Handkerchief embroidery: decoration, useful, or just gets in the way?

[launderedlace]

A couple of recent posts have got me wondering

I'll be upfront, I'm a big fan of embroidery on a handkerchief and have a wide selection of styles in my collection: a simple monogrammed initial to a huge lavish piece of artwork that takes up a quarter of the handkerchief. Normally, I use the unembroidered areas of a handkerchief: my experience is that the extra stitching makes the embroidered section less flexible and less comfortable to use; I also prefer to keep the most attractive part of a handkerchief in a respectable state as ongoing use makes a mess of the rest of it. But ...

... is there actually a case where some handkerchief users, perhaps if pushing it inside nostrils, find that the embroidery is actually useful?

Or do others feel it just gets in the way, has no purpose whatsoever and is actually an annoyance, because it simply reduces the usable area of a handkerchief?

Appliqued handkerchiefs (where an area of thin material is stitched to, and overlays, the main fabric) may be slightly different, as the decorated area isn't generally as rigid. I won't introduce the topic of lace handkerchiefs here just yet: they're probably a whole different conversation!

[Rick]

Actually, I can understand what you say there - I always prefer to tackle my big nose from the outside in terms of blowing and rubbing, but I've known a few people who push the handkerchief up inside their nostrils instead. If you're trying to scrub out the inside of your nose like that, perhaps a slightly more abrasive area of fabric might have a practical use!