I bought a bag of doily's at a garage sale.......any ideas to put them in a quilt. they are hand made about 50 years old, all shapes and patterns. :D

I would welcome an idea also, as I have many handmade ones by Aunts
and Grandmothers, It would be nice to put them to use.

I think that is a wonderful way to display your doilys. The only thing I can think of is to appliqué them on a solid color block. I'm sure that you will recieve better ideas but that's all I can think of right now. Be sure to post pics once you have done it.

There is a Hanky quilt pattern that uses overlaying hankies to create a sort of crazy quilt. If you want them intact....put them onto a backing square...if not afraid or you opt to cut them....you could use them on a crazy quilt. A lot of the older doilies were done with the fine crochet thread as opposed to the heavier threads and would be nice on a crazy quilt or for a medallion with or without outlying satellites of smaller ones. A little more labor but you could back the doilies and then shape them into a floral bouquet that fills a vase with a doily enhanced motif...The possibilities are truly endless and up to you.

American Patchwork and Quilting had a quilt on the front cover made from doilies. I did it for my sister as a wall hanging one year. Each block took 1/4/doily and they were arranged on point and alternated with the fan block. I can't remember which issue, but it had to be at least 4-5 years ago. Maybe Virginia will read this and tell us how many years ago I did the wall hanging. Anyway, mine was similar to the magazine, but not exactly like it. I didn't have any doilies and my goal was to crate this using only what I had in the closet, so I use white eyelet fabric cut into 1/4 circle. Her living room is in shades of peaches and greens, so thats what colors I used. Hope this gives you an idea.

Can you provide info or link on hankie quilt?

Have a box of old ones that just sit on the dresser, the crazy quilt idea sounds neat :-)

Marybeth

I have seen butterflies made out of old hankies but can't remeber where. Perhaps you could od a Google search for that? Let us know what you find out!

I have backed doilies with fabric and made them into pillows for gifts. You just tack them to the backing. Could be used to make a quilt.

I've got a bunch of doilies I made years ago - I guess I need to put that on my list.

Took the advice to Google search and found an awesome pattern on the Mc Calls website called Attic Treasures where you stitch the hankies on to 14' squares and use sashing to set them on edge. Very pretty :) Marybeth

Whoops! :oops:

I meant 14" squares.

Marybeth

Marybeth, thanks for the tip. I was reading this thread thinking maybe I could get an idea for the hanky quilt I want to make. My grandmother passed away a year ago, and I inherited her handkerchief collection (great grandmothers' and hers.) They are all sizes, but I think I can do it with this McCalls pattern.

Yippeeee!!! :P :-P

My doily's are all sizes, a pastel background sounds good. They are a heavy cotton. How do I attach them . Tack or hand or machine. These are so many different patterns ,that it will be each block different. sone are round square and runners

I think I would try to tack them with some matching thread if possible. If you could do it in about 1/4 to 12 inch, it would give a 3-D effect.

Hi Ruth Camp:
I wish I had a bagfull of old doilies! What a find. In Feb. 2003 I was invited to a quilt group meeting and one of the ladies did a program on making quilt blocks with doilies. I will attache a picture of the one I made. Please understand, I had NEVER made anything but a crazy quilt with square blocks from scrap fabric so when I was told to bring "Valentine" fabric I got a couple pieces and off I went. As you can see, my selection wasn't great as I didn't think the 2 fabrics I took would be in the SAME block but Oh! well. At least you can see what the block looks like. the doilies were rounded or scalloped edged and we folded them in half and cut them then folded each half again and cut to get the four corners of the block. Have fun.

Feathers

I think I will have to lay out what I have and see what you think. I will get a pic an be back...the pictures areon the next page.......Now do i sew these underneath, and quilt before or after...I just don't understand how to attach them with out changing them or have them floppy and loose

Doily

What a gorgeous collection! You might want to do 2 quilts, one with the lace doilies and one with the solid ones. The solid ones could be put on appropriately colored background cloth and then worked together like a puzzle. That way you could accomodate all the sizes (that's the mathematician in me coming out). The lace ones could be backed with coordinated fabrics so that the lace stands out. You could quilt each piece based on its own design. Make a pieced border that brings all the colors together. ( I do well on paper, not so well at actually getting something fini - oops, not that word)

What a lovely collection! If you don't want to cut them, I have seen these matted (acid-free) and framed as keepsakes. Or tacked to fabric then framed. I know once your creative juices begin flowing, the ideas will just pop into your mind. :wink:

Ruth, I would put the doily and the backing in an embroidery hoop to hold them tight, then hand stitch to anchor them on. When it comes to quilting, I think if you out line each one would look best.

Maybe you could use embellishments to attach the doilies all the way through instead of quilting them? Beads or buttons or some kind of interesting item tied on?

And if you put sashing between them you can arrange them so that it looks like a charm quilt.

Just some ideas... :lol:

Hi Ruth:
Your doilies are gorgeous. I don't think I could cut them up to make a block like the one I sent in for you to see. Please, when you decide what to do with the doilies send pictures so we can all ohhhh and ahhhh over your creative choices. Thanks for sharing.

Feathers

Please don't cut them. Just as you put in hours and hours to make your quilt/s, so did this artist to make the doilies.

After you make your quilt, you can french knot them on the quilt in any random order you choose. I have done this to mine and they look lovely.

Just a thought. Thank you. :D

As a crocheter, I have to agree with not cutting them. Most are a work of art that took hours to crochet.
When I was nine my father died so I directed my fatherly feelings toward my BIL that had just returned from the war.
I crocheted around white linen for my sister's vanity that had the dropped down center piece. I made one oval for the center and two rounds for the ends. I was so proud of what I had done.
A few weeks later I was at their house and there was my BIL with his foot on a stool, shining his shoes with the oval piece.
Need I say my nine year old heart was broken?
I am now almost 72 and the memory still hurts.
We show our love when we make something by hand for someone. When they trash what we have made in love, it is the same as trashing our hearts.
Forgive me if this too personal.
Joyce Raab

Joyce:
I agree with everything you wrote! You said it all beautifully. Shame on your uncle. Poor old duffus probably never knew or realized he broke your heart but my guess is he did it out of ignorance, not malice.

I have always preferred a "homemade" gift to a store bought and I try to give homemade for almost every occasion. Yes, I too have seen my own works of art not very appreciated and I've felt bad. Then when I see a gift I've made that is well loved and well used I feel good and think that one well loved one makes up for the ones that weren't. Thanks for sharing.

Feathers

Can you give us the url for Attic Treasures quilt?

I bought a pattern at the Quilt Market in Salt Lake City this spring called, "Treasured." I fell in love with the quilt the minute I saw it!!! You can go here to see the pattern:

http://www.quiltsoupblog.com

As of right now, the quilt is shown in the blog in the 7th post down. Look at the close-up picture of the flower block. The quilt that was at the show had the white flower attached to a doily and then attached the doily to the quilt instead of attaching the white flower to the peach (pink?) circle like it shows in the picture. The flower only allows about 1/2" of the doily to show but it outlines around the flower so beautifully! I wish you could have seen the fabrics used! They were amazing! In person the quilt looked sort of antique because of the fabric used and the doilies behind each flower. Kind of like something you would find in Grandma's old cedar chest! I'm so jealous of how many doilies each of you have!!! Unfortunately, when I get around to making this quilt (after I find the perfect fabric) I'll have to buy my doilies because I don't know how to crochet. Maybe I can try some yard sales or something like that???

There was a book published a few years ago about using the doilies. Can't remember the author's name but do a search and it might come up. The author worked extensively with doilies.

see post under "frankie-louise" of Sept 24.

very pretty ideas