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!