picture of the wall hanging. I think the blouse and large Southen type hat was appliqued above the hankie. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Check out these photos. Butterflies.


http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...47991974lIMoZQ

If there are very few, they could just be sewn onto a backing and made into a sachet, or jewelry bag.

I was going to recommend the butterflies also... but maybe you could make an original bird pattern from them, like blue birds and such or frame the really pretty ones in antique picture frames.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...84133846xSluyu

see if you like these

I had a pattern that was a wall hanging. Each block was a pocket with a hankie in it. You didn't have to cut them up. I made it with 3 pockets horizontally (you can us as many as you want) I used a tiny border around and then a little larger. It turned out nice and didn't have to cut them. I don't mind cutting up ones I find, but ones that belong to my family I can't cut. Hope it helps.

Looking for suggestions for sports quilt I am making "cowboys"

Have large star in middle and stripe white and blue,football mat.and then red allaround, ending with sqare 27 in.

Debra, that pillow is so pretty! I just love it!

That is beautiful! I am saving it so I can do that. I have my Mom's hankies. she was 93 when she passed in 2001 so they are probably from the 40's or somewhere there abouts.
Such creative minds!

I'm makeing a Warm Wishes with Ga. Bulldogs fabric. I'm using the football as 6"squares and just red & black for the strips. It is for my GS that is 10.

If this was put in a different post you would get more ideas.

Those are amazing. I wish I still had the box of hankies that my mother had. Don't know where they went.

there are several books about making quilts and other accessories with old handkies.

my gs is 26 and it is his 2 quilt I made for him. thanks for info.

I saw a quilt made from old hankies. The hankies were placed to look like butterflies on a white background. The feelers were stitched in black.

I have made two different ones from my mother's hankies; one was a butterfly quilt, the butterflies were all in whites or off whites and used a blue background; the second one was just appliqued colorful hankies on a white background. The butterfly one was hand quilted and the appliqued was machine quilted.

There is a cute quilt named "Dainty Hankerchief" in the Quilting For Busy Boomers book by Jeanne Stauffer and Sandra L. Hatch. I bought the book at Hobby Lobby specifically to make this quilt but it has alot of other great patterns in it. Wish I had a pic to post but it is 12 x 12 blocks and you cut the hankies in half diagonally and sew the long diagonal edge to the top of the block and secure the pointed end towards the middle of the block with a ribbon bow so it looks like the back of an envelope with the flap sealed. It really is pretty and since I don't have enough of my Grandmas hankies I knew I could get two blocks from each one.
I can't wait to see what you create as all of the pic posts were beautiful!

Hi, also from Northern Michigan. I made four lap quilts from my grandmother's hankerchiefs and I used the patterns by Pineapple Press called Love Letters and Grandma Linderoth's Hankies. They are available from Pineapple Press, 2620 Friday Rd., Coloma, MI 49038 269-468-6418. I backed the hankies with fusible web to reinforce them and used clear monofiliment thread on top.

Opps. Sent the same picture twice. Having a senior moment. I did send the correct pictures.

Barb

I saw a quilt made from old hankies. The hankies were placed to look like butterflies on a white background. The feelers were stitched in black.[/quote]

This pattern can be purchase from e-patterns.com. I have it and am working on a quilt for my mom. The hankies were hers and she gave them to me, I gave them to my daughter and now mom will get a few of them back! good luck with yours.

http://www.e-patternscentral.com/det...source=QEPOTDE

At Paducah one of the vendors in the mall had purses made from old hankies and from men's ties. The purses were stunning and made for any age. I don't remember the vendor's name.

I found a pic of the purse made from men's ties. The hankies were folded and made the same way. So nice!

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-55269665938224_2107_0

WOW!! Those are wonderful!! What a great idea someone had.

Here is a very cute book with a pattern to make ladies skirts on a quilt with hankies.

http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?...298&cat_id=175

Barb, Those quilts are beautiful!

I had some really pretty, lacey hankies of my Grandmother's...I took them to my favorite picture framing shop and had them backed, matted and framed and they are beautiful hanging on the wall of my guest room.

quilt's absolutly beautiful.
great idea,love the love letters

You can make baby bonnets out of old hankies. I made a bonnet for each of my granddaughters from the hankies of their great great grandmothers. Their mother loved them and I think the granddaughters will use them for their babies.

At one of the local quilt shops(Pig Patch Farm)Sue made abig curtain then pulled it back a little with ribbon.Also I've seen quilts made with them. :-D

Hello debraK - I love your hankie cushion, absolutely beautiful - I have an old quilting magazine pattern of butterflies made with folded hankies and they would be just the thing for making that quilt - where did you find such lovely hankies? :hunf: