Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Vintage Crocheted 'Doily' Pillows


When I am out thrifting, I am always
on the lookout for vintage crocheted pieces. 

As a crocheter  myself, I can appreciate the 
hours of work and skill it takes to create 
these beautiful treasures. 

Vintage crocheted doilies, placemats, 
and table runners can be re-purposed 
in very lovely ways. 


This holiday season I was inspired to create 
this pretty pillow out of a large vintage doily.
(You know, because I didn't have enough to do! *grin*)

 It reminded me of a beautiful snowflake! 


To make one of your own, simply trace the doily 
perimeter onto a doubled piece of fabric to use as a backing. 

I simply used a pencil. 

When cutting out your fabric - add 1/2 inch seam allowance. 


Sew your two fabric pieces together,
right sides facing, with a 1/2 inch seam allowance and 
leaving a 6-8 inch opening for stuffing. 

Turn right sides out and press. 

I used a piece of soft woven fabric I found at the thrift store.
This pillow would look equally beautiful with a colored fabric
as the background. 

Perhaps blush pink or soft gray? 

For the next step, you will want to pin your doily 
onto the flattened, unstuffed pillow, right along the edge. 
It is o.k. if the doily is a little larger or smaller, 
just pin it right along that seam line. 

This is where you will hand stitch the doily to the pillow. 
I made my pillow a little smaller than the doily, so 
that it would have a bit of a lacy edge. 

When you are done with the hand stitching, stuff your 
pillow with fiberfill and hand sew the opening shut. 

Hint: don't over-stuff, you want your pillow to be soft
and a little flat. 


Now you can embellish your pillow with whatever you desire. 

Here, I have used a burlap rose that I found at a shop. 


It had a little clip on the back already. I just slipped it 
gently into the crochet to hold it. 


It would be equally sweet with a jeweled brooch
or large button! 
You could even put buttons on both sides, 
catching front and back together with heavy 
thread to form an indentation. 



I also made some rectangular pillows for 
my French Settee'. 

The Large Pillow was created last year
from a crocheted table runner
and a dresser scarf.

(Click on the link to get the directions)



This smaller pillow was my recent creation.

I used the same construction techniques as the round pillow,
(and the same backing fabric).


The larger pillow was backed with a tea-stained dresser scarf,
highlighting the pretty crochet design.


I left the beautiful edges free.


Another lovely use of vintage crocheted table runners
is to use them as window treatments.

Here I have found one that fits my kitchen conservatory window.
I simply slid a thin tension rod in and out of the crochet weave
and hung it behind my reed blind.


(Showing the thin tension rod woven in the crochet...)

So easy and it doesn't damage the piece so it can be used
as a table runner when you want a new look.

A wider and longer one would look lovely as a cafe curtain
using curtain clips.


This is Maggie's favorite place to spend a cold winter day....

I hope this inspires you to take a fresh look at those
vintage crocheted doilies you might have collected
over the years!
For very little money and time,
you can create your own lovely pillows and curtains
found in those high-priced specialty shops.


Happy thrifting and creating, my Friends! 

xoxo


and 




Won't you join the party? 

xoxo

23 comments:

  1. Love it Karen! I'm a doily fanatic (as my hubby likes to tease me). However, I can only do very simple things with them as I'm severely sewing challenged. Lol

    These are wonderful ideas and I love how you have repurposed them and they fit your house so perfectly.

    Thanks for sharing and with such great directions maybe I'll attempt something like these one of these days. Lol
    xo

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  2. Dear Karen,
    your cushioncovers and vintage curtains are so wonderful! Thank you for showing!
    Have a wonderful and Happy New Year 2015!
    May it be happy, luckx and healthy for you and your loveld ones!
    Looking forward to see you and your lovely posts again in 2015 ;O)
    Sending Love and hugs and blessings, my dear friend,
    Claudia xo

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  3. Your cushion covers are a perfect fit and look fabulous ... you did yet another great job .
    Wishing you a Happy New Year, dear Karen! Full of wonders, happyness... to fullfill all your wishes!
    xo Vicky

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  4. Your crochet pillows are little treasures. Wish you a magical new year and I thank you for all your kind visiter over the year.
    May all your wishes come true!
    Love, Olympia

