HANKIES

By Mary Davis

Squares of fabric tucked into a pocket to be at the ready for a variety of uses. Originally known as HANDKERCHIEFS but affectionately known as HANKIES. The first known use of “handkerchief” was 1530, but people had been using these nifty pieces of cloth for millennia. I wonder what they were called before handkerchief. The term hankie didn’t come into use as an abbreviation until late in the 19th century.

Handkerchiefs have a myriad of uses, from drying tears to mopping a brow to cleaning a child’s face to keeping dust out of ones mouth and nose to commemorating special events to getting a man’s attention and gifts of affection. Its utility is vast. The most common one is to blow or wipe one’s nose.

Obviously, people had need of these small squares of fabric before 1530. Depictions of handkerchiefs in art dates back to 1000 BC. Handkerchiefs also appeared in Shakespeare plays as well as elsewhere through history.

For a long time, handkerchiefs were something only the wealthy could afford because linen and silk were expensive. Because handkerchiefs were valued, they would be listed in dowries and bequeathed in wills. The wealthy would have bigger and bigger handkerchiefs and more elaborately adorned to display their wealth. 

In 1785, Louis XVI didn’t want anyone to have a handkerchief bigger than his, so he mandated a size and shape. He decided on the square shape as well. Before then, handkerchiefs could be square, round, rectangle, or even a triangle. Louis decided that square was the most pleasing. All handkerchiefs from then on made in France had to be of that size and shape.

Queen Elizabeth I had handkerchiefs embroidered with gold and silver thread. She created a whole silent language with handkerchief gestures to communicate with her servants in court.

Savvy moms of the 1800s devised the “Show and Blow” campaign. To promote hygiene and reduce the spread of illnesses, school children were required to bring a clean handkerchief to school everyday. Moms wanted their children to appear spic and span, so they sent two hankies to school with their children, a clean white one for inspections and utilitarian one for actual use. These were usually made from a calico or other leftover fabric.

Well into the 1920s, handkerchiefs for the average man were white. If a lady wanted something different, she could embroider colorful flowers and designs on her hankies.

During the depression of the 30s, women didn’t have the means to buy new clothes and often could only afford a new hankie as a fashion accessory. A lady would “change” her outfit by sporting a different hankie. In the 40s and with WWII, women collected a whole “wardrobe” of hankies; draped over belts, tied on wrists, peeking out of pockets, or tucked through a buttonhole.

During WWI and WWII, pilots were given kerchiefs with a map of area they were bombing printed on it in case they got shot down. They literally had an escape route in the palm of their hand. Hundreds of others were printed as mementos during the wars.

Handkerchiefs boasted a strong popularity in the late-1940s and 1950s with designers utilizing them in their fashions

The cloth handkerchief fell out of favor when Kleenex created the paper facial tissue. They were created in the 1920s as a face towel for removing face cream. In the 1930s, Kleenex had the slogan “Don’t carry a cold in your pocket.” But is was Little Lulu and Golden Books who tipped the scales in paper facial tissues’ direction in the mid-50s. The children’s book line featured Lulu making things like bunnies, doing magic tricks, and more with facial tissues. The first printing was an astronomical 2.25 million copies.

I remember ironing my dad’s handkerchiefs. My sisters called foul when I ironed all the handkerchiefs and pillowcases, leaving the more difficult dress shirts and pants to iron to them. I figured since they were older, it would be easier for them to iron the difficult things. Or maybe I just wanted it easy. I did start ironing shirts and pants too and left a hankie or two for them.

I have recently been more conscientious about single use items like facial tissues, plastic grocery bags, and paper towels. I’m making efforts with reducing my trash footprint by reducing my use of paper towels and plastic bags. I haven’t thought much about how to reduce my use of facial tissues. I have some nearly-antique hankies that were my grandma’s, but I don’t want to use those heirlooms. Strange to think of something one blows one’s nose on as an heirloom. I think I’d like to start using cloth hankies for light-duty use, but for seasonal allergies when my nose is a nonstop waterworks for weeks or when I have a nasty head cold, I think the disposable one might be called for.

If you have some vintage hankies you’ve been wondering what to do with, here is a link to many things you can make and do with them.

What about you? Do you use cloth hankies? Sometimes? All the time? Never?

THIMBLES AND THREADS: 4 Love Stories Are Quilted Into Broken Lives
When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their talents lead to love?

Click HERE to order.

“Bygones” Texas, 1884
Drawn to the new orphan boy in town, Tilly Rockford soon became the unfortunate victim of a lot of Orion Dunbar’s mischievous deeds in school. Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? Can this deviant orphan-train boy turned man make up for the misdeeds of his youth and win Tilly’s heart before another man steals her away?

MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen

titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection (January), Courting Her Amish Heart (March), The Widow’s Plight (July), Courting Her Secret Heart (September), “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection (December), and Courting Her Prodigal Heart (January 2019). Coming in 2019, The Daughter's Predicament (May) and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads (July). She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups. Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Glitter Postcards

Have you ever received a treasure package of ephemera, or what is commonly known as memorabilia? I was blessed to receive such a treasure package this week when a second cousin handed over a package of photographs and postcards from the early decades of the 20th century. What a delightful surprise, especially the postcards which are varied in composition, weight, and design. 

I've often seen old postcards, Christmas cards, etc with glitter, but these ones are different than any others in my experience. To set the stage, this first one is different in the subject because I've never seen one with dark clouds as a major feature. However, it's the gold painted setting sun, its reflection on the water, and the gold writing that caught my eye. The normal weight postcard was sent in January 1910 and bears a 1 cent Canadian stamp. The oval is embossed and it bears the name of the Oval Panel Series, printed in Germany. 

This green postcard was printed in Canada and mailed in March 1910. It is heavy cardboard and although it doesn't appear to have been two pieces glued back-to-back, the two holes at the top left seem to indicate otherwise. The glitter on this postcard appears on the sentiment, "ARE YOU TOO BUSY TO WRITE?" which has been written across in a diagonal fashion. This is an enigma to me because the glittery words have covered the flowers, and yet there is a large empty space that could have been used. 

The glitter writing on this pink postcard makes good use of the open area which was probably left for such a purpose, however to my eye, the script is sloppy. It appears to be a commercial postcard since the glitter outlines the flowers in a professional manner, and although this postcard shows it is Printed in Germany, the "Greetings From Durham" is probably talking about Durham, Ontario since it was mailed December 1907 with a Canadian 1 cent stamp.

Lastly, we have another one from Durham with even sloppier script. I believe this one says, "A Note from Durham", but that's a guess. This card is also printed in Germany and has the exact same back as the pink postcard above. However, the only glitter on this one is on the writing itself. This postcard was also mailed December 1907 with a 1 cent Canadian stamp. It's much the worse for wear however, as it has a yellow patch of paper covering the design on the top left under the stem. 

I wonder if the last two postcards were ordered in sets with blank areas and the receiving stores added the script to create a souvenir of their locale. It makes me wonder if the person who wrote Durham County's sentiment was in a rush or merely didn't have good writing skills. 

These postcards are unique and show a few of the vast array of postcards that were available in the early 1900s.

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Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

The Memory Shop

This terrific guest post is from Carla Olson Gade, substituting for Janalyn Voigt. Thanks, Carla!

Cat Clock

I took a turn from my usual historical writing this year when I penned a short story for Guideposts Books, A Cup of Christmas Cheer 2, which will release this fall. What was different about it is that the story is set in contemporary times, but with a twist. It takes place inside a little shop called “Memory Lane” in a revitalized mid-western American downtown. The store, filled with memorabilia, was one of the last hold-outs of the formerly dormant Main Street. Do you have one of those in your town? I know I do.

Record Player

What makes the story unique is the people who visit the store, affectionately called “The Memory Shop”, and thus the title for the story, go there and reminisce about past times. The older gentlemen who runs the shop encourages these conversations and listens to them share their experiences and memories. The store is filled with all manner of gadgets, household items, entertainment and sports memorabilia, and holiday décor.

Blow Dryer

Elf

When I write, I love to include items that are part of the true historical setting of my stories, but I’ve learned that it is not limited to historical fiction. Nostalgia is an effective tool for writers. When readers recognize something that they used as a child, that their great-grandparent had, or can learn about the way things were done in eras gone by, it can enhance the experience of story. I just love going through antique stories and discovering unique items that could be incorporated in a piece of fiction. Recently I learned about a hay-burning stove that was used in the soddies of Nebraska in the 19th century. Can you imagine the meals prepared by a prairie mother to fortify her family?

My hope is that as the reader visits The Memory Shop they will think about their own personal history — the things that are important to them, what helped shape them, the relationships that matter. Because it’s not just about stuff. It’s about the people in our lives whom we have shared memories with. It’s our history. What’s yours?

What is an item you would love to find in a “memory shop” and what would it make you think of? Or, do you have a special piece of memorabilia you’d like to tell us about?

Christian romance author Carla Olson Gade

Christian romance author Carla Olson Gade writes adventures of the heart with historical roots, including novels Pattern for Romance, The Shadowcatcher’s Daughter, and best-selling Mistletoe Memories. An autodidact, creative thinker, and avid reader, Carla also enjoys genealogy, web design, photography. Carla is an active blogger at Adventures of the Heart and a regular contributor to Colonial Quills. She connects with her readers in many social networking communities as well as her story boards on Pinterest. A native New Englander, she writes from her home in beautiful rural Maine where she resides with her “hero” husband, two adult sons, and first grandchild.