Monday, April 30, 2012

Makeover Monday

About a year and a half ago, a lovely woman came to me to have her grandmother's wedding slip made into a bowl. A piece of it was also used to make a pin for her daughter to wear on her wedding day. Well, that daughter sent me a message the other day! She loved her wedding pin, and wanted to know if I could make something special for her sister-in-law who will be getting married soon.


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She sent me her sister-in-law's grandmother's doily, and a wooden Scrabble tile.  Grandma was an avid Scrabble player.  She wanted me to use the thread from the doily to make a heart... beyond that, the design was pretty much up to me.
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After double checking to be sure it was really OK to take the doily apart, I set out to undo stitches that have been in place for decades.  It did NOT want to be taken apart.  The thread was fine to begin with, and brittle with age on top of that.  Every few inches or so, the thread would just break as I took it apart.  After the first couple of rows, though, I came into stronger material. 
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I took out just enough to work with, and was left with a curly little pile.  I took out my teeny tiny crochet hook and made a teeny tiny heart.  Too small.  I took apart my teeny tiny heart and doubled up the thread.  Still small, but the best I could do.  I decided to use the inner portion of the original doily as the base, so I unraveled until I got to a good stopping point and then finished off.
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I arranged and arranged until I got it just right...
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... and I'm really pleased with the result!
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It measures 2.5" in diameter, and is light as a feather.  The bride will be able to attach it to her garter or bouquet, and have a bit of her grandmother with her as she walks down the aisle.  Something old AND something new.
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Though there were a few tense moments when the thread wasn't cooperating, I thoroughly enjoyed this project.  If I could do this every day, I'd be one happy lady.  Oh, Martha?  Send me your throngs of customers looking for that little something special for their wedding day ;)

5 comments:

Donna -Little Tiny Stitches said...

Jennie, this is fabulous!!
I most definitely could not have frogged all that yarn to use a teeny, tiny hook..

That took some doing after the doily had been made up for so long!

It's a brilliant idea, and a lovely keepsake!

Happy happy evening my dear.
xxOOxx

emily said...

Wow! What a challenge! It turned out lovely! I bet you were freaking out when all the thread was breaking in the beginning - I know I would be!

Ribbons Undone said...

Wow--what an interesting custom project. I would have been a nervous wreck with that thread breaking! The end result is another wonderful sosorosey creation. Job well done!

Lillie and Moss said...

How nice... it came out beautiful. I would have had second thoughts after the tread broke the first time.. what a wonderful keepsake!
:) Shari

me said...

You are a marvel! And, a very brave one at that! I NEVER would have embarked on that project given all those game stoppers...thin thread, breaking thread, taking apart a keepsake...and on and on....your client is one LUCKY lady as is the recipient!