Has anyone ever added Crochet onto a quilt.. sounds crazy I know...
 

Well.. my mother was a big into knitting and crochet. She passed away about 30 years ago and had a hope chest full of projects that were 'in process'. One of which was a bed spread that she was making for my brother and his (at the time) new wife. The only problem was that it was in pieces still when she died. She was creating it out of crochet thread and hadn't yet completed enough doilies to make a queen sized project. For some reason I was the one who kept the big box of her belongings and these doilies were inside. My mother was always very fond of my brother's wife, so I decided that perhaps I'd be able to complete the project for her. Well, I am about as terrible a crochet(er) as there is but I can sew, so I put the doilies together and unfortunately there are not enough to cover a queen sized mattress. The dimensions that I have been able to put together evenly are 66" wide X 76" wide.

So, I stretched what I had assembled onto my quilt frame and stood there staring at it thinking about what to do. And I started, of course, to think that perhaps I can attach this to fabric and create something of a fabric panel which I can then piece the rest of the queen size quilt. Given the pattern of the crochet I am thinking perhaps a 6 sided star throughout the boarder... but... not sure if attaching this to fabric would be feasible and if so I'm wondering if anyone here has ever attempted something like this before?

I'm looking for any advise you can toss out at me... I've attached a photo of what I'm proposing to work with here.

It's beautiful!!!!

I think it'd be totally do-able ... because of the delicacy of the crocheting, I'd keep it simple! simple! simple! .... a plain whole cloth underneath, so that the colour can come thru the crocheted lace.

Rather than making it a full queen cover, as you're thinking ... I'd suggest keeping it to not much bigger than what you have. It'd still be large enough to use as a coverlet on the bed (not a bedspread) ... or very useful as a day quilt for a quick nap!

Otherwise ... what about using it as a lace tablecloth for the dining room table?

WOW!!! Its beautiful

Thank you ladies! I'm just happy I was able to assemble it and do it justice.. my mother was an artist with a crochet hook.. just one of those ladies that sit with her basket of thread and the needle moves but you never see her checking a pattern or making a mistake. She used to count by feel or by tying little pieces of colored thread in her work then going back and pulling the colored threads out at the end. I feel these things, sadly, are becoming a lost art... at least in my family.. I really should try again to learn...

I like the idea of a solid color fabric behind it.. and ya know, I never thought of a table cloth before.. might be a good option.

thats very pretty, i love it
HUGS Dora

wow that is very pretty.

Am no help with ideas, but that is beautiful.

It is absolutely gorgeous! Like you, I am not very good at crocheting; especially when compared to your mother or in my case either one of my grandmothers. Both of my grandmothers were like your mother, you never seen a pattern, just them sitting in their favorite chair and "flicking" that hook and creating the most beautiful doilies, tablecloths, and so on.

I agree with attaching it to a solid colored fabric that would really enhance the stitches/pattern. Hope that you share the finished project.

Very beautiful. I have many doilies form my mom too and will try something with them someday. Right now I'm using up older fabric and will wait and see how you progress. Keep us posted!!!

Wow! It's gorgeous. I agree w/QuiltE, leaving it as is, and using it as a coverlet on her bed. Just beautiful as is

Just remember that crochet cotton doilies need to be ironed when washed because they "shrink" up. So if you want to use it as a quilt, you will need to do a lot of stitching to keep the doilies from shrinking and shifting.

I think the tablecloth idea is PERFECT! It makes a beautiful tablecloth that I would treasure if it was given to me. My Mother used to crochet things like this also but I never got anything when she passed. :-( I was never shown how so I couldn't even join them like you did! That way the project will look just like she wanted to look. Just on the table, not the bed.

I have 2 of these crocheted pieces from my great grandmother. The lacier one, like yours I use as a tablecloth. The heavier one is a bedspread, and boy is it heavy! Takes the place of a quilt, but my husband HATES it, says it reminds him of the xray apron they put on you when you go for x rays. Hence it is called the "lead sled," and remains at the foot of the bed. So I'd consider the heft of whatever you decide to do with this piece.

I also like the tablecloth idea - and plastic on top of it to protect it! (Gasp!)

It's too pretty to languish in a box in a closet somewhere.

I do vaguely remember those crocheted things being stiffly starched and stretched. I also remember those sheer curtain stretchers! Wicked things with those sharp things around the edges.

I love the crochet work your mother did. I, too, would leave it as it and just use it on the dining room table or as decoration. It's beautiful.

I have sewed small individual crocheted doilies, onto my crazy quilts. I use a matching color thread and start in the center and do it by hand. Your Mother did beautiful work.

I cut apart a "find" into 4 inch circles. Of course it wasn't anywhere as nice as your table cloth. The circles were sewn as snowflakes onto a Christmas landscape quilt.

It is so beautiful I would want to use it as a tablecloth instead of the quilt.

So beautiful! I, too, would use it on a table over a colored tablecloth; or, use as is across a bedspread. Sewing it down on fabric it will pull when it is laundried and be distorted. When I have my crocheted table cover cleaned I send it to the cleaners and ask them to starch heavily before ironing. The starch will help keep stains off this beautiful creation.

