Handed Rolled Handkerchief

Whether you're looking to jazz up a suit or simply wipe your nose, handkerchiefs are one of those timeless utility item I feel every person should own. With a spare hour, you'll be able to personalize your own!

Things you will need:

1. Fabric of your choice
2. A needle and thread
3. A few pins
4. Scissors
5. A ruler and marker

You’ll first want to choose the fabric* for your handkerchief. I personally go with a cotton as it is easily laundered without any extra fuss.

*Note: Heavier fabrics will lead to a thicker roll whereas a lighter weighted fabric creates a more delicate roll.

Choose the final size for your square - I personally like a handkerchief that is approximately 13 inches square as I find this leans itself to not only dressing up suits but easily fitting into my pant’s pocket without being bulky.

Trace the square plus an extra inch onto the fabric; the extra inch is for the roll allowance. For example: A completed 13 inch square would need 14 inches - I like to use pins to mark the half inch.

With the pattern of the fabric facing down, pinch one corner of your square and roll the fabric toward you making sure that you are keeping the roll tight. This takes some practice but I have found that if you keep the edge of the fabric tight, you’re less likely to have your roll come undone.

With a threaded* needled, take about a two thread “bite” of your rolled fabric; your first stitch should be so that it is hidden under the roll.

*Note: You’ll want to cut about twice the length of thread for that particular side as we will do all four sides separately. In this example it would be 28 inches of thread as we are working with a 14 inch side.

Continue taking about two thread “bites” on the edge of your rolled fabric working the entire length of your edge. I find that using a simple stitch to sew the length of the edge works best - you can play with spacing and stitch pattern to personalize your handkerchief.

Once you have completed one edge of your handkerchief, knot off that piece of thread paying special attention to corner as you do not want the corner to come unhemmed.

Complete the opposite side of the fabric utilizing the technique found in Step 6. Once this side is completed we can work on the juxtaposing sides. The most important aspect of this step is to roll the corners and anchor the thread so the corner does not come unheeded