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My name is Melody M. Nuñez - I’m an artist, a writer, and an art teacher. To learn more about me and the book I published - An Altered Existence: Fictitious Stories About Faces from the Past - please view the “About” & "Book" pages…-
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Tag Archives: doily
Vintage Crocheted Wreath
Back in October I saw a super cool wreath idea on the blog 20 North Ora. “Ms. Ora’s” wreaths were made with vintage crocheted potholders and doilies, and I just loved the idea of using beautiful needleworked items in a wreath. So clever! I found the doilies and potholders I needed to make the wreath on eBay and followed the directions on the 20 North Ora blog post with just a few exceptions.
1. I did use a straw wreath as instructed, but covered it with inexpensive white acetate ribbon instead of lace. The wreath I selected is 13″ in diameter at the outer edges.
2. I didn’t use any glue, I just pinned the doilies on with T pins. I like the idea of being able to take this wreath apart and re-make it in a different color scheme/pattern if I want.
Straw wreath covered with ribbon
Crocheted pieces laid out, ready for pinning
Pinned, before the bow was attached
I think vintage needlework is lovely and am pleased with how well the three round pieces and three square potholders came together on this one wreath. I just added a simple bow of aged and tattered lace to finish it off, and it was ready to hang. What do you think?
Personally, I really love that this wreath idea is so versatile. By mixing different colors and patterns you can make themed wreaths for any occasion – Christmas, Chanukah, Valentine’s Day, Spring, 4th of July, and more. Or just choose colors and patterns that will appeal to you year-round and skip the seasonal reference!
Oh, and by the way, if you happen to have any vintage crocheted potholders similar to those on my wreath, aren’t using them, and want them to go to a good home, please keep me in mind! I’d be happy to adopt them. :]
Warm regards,
Melody
Posted in crafts, DIY, inspiration, vintage
Also tagged crocheted doily wreath, crocheted potholder, crocheted potholder wreath, wreath
6 Comments
Doily-Inspired Mandalas
I recently purchased (ahem) a “few” doilies and crocheted pot holders. I originally intended to use them to make a wreath modeled after one I’d seen online, and have since expanded my scope. I’ll likely post some of these creations in the coming months, and thought I’d start things off with the simple “project” I recently worked on in my art journal.
I’m still recovering from my two hand surgeries, so I’m limited on what I can do, but working in my art journal with my right hand has been do-able. Last week I selected a doily from my stash, and decided to sketch it. Though it’s far from perfect, I’m pleased with the way the page turned out.
I sketched out a stylized version of the doily’s pattern and design with black micron pens, and then filled in some areas with color. I used water color pencils, some water, and a paint brush to “render” the color.
As I continued to work I realized that the image looked like a mandala of sorts, and since I’m pretty bad at creating mandalas from scratch this is a good way for me to work with pattern, color, and to relax.
OOH, I LOVE THIS! LET’S TRY ANOTHER…
I decided to work on a second doily-inspired mandala last week on election night, and like how this one turned out as well.
Instead of using bold black ink pens, I decided to use a water-soluble pencil to lay down the pattern.
The softness of the lead pencil marks dividing the page into segments reminded me of the leading in a stained glass window, and that sense grew as I used watercolors from a pan set to add color. Does it remind you of a stained glass window too, or is it just me?
GO AHEAD, GIVE IT A TRY!
If you like the idea of working in your art journal and creating a design and pattern on your page – in color or just in black and white – consider using a doily for your starting point. As you can see, the color schemes I put on my page aren’t based on the doilies’ actual colors – that was me using my artistic license.
Do you have any doilies laying around? Will you give a doily-inspired mandala a try? Have you ever used other textiles or pieces of needlework to inspire other types of artwork you’ve created? Do tell…
Warm regards,
Melody

Posted in art, art journaling, art supplies
Also tagged doily-inspired mandalas, mandala, mandalas
4 Comments