Enjoy!!!!

delma

I came across this a while back:

http://www.sewingdaisies.com.au/sewi...n-blanket.html

A pretty ingenious way of melding pieces of fabric with crochet borders.

I don't know if it's appropriate - or even desirable - for your piece, but it's an interesting option.

Although, personally, I'd use it as a tablecloth, unadorned with additional fabric.
Not saying I wouldn't dye it, but that's just me.

Kim44, your mother would be very honored and proud of how you have cared for and loved her work. Placing these lovely dollies together is a treasure, and you definately should finish your vision. If nothing else place it on a large wall or on a display bar for everyone to enjoy. Very touching and beautiful!

I have some treasures from my grandmother, who crocheted all the time. I agree with those who said to use it as a table cloth. I have a beautiful, heavy bedspread that we can't use it on our bed, so I put it on a spare bed (unless we have company). The problem we have had with the bedspread is that DH loves to lay on the bed and the knots of thread while strong enough if the bedspread is just laying on the bed does not stand up to being layed on and I have had to patch the blocks as they have pulled apart (and the pattern is soooo complicated that it is a real struggle to re-do the stitches).

I made aquilt a few years back using crocheted doilies as fan. I finished it off with a crocheted border. I would post apicture but cannot figure out how. Any one help me out there?

definitely a tablecloth!

I would not try to layer it onto fabric because of different rates of shrinkage. Instead I think I would use it as a tablecloth either on the bare wooden table or over solid coloured cloth. It is very beautiful.

Under no circumstance would I sew this gorgeous piece to anything. Make a colored piece to put under it, maybe with a ruffle at the bottom to make it the right size, like a bedskirt, and then just lay it on top. My mother did this when the piece she was crocheting got too heavy and she didn't want to make it the size of the bed, and it was beautiful. This is absolutely gorgeous and an heirloom, and your priority should be to not do harm to it.

I agree that attempting to attach this to fabric and quilt it might get you in deeper than you want. As a table covering for special family occasions would be the best and highest use in my opinion. Lots of people would be able to see and admire it at one time, and your mother would be so honored!
Dayle

It would be a beautiful tablecloth. I have 2 my mother made.

I remember those curtain stretchers, too. Rows of little nail-like points in a long rectangle. What women went through to have a pretty home!

The piece that you have is priceless. I love the pattern that was used and would love to have a copy of it. I would like to make a table topper using that pattern. I would pay for the copy and postage. Please contact me if possible. .

How lucky you are! I'd love to have one. I'm sure my paternal grandmother left many she made herself--she was a wonderful seamstress and needleworker--but I didn't get any of her personal things. I crochet and have made lots of things--afghans, hats, gloves, purses--in yarn. But crochet thread defeats me somehow so I know I"ll never make my own tablecloth......never mind bedspread! ;-)

So agree! I wouldn't alter it in any way or sew anything to it. I think beautiful wood looks wonderful under a crocheted tablecloth but a jewel or pastel color under it is nice, too....just not permanently attached. Of course, it is yours, so you're free to do whatever you want and decide to do! ;-)

OH my goodness BEAUTIFUL Crochet work .. and very nicely put together .. Go back to a class and learn crochet.. one day I am going to take up tatting, as I know crochet (well some of it !LOL .. thank goodness for books !!)

I am not going to be of much help. I have, however, seen crochet used in quilts. I was wandering around the web and saw crocheted pieces used much like what is being discussed here. Unfortunately, where has blown my mind. It had to have something to do with contemporary quilting and quilters because that is what attracts me. I'm going to go back into my internet history and see if I can find any leads. In the meantime, please consider doing a wide search on the words crochet and quilting juxtaposed.

Please let me join with the quilters above and encourage you in your project. We'll all enjoy applauding.

Pat

What beautiful crochet work to be cherished. Whatever you decide (tablecloth sounds great to me) to do, it is a wonderful gift of handiwork. I have doilies from my aunt who now has arthritis so bad that she can no longer continue crocheting. Love them.

That is such beautiful work your mother did! I wouldn't even think about trying to apply it to fabric. Just not sure how it would turn out, but, like others have said, would use it as a table cloth, with a colored cloth under it. A color that would co-ordinate with your decor maybe?. Or, as a coverlet for a bed, also with pretty color under. I had 2 table cloths that my grandmother made, and have given them to my 2 daughters. They treasure them. Yours is truly a work of art.

I think you CAN!! why not try! I'm going to make a 'Doilie' Quilt ! I have collected ALL the Doilies and Starched them and just like you have put with fabrics under so that it will show. some of my doilies are very colorful and I will have to sew them down by hand. :)

Perhaps you could get a few ideas from Cindy Needham's site. She uses old embroideries and crochets in many of her quilts.
http://www.cindyneedham.com/

This is beautiful! I haven't crocheted in years - my grandmother taught me on pillow case edgings.