Operation Hanky: The Uncommon Story Behind a Common Hanky

One rarely finds a duplicate handkerchief but there is one hanky that can be found in antique malls, on eBay, and at flea markets. It features simple embroidered girls with braids on a teeter-totter. The girls wear a long dress or robe. The floss colors are bright blue, red, and yellow. It often has a sweet scallop corner edge. There may be a label that reads "Cottage Industry Program; Hand Embroidered in Korea."

I had no idea why there so many of these handkerchiefs could be found. Then one day I was perusing eBay and found the hanky with a brochure and letter for auction. I bought it and discovered the amazing story behind this simple hanky.

In 1957 a priest was assigned to Busan, Korea.

Father Al Schwartz was born in 1930 in Washington, D.C. during the Depression. His family struggled to make ends meet but still actively helped their neighbors who were worse off. He attended Catholic school and went to Seminary and college, obtaining his Theology degree in 1957.

As a young man he committed himself to the mission field where he could live and work among the poor and disadvantaged. He arrived in Korea with a deep commitment to help the poor.

The Korean War ended in 1952, but refugees still flooded the streets. Unemployment in Korea was about 40% and poverty abounded. Within a few months of arriving in Korea Father Al came down with hepatitis and was returned to the United States.

Back home he felt conflicted by the wealth in America compared to the bitter poverty of Pusan. He talked about Pusan and started collecting money for the mission. He organized Korean Relief inc. and by the time he returned to Korea had raised over $100,000.

Father Al had worked for the Fuller Brush company as a youth. That experience contributed to his idea to offer a premium or gift with his letter of appeal in hope that it might garner a larger response. He started a cottage industry in the slums of Pusan, employing up to 3,000 women. The women distributed, collected, and embroidered handkerchiefs to be included with the appeal mailings.

By 1964 over a million cottage industry embroidered handkerchiefs and table scarfs had been mailed out. And the proceeds built a hospital, two dispensaries, an orphanage, a home for the elderly, and a technical school for boys! Then came a day care center, a cooperative farm system, and an irritation system. Money was sent to support hospitals, leper colonies, schools and orphanages all over Korea. Later he started Boystowns and Girlstowns.

This is just part of all that Father Al accomplished during his lifetime. He is in process of beautification.

Now when I see one of these handkerchiefs I want to take people aside and tell them the story behind it. The priest who dedicated his life to helping orphans and the poor. The Korean woman who so carefully cut the fabric, the woman who hemmed the edges and embroidered the children at play. And how that little piece of cloth helped change the lives of thousands. Thanks to Father Al.

http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/profile/256
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysius_Schwartz
http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/awardees/awardee/profile/256
http://www.facfi.org.ph/facfi_page.php?tag=ABOUT_US
http://holynameparishdc.org/community/father-aloysius-Schwartz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpOEdhUfsiA

Autumn Leaves

I have always loved fall best of all the seasons. I love the colors of the leaves, the gold and reds, the browns and oranges. When I was a girl, every fall my family took a day trip to the Allegheny Mountains to see friends on a farm. I loved how the colored trees looked on the hillsides, huge rounded masses of color next to color.

My mom was an oil painter, and her earliest paintings were copies of Robert Wood landscapes, trees in autumn. This still life painting hangs in my aunt's house, and was Mom painted it in the early 1960s.

When our son was little, we would walk into town together as a family, sometimes to go to the school playground and sometimes to visit the ice cream stand. One autumn, I noticed red leaves on a branch against a brilliant blue sky. I later took a photograph, and some years later it became the center of a quilt.

I used bleach and a fine permanent marker for leaf details. The branches are knotted in places. I then added a border of pieced leaves. It is all hand appliqued and hand quilted.The fabrics are all hand dyed, some purchased and some I dyed.

I also have a nice collection of handkerchiefs featuring leaves, and have always planned to make an entire hanky quilt of leaves!

The trees are still green here along the West Michigan lake shore. A little red is showing here and there, so I expect a glorious riot of color is to come. Nature's last hurrah before its long sleep.

Independence Day

My quilt life has been put on hold for quite a few months as we packed, moved, unpacked and settled into our new home. Next week I hope to finally start to set up my quilt studio!

In 1976 we were living near Philadelphia. It was a wonderful time to be there! We spent all summer taking the train to downtown Philly, and walking from one historical sight to another. We saw the musical 1776 performed for free on Independence Mall. We wore buttons saying "Ask Me", declaring to the tourist that we knew our way around.


When several years ago I saw Bicentennial era embroidery patterns on eBay, I had to buy them. And I made my quilt, Bicentennial Memories.

The images include George Washington cutting down a cherry tree; Independence Hall, a George Washington medallion, the Liberty Bell, and  Betsy Ross sewing the flag. Thomas Jefferson was adapted from clip art. Martha Washington is a vintage Redwork pattern. The last two blocks are the American eagle and the flag of 1776. The red and white fabrics have a small cherry print on them.

In my collection is a hanky and scarf from the Bicentennial.

One of my favorite hanky designers was Tammis Keefe, and I have collected the Philadelphia souvenir handkerchiefs she designed in the 1960s. They feature famous landmarks. Here is her Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall.

Another souvenir hanky of Independence Hall:

I had always an interest in early American history, but being in Philadelphia during the Bicentennial really increased my interest. I have read such books as David McCullough's 1776, which details all the battles of that year...something I would never have considered previous to living so close to history!

Happy Birthday, America. And best wishes for many more to come.