Today, we’re showing you how to use thrift store embellishments in your next crazy quilting project. Over the last several months, we have been sharing crazy quilting samples showcasing silk ribbon embroidery. While the sample above has some silk ribbon work, I’ve decided to talk about thrift store finds today, specifically crocheted doilies.
For many years I would visit our local thrift store for fun embellishments either weekly or every couple of weeks. I’d always be on the lookout for lace doilies. At the time, I was new to crazy quilting and would pick up medium-sized thicker crocheted doilies that I soon found didn’t work well for adding to your projects. I learned to search for small, very lacy doilies. Having said this, today I wanted to show an example of how one of the thicker doilies can work depending on where it is placed and how.
How I used thrift store embellishments for crazy quilting
I started by cutting the doily in half (or almost half) and sewed it into the seam as I was sewing the block. This way, I can be sure it would not come loose. Once it was in place, I tacked all the pineapple points with a thin nylon beading thread. I then added French knots filling in the spaces of the points.
Following the above, I started embellishing the doily with a motif consisting of stem stitched stems, detached chain stitches, and buttonhole wheel flowers. I added some tiny applique flowers to complete this area. What do you think of the result?
The photo above is a small section of one of the 12 x 12 blocks in my fall-themed crazy quilt. Each block has a different silk ribbon rose motif stitched in a class I took many years ago. You will see the silk ribbon rose motif in the upper left corner.
To complete this area, I added a feather stitched stem using metallic thread and in the upper right is a herringbone stitch seam treatment with a detached chain.
I hope you can envision how to use some of those crocheted doilies you may have in your stash – if you don’t have these in your stash, check out your local thrift store, as I’m sure you will find some. Have fun with your crazy quilting and remember, these ideas could easily be used in your wool applique too!
