It's all about marketing

RustBeltCowgirl

Just like Crisco did with lard, same thing happened with hankerchiefs. It was all a marketing strategy to make you believe that lard was bad and handkerchiefs were unsanitary.

https://morningchores.com/how-to-make-handkerchiefs/

Not terribly difficult to make. Identical to making napkins. You can even stitch a hand rolled hem, like they do on very pricey designer scarves.

Tutorial on the hem stitch.

http://retroclaude.com/rolled-hem-tutorial/

Monek Marie

@RustBeltCowgirl I saw the handkerchief post and thought about posting it.

I remember when you did not leave home without your handkerchief and most had initials embroidered on them.

kbmbillups1

@RustBeltCowgirl Thanks for the Rolled hem tutorial! My daughter had so many costumes to hem last year at school and was always upset because the sewing machines were broken. I'm going to save this tutorial for her for next school year. She might try it and then she might just use hem tape again. She did learn to sew by hand in 4th grade. Not something you learn these days.

JodieDownUnder

@RustBeltCowgirl I remember giving my father and grandpa handkerchiefs every year, with their initials embroidered on them. A great gift from a little kid. I haven’t seen them in shops for a very long time. Certainly a thing of the past. Thanks for sharing this link.

RustBeltCowgirl

@kbmbillups1 Here's a tutorial that is less time consuming with 3 variants for hemming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1riAAPyzEc

Linda Bittle

I feel like these old fashioned skills are so important to learn and use! Not necessarily because we may all need to know them one day, but just for the historic perspective and the value in doing things by hand.

kbmbillups1

@RustBeltCowgirl Thanks! I opened the video in youtube and saved it to watch later so I could find it again. Next year I'm sending this video to my daughter when she starts complaining about the machines.

RustBeltCowgirl

@Mary Linda Bittle, West Plains, Missouri I do a lot of hemming. At 5'1", most pants are too long. it's less time for me to hand hem; than it is to set up the machine and match the color, etc. By the time I get through all of that, I can already have one leg hemmed.

Plus, remember no electric, no sewing machine. Unless you have a treadle machine.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

I too received this in my email the other day. I think my father and father-in-law are some of the few who still carry a handkerchief anymore.

I'm thinking of trying my hand and embroidering their initial and giving them some to them for Fathers Day.😊

Tave

When my mom's oldest sister was born premature (way back in the early 1900s), she was so tiny that my grandma used my grandpa's handkerchiefs folded twice as diapers. Doc Jones recommends them for straining tinctures. They are handy to have around.

COWLOVINGIRL

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/897709#Comment_897709

Super great idea! I'll bet they'll love them!