Thrifty Gifts - Handkerchiefs

Does the gentleman in your life have a practical nature? Has he been known to rescue damsels in distress, or aid small children in a moment of need? If so, carrying a handkerchief may be a good practice for him.

Directions for a monogrammed handkerchief:

• Try different fonts on your computer and when you come up with something you like, print your monogram. You also might try using the WordArt feature on Microsoft Publisher or Word. The examples on the right were made this way.
• Use a light table (or my favorite - tape your paper to a sunny window) and position a purchased handkerchief over the monogram. Tape the fabric in place also.
  
• Use a washable fabric pen or a sharp pencil to transfer your design to the fabric.
• Embroider your monogram using a single strand of embroidery floss, taking care to make the back look as nice as possible.

Cost:

• Handkerchief - about $2 each
  
• Embroidery floss - $0.20
• Hoop and fine needle - You already have these, right?

Directions for a lace-edged handkerchief:
Ladies handkerchiefs are typically smaller than men's, but you could still use a purchased men's handkerchief as your starting point and rehem it to the proper size. (or purchase 1/3 yard of a fine cotton fabric like batiste or organdy)
Dimensions - the finished fabric portion of a ladies handkerchief should be about 10" X 10"

Purchase 1 3/8 yard of a soft, washable lace, and hand-sew it to the hem.

This one was made by crocheting a lace edge onto cotton/poly fabric. The pattern is from a pattern booklet published in 1944 by American Thread Company, and makes a piece of flat lace. I adapted it for this use by making a foundation round of crocheted single crochets around the hem of my fabric square, and then a round of chain 2, skip 2 single crochets, double crochet in next single crochet. Do three double crochets/chain 2 in each corner.
Pattern for lace as printed:

• Slip stitch into mesh, ch 5, dc in same mesh, *ch 1, dc in next mesh, ch 1, dc, ch 3, dc in next mesh, repeat from *across row, turn.
• 3rd Row. Sl st into loop, ch 7, sl st in 4th st from hook for picot, ch 4, sl st in same space for picot, ch 4, sl st in same space for picot, * ch 3, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc, ch 3, dc in next 3 ch loop, ch 4, sl st in top of dc for picot, ch 4, sl st in same space for picot, ch 4, sl st in same space for picot, repeat from * across row.