I love whitework embroidery. I love vintage and antique linens.

And, in my mind, the perfect marriage of both of these can be found in delicate whitework handkerchiefs of old.

And so, now and then, I’ll pick one up from antique dealers, estate auctions, and the like.

I’m not an avid collector. But, occasionally, I will treat myself to a vintage or antique embroidered handkerchief if there is something about it that appeals to me, if there’s something I can learn from it, and if the price is reasonable.

This particular handkerchief that I’m going to show you today fell into all of the above categories – I like the design, I can learn something from it, and since I was the only person bidding on it, it was reasonably priced.