Thursday, August 21, 2014

A finished vintage project


The cloth, folded.  The somewhat busy background is my little glass-topped crafting desk with some fall cards already in place under the glass.
 My crafting this summer has been sporadic and simple.  This little project is particularly simple, but I did enjoy working on it.

I've mentioned before how I've been cleaning out some of the storage areas at my dad's house.  Well, in the linen closet I came upon this homespun-type square cloth.  I think it was supposed to be a dishcloth -- I think I remember my mother possibly using something similar.  I did use it for a dishcloth for a few days before deciding it deserved a better fate than that.

It occurred to me that it might make a nice cloth to go under a centerpiece, sort of the way one would use a doily.  I decided to add a crocheted edging.  For a starting point on my edging, I used this tutorial: Sweet Crocheted Wash Cloth Edging from Linda at Prairie Flower Farm.  I used some lustrous ivory-colored perle cotton from a long-ago stash of my mother's.  (She didn't crochet, but years ago she had me make some crocheted trim for several dresses she sewed for herself.  I didn't realize just how much perle cotton she had stashed away until I found this!)  For a crochet hook, I needed something smallish but was in a huge hurry -- we were leaving for an overnight getaway -- and couldn't find my larger steel hooks.  So I used a hook of my great-grandmother's, which looks like ivory but I think is actually celluloid, so worn I can't read the size.  It worked fine with the perle cotton and made me feel very much as if I was carrying on a needleworking tradition.
Of course the cloth really looks nicer under a larger item.  But for a quick photo, I used this sweet green alabaster box that a dear friend gave me.
I was pleased with the finished project.  It goes well in my kitchen and dining area and I can see myself using it often -- even as part of Christmas decor.  It's currently on my kitchen island under a basket of apples!

2 comments:

  1. i am so ready for fall Mrs T!! I am making myself wait until September to get out my fall decor!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Me too, Arlene --- although up here, it doesn't feel as if we've had much of a summer. There were a few unbearably hot and humid days, but much of the summer has been cool. I enjoy that, personally, but it just doesn't feel like summer. We haven't been to the beach even once.

    It already feels quite a bit like fall here. August in general has seemed more like September, temperature wise. I too am making myself wait for September for fall decorating, although I *did* put fall/late summer cards under my glass topped desk. That's in the bedroom, not really on public view, so I figured it was okay up there. The desk needed dusting and it just seemed like the right time frame to change out the cards!

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