Craft tutorial - vintage style hanging decoration made from doyley edging

 
This egg shaped decoration features the crochet edges off old doyleys (doilies) recycled to show off the stunning handwork.  Often the embroidery is what is focused on keeping when you recycle a doyley.  I have tried  with this project to look for a novel way of using the edges instead.  The finished decoration also used vintage buttons and lace, and a recycled calico backing fabric. The finished decoration would be great for Easter, Christmas (or Christmas in July).  You could also fill the centre with lavender.

Finished size: 13cm long by 7cm wide

Materials:

35cm square or small scrap of off-white calico
crochet edging from 3 or 4 doyleys
matching sewing thread
3 vintage off-white buttons
30cm of vintage ivory ribbon for hanging
Template of egg decoration (below)
sharp 2B pencil
small amount of fill
chopstick or turning tool


Enlarge the egg decoration template to A4 size.  Cut out the template.  Trace the template three times onto the back of the calico. Cut out the three calico shapes leaving a 1cm seam allowance around each shape.
 
Cut the crochet edging off 3 to 4 doyleys close to the edge. Pin and stitch small pieces of the edging to the egg shapes.  Work from both ends at once with the lace facing the top and bottom and use a small zig zag stitch.  Don't be too precise with the straightness of the stripes - they should be a little organic.

Work in with the stripes until there is a centre gap of about 2cm in the middle.

With right sides together, match two of the egg shapes together and sew from egg top point to egg bottom point on one side.

With right sides together, pin the third decoration shape to one of the other two joined pieces and sew a seam from egg point top to egg point bottom on one seam.  There are now three pieces joined together with one open seam.  Pin and stitch this seam from top to bottom, leaving a 3cm gap in the side seam about half way along. 

 

Trim back the edges of the egg shape and clip curves.  Turn through the egg shape (for help turning, check my previous craft tutorial on easy turning techniques).

Fill the egg shape.  Invisibly ladder stitch the hole closed.  sew on the three buttons - one on each face of the shape.  Attach a length of ribbon to the top for hanging.


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