Doilies Aren't Dead

Hi Suzanne,

My grandmother gave me about 20 doilies that her grandmother (who was blind) had made. They are beautifully made, incredibly detailed and intricate. But I’m 27 and even in 27 more years I just can’t imagine a use for a collection of antique doilies. She put hers under potted plants. Any suggestions on how to make these doilies hip and stylish? 

Thanks!

Carmen

Carmen,

These beautiful treasures are just begging to be shown off in a bright, sunny room!  I can just imagine your great great grandmother soaking in the sunlight, crocheting each stunning piece.  My grandmother crocheted hers too and they're so special to me.  Below are some of the most creative and current ideas I've found.

How about making a few of the small doilies into starched doily bowls?

To shape a bowl, soak a doily in liquid starch, squeeze out excess, and place doily over an inverted glass bowl covered in waxed paper. Dry one to three days, depending on humidity. 

You have plenty of doilies to make a pair of pillows.  

How to make them here: 

Smile and Wave's tutorial

Isn't this incredible?  This bride made the green dress using a vintage form and crocheted her own doilies too.

The photo gallery here :

100 Layer Cake 

For your favorite pieces, framing them with a high contrast background will show off her handiwork!

How to make them here:

Crafty Nest

xoxo
Suz

Lacey Lamp

They look more like chandeliers to me, but aren't these the coolest light fixtures?

The lone lamp is called the Bobbin Lace Lamp, by Niels van Eijk.
The photo doesn't really do them justice!

The lamps consists of hundreds or thousands of fiber optic strings.

Fiber optics usually have one tiny point of light at the end of their strings.

Instead, the artist broke the fiber optics at various points, so the light emits like rain drops a different places on the string. The effect looks like lace. It's very lovely.
I saw the lamp at the Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting exhibit at the Museum of Art & Design in NY.

The grouping of lamps is at a hospital in the Netherlands.