Purple

Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue. The color is associated with both nobility and spirituality.

Synonyms: amaranthine, amethyst, blue-violet, bluish red, color, heliotrope, lavender, lilac, magenta, mauve, mulberry, orchid, periwinkle, perse, plum, pomegranate, reddish blue, violaceous, violet, wine

Embroidery 1. The act or art of embroidering. 2. Ornamentation of fabric with needlework. 3. A piece of embroidered fabric. 4. Embellishment with fanciful details.

These photos feature a few hand embroidered handkerchiefs from my collection. My grandmother passed on her love and appreciation for the beauty and quality of hand made works to me like her grandmother before. She taught me to sew and embroider as a small child. I think we started when I was four or five. My Dad bought me a safe giant ugly green plastic needle kit which I hated because it wasn't like grandmas. But when no one was looking Abuela let me use 'real' needle and thread. It makes me laugh to remember how she kept her colorful threads protected inside of an old cookie tin.

During World War I Puerto Rican embroidery became known worldwide for it's quality. Production was performed by contracted women and children. Due to US influence Puerto Rico's three largest exports during this era was tobacco, fruit and cotton goods. To prepare young girls for careers educational policy in the early 1900's was modified to spend half the day on traditional subjects and the other half learning needlework.

Local contractors would distribute bundles of cut fabric ready to be sewn to women all across the island. The women would return the finished products with beautifully sewn and embroidered details done completely by hand.

"Needlepoint: the delicious art of filling in holes with wool." Carole Berman

"Knitting is very conducive to thought. It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again." Dorothy Day

"I like making a piece of string into something I can wear." Unknown

"Stitch your stress away." Unknown

"Sewing: A creative mess is better than tidy idleness." Unknown

"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to weave." Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960