Jeanette

I have numerous old pillow cases, table runners, doilies, etc. that belonged to my mother and my grandmother. Does anyone have suggestions for how I might use them in quilts, wall hangings, table runners, etc? Also do you know of any books that I might purchase that would be helpful

toomanycats

Here is my idea....maybe...I too have numerous items from grandmother, great grandmother and numerous great aunts. Two of my great aunts did crocheting (yes, I know my spelling is bad but too lazy to look up the word!)so there is some old edging from table runners, pillows and even some tatting. Great Aunt Bo made arm rest sets for the chairs and couch and some have horses, deer or a design...so, I was thinking of using some in a crazy quilt pattern for a pillow or wall hanging to start? Would that fit into yours? The embrodiery on the pillowcases could be worked into the crazy pattern? What do you think?

M.E.H.

I have a lot of these items also. It will be fun to see what others have to say.

Terryl

You could PM LeeAnn she has the most fabulous pattern (for sale) that uses old hankies/doilies/and cigarette silks. Absolutely breathe takingly beautiful.

toomanycats

Jeanette I have also seen "girls" made from embrodiery and using the pieces of old lace or pillowcases. You do the outline and fill in with old lace or hankeys or whatever. Somewhere I had a book showing that. I think it went back to southern Ca with my daughter after the holidays. There is always stuff traveling to San Francisco from here! I will keep digging in here and who knows what I might find! Will be interesting to see what clever ideas people come up with.

mpspeedy

I have a large collection of such items also. They almost need to be used in wallhangings or other items that are purely decorative as they won't hold up to a lot of laundering or dragging around like a quilt made from new fabrics. They do make lovely crazyquilted memory items. They would also be great for a ringbearer pillow, or bride's purse or apron. I used an old set of linen napkins embrodered with tea cups to make my kitchen curtins special. The napkins were white with a decorative rolled edge in delft blue.

sewbizgirl

You could use hankies as whole blocks (maybe with something underneath them if they are thin. Crochet or knit dolies can be centered on a backing fabric to make a block. Old pillowcases and table cloths can be cut up for piecing. It would be really cool to do a whole sampler-type quilt out of old family linens.

Maride

Cindy Needham is excellent with ideas for linens. Go check out her website:

http://www.cindyneedham.com/

mommafank

The doilies would make nice embellishments of crazy quilt work.

toomanycats

I found in my stuff a crazy quilt book called Crazy Quilts by Machine. It is by J. Marsha Michler. In it are several patters of quilts that have used old lace and things. I think kinda like you were looking for. I had the book in hopes of making a crazy quilt someday....add to the list of to do that still isn't done.....