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  5. What a fantastic idea and they looks so sumptuous! Your bedroom looks so cozy with all those pillows and with the doily pillow it looks so complete. Have a wonderful New Year Karen!! xx

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  6. Dear friend
    I love crochet and your pillows are beautiful!
    I wish you a Happy New Year
    Love

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  7. Hi dear friend !! Esos cojines son una maravilla !! Espero que el 2015 llegue cargado de bendiciones para ti y tus seres queridos
    Cariños

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  8. Beautiful Karen I do have my Grandmother and Great Grandmothers and wondering what to do with them. Great idea. Happy New Year. Hug B

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  9. Your pillows are so beautiful!! I hope that your New Year will be wonderful! Best wishes for all good things in 2015 to you and yours! xx

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  10. You have brought these beautiful handmade creations back to life! My linen closet has a top shelf full of embroidered pillowcases etc. that I have collected over the years. I've always been afraid to repurpose them, but really, it would be better to repurpose them and show them off rather than hiding them away. Thank you for your lovely inspirations Karen, and Happy New Year to you and your family! Wendy x

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  11. Your pillows are gorgeous Karen and I love the idea of using the table runner as a window treatment. Thank you for sharing your ideas and tutorial at Vintage Inspiration Party.

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  12. What a lovely pillow, just love it!
    Now I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR, hope you having a happy and lovely evening!
    Warm hug,
    Titti

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  13. What a wonderful idea for using vintage crocheted pieces, and I have several. I already used some small piece for a curtain in the 'scullery' and weaved it onto the rod like you did. I want to make a couple of pillows now.

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas. FlowerLady

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  14. These are all so feminine and pretty. I buy crochet pieces at the thrift store and probably have some I could make into pillows! I would love to try! Thanks for the ideas! Happy new year sweet friend! Hugs!

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  15. Dearest Karen,
    Those pillows and curtains have more charm than any store-bought ones! Love all of them and so does Maggie...
    Enjoy your final hours of the year 2014 and wishing you a happy 2015 in good health for all.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  16. You have created a dreamy bedroom. The pillows you have created for just stunning and I love the shot of Maggie sleeping on one of them. I will certainly have my eye open for beautiful pieces such as you have in order to make some of these gorgeous pillows. Happy New Year sweet friend....

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  17. Beautiful! I just saw someone do a whole big curtain that way, sewing together lots of doilies and runners. The pillows are beautiful too. Thank you for the inspiration.
    Blessings to you in 2015; I'm glad to have met you this year, and look forward to continuing our blogging friendship into the new year. xo Deborah

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  18. Lindo blog lindos projetos.Feliz Ano Novo.Valéria.(Brasil).

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  19. Oh, I had so much fun with your post about vintage doilies and runners. Now my mind is running to my own pile of lovelies... I love the idea of turning them into pillows and for window treatments. Wonderful.

    So glad I stopped in on this last day of the year. I feel quite energized now. (I was tidying the house earlier so it feels festive for this evening and tomorrow).

    Wishing you a beautiful evening and a wonderful New Year. And may you experience many glimpses of heaven in unexpected places.....

    Brenda
    xox

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  20. LOVE these pillows and window-treatments! Thanks so much for the directions! I had been thinking I would do a valance for my sewing room window, but now I see if I can find the perfect tablerunner in a vintage shop, I can save myself some work! :-) Check out all the crochet and embroidery and applique work I did in the two months before Christmas on piece-fulness, my quilting blog. I also made my daughter crochet boot-toppers for her birthday, and two crocheted dishcloths, not pictured. The crochet hooks (particularly the smaller ones for using thread) hurt my arthritic hands. I do have one hook that has a wooden "handle" and that one is much easier to use. I'm doing an embroidered baby quilt right now for a dear friend who is having her first grandchild (a girl) in May...she's from Scotland and I am embroidering Scottish fairy tales on the quilt sections.

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  21. I love your doily pillows, especially the one in your bedroom, whose windows I really admire.

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  22. Oh my you make it all look so pretty and perfect.. your bedroom is so inviting.. love it!
    hanks for the tips and ideas -- I'll keep my eye open for doilies now when I am thrifting .. I think I better keep a list with me...wink!
    Hugs for the New Year!

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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