I announced on facebook earlier this week that The HANK, a handkerchief line for gentleman, will be coming soon to happyhanky.com! I wanted the name of the collection to be both modern and masculine. The men’s handkerchief is a sign of masculinity and is represntative of a time when men took their hats off when they met a lady. My grandpops carried handkerchiefs and my dad still carries a handkerchief.

There are three reasons why a man should carry a handkerchief today: to wipe their forehead on a hot day (or from dancing up a storm at the club), to wipe a runny nose, and a clean handkerchief to offer a lady to wipe her tears (look like a hero during a sad movie!)

I am enjoying working on the first collection of men’s handkerchiefs and can’t wait to share the line with you! 

I am back from my first family vacation to Williamsburg, VA! We had such a great time….visited some historic places, ate in some fabulous little cafes & restaurants, visited a beautiful winery and unique shops. Thank goodness I brought a stack of Happy Hanky handkerchiefs to blot my brow because it was hottt! These are some of my favorite pictures from our trip. I was so inspired by the lovely gardens and cottages that were speckeled all around Colonial Williamsburg and the lovely embroidered items that our ancestors created hundreds of years ago! Hope everyone is having a great summer - have a glass iced tea and enjoy Saturday!

Please Help Support ConKerr Cancer! Happy Hanky will be joining ConKerr in their mission to brighten the lives of sick children in hospitals through proceeds raised from the sale of the Kerr-Bloom Happy Hanky handkerchief. 

ConKerr Cancer is an organization started by Cindy Kerr in 2002 when she began making pillowcases for her son who was in the hospital for extended periods of time. The pillowcases brought a smile to his face and brightened his hospital room. The pillowcases became so loved that Cindy and friends started making them for other chronically ill children.  The proceeds raised from the sale of the Kerr-Bloom hanky will go towards purchasing fabric for the pillowcases, sewing machines and continuing to establish local chapters across North America.

If you live in the Philadelphia area, please stop by the Rittenhouse Flower Market on Thursday 5/5. ConKerr Cancer was chosen as one of the children’s charities that will be reciving a portion of all the proceeds from market sales on that day.  Pick up some flowers and a Happy Hanky handkerchief for mom and help support some great children’s charities.

Thank you for helping support ConKerr!

 Bless Your Neighbor is such a cute idea for a site…And anyone who loves hankies is a friend of mine! Thanks for mentioning Happy Hanky on your blog! Check out Sharon’s ideas for how to gift hankies… http://blessyourneighbor.blogspot.com/2011/02/hanky-full-of-tears-joy-grief-and.html

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Mad Men fan so needless to say I was super excited when Kara Birkenstock, TV host  and owner of YourGalKara, mentioned  Happy Hanky handkerchiefs as one of the retro-chic fashion items that are quintessential of Mad Men style. Kara can be heard on the Pete & Brenda radio show outside Atlanta, GA and it can be seen on her blog  http://yourgalkara.com/. Check out some of the other items that she recommends as well…Since I already have a handkerchief I think I will be buying one of those compacts!

Believe it or not there are actual rules to handkerchief usage. Follow these simple rules so you are not guilty of a hanky faux pas!

1. First, always start the day with a clean, ironed and neatly folded handkerchief. After the handkerchief is used, it is acceptable to stuff the handkerchief back into a handbag or pocket without being folded.

2. Cover your mouth and nose with your handkerchief when you sneeze. If you really want to be proper, give your handkerchief a little shake before bringing it up to your face.

3. It is extremely chivalrous for a man to offer a lady his handkerchief, however he should only do so when the handkerchief is clean and unused.

I often receive inquiries from customers on how to care for their hanky collection. Here is what I recommend for washing your new and vintage handkerchiefs:

1. Hand-wash your handkerchiefs in warm water and a gentle detergent.

2. Hang the handkerchiefs and allow them to air-dry or tumble in dryer on warm setting.

3. If you are storing your hankies, line a plastic air-tight storage container with acid-free tissue paper and roll each hanky in the tissue paper. Store the container in a cool, dry closet and make sure they are out of direct sunlight which may deteriorate the fabric.

The handkerchief doll is a church craft bazaar staple! These old-time, little dolls are perfect to accessorize a holiday gift bag or box.

To begin, place polyester fiberfill in the center of a 6″x6″ piece of fabric. This is the head of your doll so make it as large or small as you want it. Wrap the fabric around the polyester fiberfill to form a ball and hand sew the fabric together that you have gathered under the ball. Cut off the remaining fabric under the part that you have sewn.  

Handkerchief dolls look sweet with lace trim at the bottom. If you would like, you can sew lace trim or cluny on the bottom of the handkerchief. Many Happy Hanky styles already have the cottom cluny trim so this would save you a step.

After you have sewn on your trim, lay the handkerchief flat on the table. Place the head toward the top and center of the handkerhief and fold the handkerchief over the ball one time. Tie a lovely ribbon that matches your hanky just below the ball to form the neck.

Tie a little knot behind the head of the doll using the sides of the handkerchief. This will make the sides of the hanky stick out on either side of the head like angel wings.

Lastly, decorate your doll using lace trim and other small delicate accessories.

I hope you were able to get creative this week and try at least one of the “5 Hanky Projects In 5 Days”! Have a good weekend!

I love to bake when I have the time and of course I have to wear a super cute apron when I’m in the kitchen. This handkerchief apron is sweet and so simple to make…you’ll want to make them for all of your friends for the holidays! First purchase a plain half apron without pockets. Then choose two handkerchiefs that compliment the apron and you would like to use as pockets. Using a sewing machine, sew three sides of each handkerchief to the apron leaving the top portion unsewn so that it falls into a natural drape. If you want to get fancy, try sewing lace onto the pockets! Voila! Your own handkerchief apron! 

Picture from Craftbits.