Mutual Aid Mice Hankies

We have a really special new product that I am so excited to make available to our customers. They are almost sold out, but the good news is we are working on printing more. What is the story behind these beautiful, whimsical handkerchiefs?

These Mutual Aid Mice handkerchiefs are a collaboration between Shift MFG (the nascent manufacturing/production arm of Make It Sew) and Kibblewood Crafts, aka Devon Cohen.

In July of 2020 I learned that Make It Sew would be expanding by spreading into the space next door to our fabric and sewing shop. Our team was already making tote bags and pillow covers, yet it seemed unlikely that our products would fill the new space. I set out to find complementary products—a combination of artful, local, American made, women owned, and unique in Lexington.

Handkerchiefs: an old-fashioned accessory that’s now, in times of face-covering and increased attention to hygiene, getting its due. I asked my friend Devon to collaborate on a handkerchief project. Make It Sew would provide locally cut and sewn cotton blank handkerchiefs, and Devon would create a design and screen print them.

And from Devon…

Hi! This is Devon, the human behind Kibblewood Crafts, sharing a bit about my process of creating art. For this project, Accacia gave me a few great theme suggestions, and somewhere in the middle of them I landed on the idea of Mutual Aid Mice, a sweet recognition and celebration of the ways that communities come together to help each person be their best selves, especially when things are hard.

It all begins as a drawing, which I then trace, and then transfer onto a piece of black paper. Next, I meticulously cut the image out with an exacto knife, and end up with a large and lacey interconnected paper cutting. I can then use the paper cutting as a stencil to burn a photo-emulsion screen, and screen print the image onto the hankies by hand.

When a plant cozy printed with tomato leaves or a tote bag printed with birds brings comfort, the Mutual Aid Mice handkerchiefs bring joy. The beautiful community of whimsical, connected, and hardworking critters share the message “We build the future together.” It’s a message we need, lovingly printed on a square of cotton that we hope you’ll wear, or wipe tears, blow your nose, or brush crumbs with, or hang somewhere that you can see it every day.