Anyone who thinks handkerchiefs have gone out of style should step into the new Gattle's.

        An armoire in the center room has almost 100 daintily decorated hankies poking out its screened doors.

        And at Monday's store opening, they were attracting a lot of attention.

        Sally Kelley of Columbia Tusculum was one of several shoppers hovering around the delicate cotton and linen creations that range $11 to $55, depending on the intricacies of the embroidery.

        “If you've ever cried and cried, paper tissue just quits on you. A hanky will stay with you all day,” she says. “They're feminine and so pretty.”

        She was buying several as Christmas gifts.

        “I will do the first batch, then it's up to them,” Ms. Kelley says.

        Do the first batch?

        “You launder them, dampen and roll them, put them in a resealable bag in the refrigerator overnight. Then you iron them, design side down,” she says.

        “We do special (handkerchief) orders, too. A lot of people chose them for weddings, as bridesmaids gifts,” says Donna Herman of Gattle's. Delivery “takes a while, but it's a lovely gift.”

'Quixote' comes off surprisingly well
Joyful spirit shapes sculptor's work
New Gattle's wrapped up in luxury
Store heaven for handkerchiefs
Sharonville craft show boasts 110 artisans
What's going on around the house
Appraiser accentuates fun
Kachinas dressed up for curious tourists
Tulip bulbs won't last forever
Orchid growers spread gospel of fragile beauty
Gardening things to do this week
Circle this
Get to it