Vintage Doily

One of my favourite possessions is my Grandmother's sewing box.

I've had this now for over thirty years and I still love emptying it out and going through all the bits and bobs that are in it.

One of the items in the sewing box is this vintage hand- crocheted doily.

The stitches are small and neat and the work is beautifully done.

Unfortunately the stitches in the centre are coming undone.  Holding the doily in my hands I began to wonder why this doily, and no other, was one that my Grandmother kept in her sewing box.

Was it simply that she never got around to repairing it, despite her best intentions?  Was it so important to repair it, when she probably had plenty of other doilies?  Did this particular doily have a special significance for her?  Perhaps it was one she had made for a special occasion, or had been given to her as a handmade gift, or perhaps her grandmother had made it and left it in a sewing box for her to find!

Obviously I'll never know the story behind this doily, but it nice to wonder.  I'm going to try and repair the centre.  I don't intend to use the doily, it belongs with the sewing box, but it would be nice to try to stop further deterioration of the crochet work.

I've also decided that it would be an interesting challenge to try and recreate the pattern for this doily so that I can have a duplicate that can be used.   I'll let you know how I get on.