Danielle from My Blessed Serendipity Life challenged me to share my collection of hankies. Hankies are one of those items that I see at about every other estate sale. I don't buy them very often...those that I have sit in in a old hatbox. If I have the time at a sale, I do thumb thru them and look at assortment of patterns..occasionally I pick one up that dazzles me or is unusual.
These are the more unusual ones in my collection.
Vintage Disney with the original price of 10 cents.
This one reminds me of a French scene..I think it is because of the colors and not the dogs or birdcages.
Jailbird dog that I have had FOREVER.
Airplanes in flight,
State hankies.
Ballerinas.
This Smokey the Bear is one of my favorites (Carol, you will probably love it too).
The zodiac chart hankie.
If I was counting calories, I may have this gem in my purse to refer to when I ate out.
An assortment of Christmas hankies.
I often find them embroidered with a name.
When taking photos for the post it was a nasty 27 degrees out with a cold wind. Some of these patterns got me longing for warmer summer days.
At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that most of my collection sits in a hatbox. I have done a couple of simple projects with some that I have collected.
Pillows for the bed.
My favorite little coverlet that my Mom made for me that stays folded on the end of our bed. This is not a great photo of it, but it is really adorable and not as faded as the photo shows. (The bedspread underneath looks like a giant hankie quilt and it was from Target a few years ago)
Nice to have all my hankies ironed after this post! If you have an idea for a future collection challenge, finish the sentence "Show me your collection of _______." I will see what I can dig up!
Happy Day.
Love it love it!!!! I have been collecting hankies for a long time but now I just look for valentines, Christmas and state hankies. Love your quilt and pillows you made. Thanks for sharing.
-Danielle
Posted by: My Blessed Serendipity Life | January 04, 2011 at 08:42 AM
I love the zodiac hankie! We have the smokey hankie framed at our cabin!
Posted by: Kim G. | January 04, 2011 at 08:45 AM
I've narrowed down my focus, too - and ballerinas and state hankies usually make the cut. I have bunches I want to sell, but the necessity of ironing usually gets in the way! Yours look lovely all unwrinkled and bright.
Posted by: barbara | January 04, 2011 at 09:18 AM
I love the Ballerinas:)
Posted by: elma riedstra | January 04, 2011 at 09:23 AM
Very nice collection. Now this I have Laurie!! My Mom had a talent for tatting. For gifts she would go to the dime store and purchase a linen hanky then sit and tat a beautiful border on it. I have many of the hankies of hers and also others that I have picked up on Ebay and here and there. They are easy to store and don't take up a lot of room.
Posted by: Nancy Jane York | January 04, 2011 at 09:24 AM
For something you don't buy often you cetainly have a good quantity!
Love the Smokey, and Disney and am always drawn to the bright floral ones. For some reason I really like the airplanes even though the colors are not usually my favorite. Another fun collection!!
Annette
Posted by: Annette | January 04, 2011 at 09:50 AM
No surprise here but I also collect state hankies (and tablecloths). I too had to narrow my hankie focus since they were starting to take over. The Smokey Beak hankie is terrific! Also loving the white yo-yo pillows on your bed. :-)
Posted by: Into Vintage | January 04, 2011 at 10:24 AM
I never leave home without a hankie in my pocket or my purse - sometimes both. I always, like my Grandmother, keep one in my Bible. And I'm always on the lookout for the illusive Scottie hankie - if you ever see one, you'll know when it needs to go.......
Posted by: Lynn | January 04, 2011 at 10:50 AM
Love the Disney and Smkey Bear one as well.
Do you have a collection of "teddy bears".
Posted by: Debby Messner | January 04, 2011 at 10:53 AM
love the hankies, laurie. i regret that i didn't buy that cynthia rowley 'swell' hankie duvet from target. love the pretty one that your mom made draped over the target one, ever so sweet.
i have a few vintage hankies. the girls use them as sheets/bedding for their baby dolls. they also use them as napkins for impromptu dolly picnics.
i hope your new year is off to a rocking start.
xo
~molly
Posted by: birdie blue | January 04, 2011 at 05:08 PM
I love Smokey. There was a time when a lady wouldn't think of leaving the house without a hankie. My gramma always had hers down the front of her dress(I guess in her bra)
Posted by: sandy | January 04, 2011 at 06:37 PM
What adorable hankies- love the jailbird dog. Okay, don't know if you collect these or not, but "Show me your collection of vintage bridge tally cards."
Posted by: liz | January 04, 2011 at 06:49 PM
I love hankies, something about them is just so special. You do have some really unique and very cool one's! Thanks for sharing this collection.
Posted by: Linda @ A La Carte | January 04, 2011 at 07:06 PM
Now you are talking my language. Hankies are one of my collectables. Love the little ballerina one, and of course the Christmas ones. I've got mine all piled together just waiting to get around to the planned project. Unfortunately my daughter grew out of that room before I got around to it, so now I just get to enjoy them. Lovely collection as always.
Posted by: Karina | January 04, 2011 at 08:11 PM
Hello Laurie, what a nice collection of hankies. I really
like the French scene and state
hankies. I have a small collection
which includes states, valentine
and floral. I too, can remember
my Grandmothers having them in
their purse and I remember my
Mom tying school milk money for me
in small white hankies. I wonder
now where I kept the hankie all
morning before lunch at school?
I was probably in kindergarten
or first grade at the time. : )
Thank you for showing the collection and for the memories.
Hugs,
Janis
P.S. Isn't it a Special Day
for you (January 5th) Dear Laurie?
Posted by: Janis | January 04, 2011 at 08:29 PM
Love the idea of making them into a quilt but oh my goodness what a lot of work. Your mother is an ambitious woman! A calorie-counter hankie. Now THAT is a novelty!
Posted by: Kathy Uhrig | January 04, 2011 at 09:45 PM
Oh how I love that hankie coverlet!
Posted by: Thriftin' Gal @ Junk In My Trunk | January 06, 2011 at 10:23 PM
Beautiful! This is something I have a nice collection of as well. I think I'll photograph mine this weekend to share. I have a few of those state ones, the same Cali one! I love seeing your collections and that coverlet is just gorgeous!
Posted by: rebecca | January 07, 2011 at 03:48 AM
Hankies, they just make me happy! I have so many (too many bins to count)- I can't resist them! Your collection is lovely.
Posted by: JunkStuffTreasures | July 23, 2011 at 01:53 PM
I am always looking for hankies too. I am amazed at how few repeats I have found.
Posted by: The Hanky Dress Lady | July 29, 2015 at 12:50 PM
Those are some spectacular hankies!
Posted by: Kathy Groove Cloth | November 25, 2016 at 06:11 PM