Saturday, January 15, 2011

My latest project



I've been working on quilts forever, it seems, and finally I hit the wall. I've had my fill of little pieces and cutting and sewing and fitting together and ripping apart and coordinating colors and cleaning up scraps - - - I'm burned out on quilting.

I sorted all my fabrics, de-cluttered the studio, sorted things into their proper plastic boxes, organized everything and put all of my quilting projects away - snuggled them up in plastic boxes and sent them on a vacation on the top shelves.

So I cast about for something else to do - for I can't just sit and twiddle my thumbs now, can I? And there is no limit to the things I can choose from in my studio to do instead of quilting. I have paints and brushesand pencils and art paper - I have felt and embroidery floss - I have beads and wires and strings and needles - I have wooden pieces to paint - I have yarn and crochet hooks and knitting needles - I have stones and buttons and a BeDazzler(hmmmm maybe we should BeDazzle something) - I have a little machine that makes magnets or stickers - I have feathers and fur and fun fabrics - I have patterns and books and ideas - no - I don't want to do any of those. I dabbled at a few of them - put them aside and then decided on what I would do.

I'd crochet a tablecloth. A round one. I want a round table for the dining room - a nice big old round table. I can see it already, round and shiny and ready for dinners when the kids come over - waiting for holidays and new tablecloths and napkins - patiently enjoying crafts and little boys playing legos and star wars on it - holding cups of tea and plates of cookies for friends that stop by - oh I can see it all.


So I started on the tablecloth, a pineapple design that I've made before. I made it when I didn't have a round table (wait, I still don't have a round table, but I will). The museum in Blue Lake, CA was having a fund raiser and I gave my round tablecloth to be auctioned for the museum. And now I want a round tablecloth again for my round table that is coming, one day.

I love vintage, and vintage looking crocheted items, and pineapple design especially.


This is how far I had gotten by the end of today - just beginning the pineapple design part of the tablecloth. The crochet thread is size 20 (sewing thread is often size 50, for comparison) and the hook is a metal size 7.

And then - I had to rip back to the beginning of the pineapple design. The tablecloth was not lying flat - it had extra "ruffles" in it - and it is not a ruffled tablecloth. I knew this was happening and should have stopped and taken it out when I first discovered it - but nooooo - I had to crochet on and on until I had to take out 12 rounds - so I am starting again at the beginning of the pineapple design, adjusting the pattern just a little bit so it lies flat - and I know I will eventually be happy that I did it correctly.

You probably can't see the "ruffle" in the photo - but it is there - believe me. I just squished it around so it wasn't so visible because I wanted a photo - partly to remind me that I should have stopped when I first thought there was a "ruffle" coming.



I've made small pineapple doilies . . .


And found patterns for pineapple swans that hold your bar of soap . . .


I love the vintage patterns for pineapple crochet . . .




I got a kick out of this picture from an old crochet book - the cigarettes are just naturally a part of the decor . . . 1950s no doubt . . .

I used to have some snack dishes like these - look at the lowe right hand corner, you see a little place to rest your cigarette while you are having tea with the girls in your club . . . Oh - sorry - back to crochet.


A vintage book has a pattern for a crocheted baby bonnet . . .


Books that show us how to make square pineapples . . .



I love the old crochet books and patterns . . .



If you would like to do a little crochet - here is a fun pattern for pineapple design beaded earrings.

Have you ever crocheted doilies or tablecloths? It is such fun!

13 comments:

“Old World Goodies” said...

Beautiful....great job...

pwetypweas said...

Very pretty! I have one of those snack trays - I got it at a yard sale for a quarter :D

Barb said...

Oh...very pretty...did you by chance see the table cloth my sister did for me on my blog? I just posted it recently, I think you will enjoy it.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I am amazed that you have done that much already on your cloth, and what a fascinating design. I think I might have seen it before, but I'm interested to know it's the pineapple design.

As to me crocheting? No. But my sister is one of the best I've ever seen, and my grandmother was good, too. My sister crocheted an amazing afghan for me about ten years ago, and I adore it. She did a stitch that looks like those Irish fishermen's sweaters. That's what I told her I wanted so it would have a nautical look to it, and she accomplished it with flying colors, I might add. She crocheted it in white.

I can't wait to see this in your home and to see what else you crochet.

XO,

Sheila :-)

Julie said...

I crocheted a doily in early 20's, long ago! I still have it and use it. I don't take time for crochet anymore though. I can't wait to see your tablecloth finished!

Rowan said...

I love the pineapple crochet doilies and seeing all this has made me wish yet again that I could learn how to crochet. Over the years I've tried and tried but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I can do the stitches but the tension is the problem, it looks like the work of a particularly inebriated spider! Those designs are so lovely though - maybe I'll make one more attempt.........

Karen said...

Looks like you are having fun! Your work is lovely. Look forward to seeing it grow!

Julie Fukuda said...

Well, I have the old round table. I wanted lace tablecloths so I had to make them myself. I made one for the table round, one for the table with one leaf, and one for the table opened all the way with three leaves. I used Japanese paterns because they are all done in pictures and easy to follow. I've made three quilted cloths as the table is very old and needs protection from my husband's glasses of ice water that he tends to leave until too late and cause rings on the wood.

A Garden of Threads said...

Hi Jo, It looks fantastic to me, have no idea how to crochet. But I many pieces of tatting that my mother-in-law did years ago. Have a wonderful day and take care.

Sharyn Mallow Woerz said...

best wishes on the quilting break, I've done it twice in 40 years, for a year or more not a needle was touched. I always came back to it renewed and refilled with ideas and enthusiasm.

I've done that tablecloth twice. I've always had a round table, glass with beautiful rattan swivel chairs. I love it! You will find the perfect one for you and Don~

Purple Pam said...

The pineapple design is one of my favorites. I would love to crochet one myself, but I do not think I have the patience to persevere to the end.

Lili said...

Oh Jo that is gonna be a work of art! I LOVE that design and the fact that you are making an entire tablecloth for your round table that will no doubt manifest in the future. Does your round table have claw feet or a pedestal base? I wanna know so I can picture it too! Oh and I almost forgot a world with ciggies advertised everywhere you looked. ~Lili

Deb Shucka said...

This is so much fun to see. I used to crochet the most intricate doilies, and loved the pineapple pattern as well. I still have the hooks, and some of the books, but haven't crocheted anything for years. This makes me itchy to do it again.