What Grandma Still Knew: “Forgotten” Handicraft Techniques?

Dear users, dear authors,
Apart from darning parties, are there any other useful skills that have been forgotten?

I still remember exactly how to crochet around handkerchiefs. My great-grandmother used to do that. One example still exists—see the picture of the open handkerchief.
Later on, I tried it myself—see
the picture of the handkerchiefs at the top. These days, it’s hard to do that with such thin needles. These handkerchiefs were far too pretty to actually use.
Does anyone else remember this, or have you ever tried it?

I still have ironing pads for shaping fabric while sewing—they’re hardly used anymore, and when they are, it’s only in men’s custom tailoring. These pads help shape the fabric so that the finished garment fits like a glove.

I also crocheted around handkerchiefs like these in needlework class at school:



My mother had a special, very fine crochet hook that she used to repair runs in nylon stockings. (Yes, people actually did that back then!). I still remember coming home once with a 5 cm wide run in my stocking, and my mother sat there for hours mending it!
I still have that needle, but I don’t use it anymore ;-)

Thank you both for showing us. It’s really interesting what was still “in” back then, or considered normal.
ruthk, oh, so that’s what this hook looks like. I once saw one at my ex-mother-in-law’s. Wasn’t that thing also used for knotting?
My grandpa always knotted wall hangings; does anyone still do that?

Yes, I think a latch hook looks like this too, but it’s much thicker. This one is paper-thin.

I’ve also crocheted around the edges of handkerchiefs, and I still have several uncrocheted ones, plus some yarn…
maybe I’ll get back to it sometime…

I also crocheted borders around handkerchiefs at school—I remember now. And they were actually used. We had lots of them. Tempo tissues didn’t exist back then. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos; I have no idea where they ended up.

I also made a small knotted wall hanging once when I was about 20. I gave it to my mom for Christmas. I really enjoyed knotting back then.

Back then, people also knitted a lot with a French knitting spool. I have two of them, but I have to admit that I haven’t used them in decades.