Handkerchief with a monogram as a First Communion gift

First Communion is approaching, time to look for a unique gift that will remain a keepsake of this event. Could it be a handkerchief with a monogram...

If so, let me show you how I prepare it.

• I use linen made from thin, my beloved Egyptian cotton. It is exceptionally delicate and durable. It is hard to obtain, but sometimes I succeed.
• Embroidery-dedicated needles are very important — unlike universal ones, they have a different eye shape that makes threading multi-strand floss easier.
• Small scissors with a sharp tip. 
• A thimble is incredibly useful when more force is needed to pull threads through. Sharp, thin needles can easily injure even with their blunt end pressing into a fingertip.
• Polish traditional embroidery floss. I avoid cheaper substitutes due to colorfastness and the risk of bleeding in the wash.
• I designed the pattern myself and transferred it using drafting tracing paper. The tracing washes off well in the first wash with grey soap.

Embroidering a handkerchief, unlike embroidery later used on, e.g., pillows, is more demanding in terms of neatness. The left and right sides should be almost identical. So I try to avoid pulling threads on the wrong side between elements. I embroider almost every detail separately, hiding the thread ends inside it. 

For me it looks like this:

I start the embroidery:

:

And then I finish:

Thanks to this, both sides of the handkerchief are almost identical:

It is quite labour-intensive, but the result is very satisfying :)

This is what the right side looks like in the end:

and the left side (I think it is hard to see the difference):

Now it is time to finish with lace.

With a pencil, I draw a line 7 mm from the edge of the handkerchief:

Then I run the machine with a needle without thread, stitch length 3 mm, to make holes that help with even hemming:

I fold the edges of the napkin, baste them, then hem using the even holes:

Then I crochet my favorite lace pattern and the handkerchief is ready :)