What to do with those hankies and my coloring lesson

Good day all.  We're back to needing a sweatshirt today!  There seems to be no happy medium. 

 As most of you do, I use the thin highlight pens to color my charts.  This time, I learned something from it.  Whenever I came across the type of three row border that consisted of adjoining X's, I went from top to bottom skipping the two threads between each.  Well, DAH!  When I was coloring this time, I realized that the X was not the pattern, a diagonal row was easier, quicker, and a much neater back.  Why it came to me this time and never before is anyone's guess.  It still baffles my menobrain that these slants create an X!!  I would be lost without doing this to my multi color rows and it certainly helps define the pattern before I even start stitching.

 

Back to the hankies.  Just wanted to share what I've done over the years with the more special pieces.  First off, mom's friends that shared her life received a hanky in a note thanking them for their help and condolences after the funeral.  The newer ones were donated to the nursing home and they brought on many smiles. 

When mom first moved in with us and we teased her about the number of hankies,  I stuffed them in the center, tied them up and created a hanky Christmas tree for her.  We also made sachets for our drawers with lavender. 

 Scoop lavender or potpourri into the center (or make little muslin bags), pull the center of the sides in first, then the corners, tie and voila.

They make sweet little favors for a party too.  What I used to make and sell many years ago, is the hanky envelope sachet.  I made muslin inserts to fit and lie flat.  They're pretty without anything inside too, and so easy to make.  All you need is an iron.  You can insert a special handwritten note to your loved one, or one from them.  A little stitch can hold them together, or the temporary glue stick for quilting.  Here's a sampling of some.

Most need to be lined with another plain hanky, paper, or a piece of muslin.  You can see the difference in these two.  Pressing these for the photos made me want to start selling them again.

 

 

 

  Just fold the sides in and overlap, then the bottom flap up, and fold the top over.  Envelope!  Using paper as the lining helps them lay nicely in a basket or stand against a vase.  Using fusible interfacing helps but it will never be a hanky again. That's my lessons for today!  But you already knew all this didn't you?  But did you know you can also cut corners off fancy napkins and embroidered pieces, sew into a square, and make an envelope from almost anything?  You did?  Well, there has to be someone out there that didn't because it was unknown to my sister.

 

Have a great day!  Thanks for visiting!

 

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