Wednesday, June 6, 2012

DIY with Doilies!

This is one of those DIY's where I will have to come back to keep updating my projects because there are so many of them I want to try! I have seen a handful of neat ideas over the years with doilies but it seems like over night they are making a real come back, it is getting harder and harder to find them in thrift stores and at yard sales. This weekend scavenger will not give up however, there is just something so enticing about delicate lace; so feminine, so beautiful. Here are several wonderful Doily inspired DIY's I have come across on my search to soften my world and satisfy my creative urges. Keep scrolling for at the end of the inspiration piece I will include three items that Dylan and I have created with the simple addition of cotton lace doilies.


Lovely! from Trash to Couture this woman has amazing ideas, I will probably link to her time and time again!


Doily table cloth, I love this look! There is no DIY for it but it is as simple as overlaying different doilies and hand stitching with a matching embroidery thread onto a muslin like material of your choosing.


This doily dream catcher from Calico skies is so sweet and delicate, I cant wait to try!


 This creative gift wrapping would work well for every season, I must admit with so many other uses for doilies I might have a hard time giving it up this way. I might do the paper version here or spray paint over the paper version to leave a soft lace imprint...hmmmmm.


Delicate yet bold necklace, you might have to have a larger frame or long neckline to pull off this beauty...I think this or a lace broach in the same fashion would make a great holiday gift!


Embroidery hoops and doilies, I think this would be the way to go if you wanted to preserve a family heirloom. I can Imagine a wall with sweet black and white photos of grandma or great grandma (also in embroidery hoops, maybe printed onto canvas) amongst various sized works of her hand craft preserved this way.


Swoon! That is how I feel when I see this beauty from Ruby Chic Originals on etsy. Original indeed, I must give this artist props, I saw this dress long before the doily craze begun, sadly it is sold but isn't it just perfection!


I am having a hard time linking to the original post from where I found this easy little DIY, just like the table cloth this would not be a very challenging project. If you have an existing pillow case with a hidden zipper you could remove and hand sew the doily on or make your own custom pillow case then sew.


Doily table runner from Ucreate is so sweet and so simple. It may eat up your whole vintage doily stash, but the end result is worth it!


This was another I could not link back to, I found it on pinterest. I mostly added this last one because of the baby onesie. You could add this sweet detail to so many simple onesies, shirts, dresses, the possibilities seem endless!

Alright after that sweet eye candy here are the Lace Doily projects Dylan and I created...


First I went "shopping" in my closet and found this sheer skirt I was rarely wearing. I really wanted something cute I could wear for the rest of my pregnancy that would also be practical for the summer heat. I also pulled out the scrap material you see on the right to later make straps with.


I then hand pinned not sewed down my doily to the dress in various sections. The straight pins were not seeming to hold well enough and I wanted the lace taught along the shoulders so taking the extra time to hand pin before I sewed with the machine proved vital to the success of the dress!


I then pinned down my border and straps to the dress and connected to the doily.


I was nervous about taking the machine to such delicate piece of cotton lace, but seeing as I was going to wear this many times over the next 3 months it seemed like the smart thing to do. I was careful and methodic with this part of the process and sewed the edges down well. I also went in with the machine and did a couple of stitches in the center.


Being home alone and impatient I had to take pic's in my messy poorly lit bathroom, but you get the gist. The end result was exactly what i wanted; pretty, comfy and most importantly breezy!



The back is obviously my favorite part! What do you think?


This next project Dylan went about on her own and didn't record it with pictures but it was very simple and with great results.


Love the oversized look!


This next project is almost exactly like the one Dylan did above except I used a rectangle and she used a circle lace insertion.


Before


 I first took in the sides knowing the shirt would get a bit too large after the lace insertion.

 

I pinned the lace over the top of the shirt and then sewed across the top and down the sides. In this picture I had already sewn down the furthest edge and was sewing down where you see the pins to reinforce the shirt.


After sewing I turned the shirt inside out and cut out the material that was left in the center getting as close to the edge as possible without cutting the lace insert. I also went ahead and trimmed the bottom so it would be only a little bit longer then the shirt. I took those trimmings and made lace straps, and there you have it!



After


 I look forward to after pregnancy when this shirt hangs loosely, I think the silhouette will be more pleasing. =)

I have more lace doilies just waiting to be used, I think the next project will be the table runner or maybe...

Peace
-Gypsy Lov'n




4 comments:

  1. I love this post!!! Doilies make me swoon.

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  2. Swoon indeed, aren't they just so lovely! I appreciate the comment and the re-pin! =)

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  3. I love the crocheted/knitted look that comes from these. I didn't realizing that could be done with doilies! My grandmothers were big fans and we have quite a collection around the house not being used at all. Hmmm, I will think on what to do with them (and if my mother approves of re-purposing them!)

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  4. Oooh yes re-purpose away! I wish we had a stash around the house, but thrifting and weekend garage sales prove fruitful and fun! Happy crafting!

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