Ironing Nightgowns and Hemming Handkerchiefs

Grandma Stella shares a charming childhood memory of her mother teaching her the art of hemming and embroidering handkerchiefs. This piece offers a glimpse into the domestic expectations and skills learned by young girls in her era.

When I was six or seven years old, my mother considered it de rigueur that I start learning to hem and embroider my own handkerchiefs. She gave me two squares of fine lawn fabric.