Would love ideas on what to do with antique doilies.?

Question

I thought about making a quilt from them, somehow attaching them to blocks of fabric but not to sure as to how to afix them to the blocks so that they would stay. I have several colors, sizes and designs. I'd appreciate any ideas.

Answer 1

Pick out especially nice ones and frame them in a shadow box, using velvet or another rich looking fabric as a background. I've often seen this done in antique shops and I think it looks really nice.

Here's how to do it:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_frames_wall/article/0,1793,HGTV_3429_2346702,00.html

You could also use the doilies as sachets, though you may need to line them with something like tulle or netting to keep potpourri inside. Cut the netting just smaller than the doily and place it on top of the doily, then put a small scoop of potpourri in the middle. Gather up the edges and tie with a ribbon to make a small sack.

Answer 2

To attach the doilies to a quilt, you could stitch them by using the same color thread, and simply stitch around the outside edge.
They can be put on each block before stitching, or added after. I have seen some instructions that say you can use fabric glue and glue them on, although I haven't tried that.

You can sew a few of them together and make a vest, or sew them to the front of a cloth purse. Some people like to decorate their clothes (even t-shirts) with them. I made a really nice table cloth with a couple of dozen I found in a thrift store.

Answer 3

You can hand-sew them to squares of muslin or any other fabric, then sew the squares together for a quilt, pillow or other project. You can even sew them together and then cut a garment from what you have sewn together. Or you can use the squares for pockets on a dress, apron or jacket. Or even sew a doily on as a non-functional pocket, with no square behind it.

You can string doilies onto a curtain rod for a pretty valance, or run them along a shelf so they drape down. You can sneak a little piece of duct tape onto each one to secure it to the shelf, it the shelf is high enough that no one will see the tape. If it's a low shelf, use pretty tacks.

Answer 4

I bought a frame at a store. Took the cardboard out and painted it the color of the wall I was going to hang the picture on. Let the paint dry and lay the doily on top . Put back in the frame. It looked really nice .

Answer 5

I've seen them sewn on to a bed skirt and it looked great!

Answer 6

some people fram them with a nice background to match your current decor.