Another Love – Embroidery…

I made this  when ladies used handkerchiefs – delicately embroidered pieces of soft muslin and cotton, decorated with hand crocheted and tatted laces, one to match each saree!

Those lovely hankies – especially the `special’ ones taken out only for parties and celebrations – were carefully tucked away in equally painstakingly embroidered `hanky cases’ . If you did not own an imported perfume, or belonged to the more traditional families – into the hanky case pocket went jasmine and rose petals. 

But all that belonged to a long lost, more leisurely age. Before `use and throw’ ugly paper hanky tissues took over. I started making a hanky case for my future daughter-in-law when my son was ten(!) just like my mother-in-law had made for me! But have not completed it – I dont think my son’s wife will know what to do with it when she does come into the family…

So here is my labour of love:-)

Handkerchief case (trifold)

Fabric – Silk; Stitches – Long and short, stem stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch in single and double thread using Anchor embroidery silk skeins.  Foam batting.  

Here is a close-up:

May be, I shall finish it one day soon!