Upcycled Fabric and Vintage Doily Dress

Vintage doilies are so pretty, but not particularly useful. People don’t really decorate with doilies any more. Which means that you can usually find them at thrift stores and estate sales for not that much money. Whenever I see them there I get sad thinking about how much work went into that doily, only to have it sitting at a thrift store. Heather from Heather Handmade created a gorgeous dress out of her late grandmother’s doilies plus some thrifted fabric. Click here to see her thrifted fabric and vintage doily dress. You’ll be amazed!

And if you want to make a dress like this of your own, her post includes how she made the dress. When you’re working with thrifted fabric and vintage doilies, every project will be different based on the size/shape of the pieces you’re working with. But her post includes detailed information about her process, as well as tips and tricks you can use when making your own doily dress.

If you’re looking for other cool things you can make from vintage doilies, here are some more ideas:

Make a beautiful tablerunner from your vintage doilies. Sadie Seasongoods has a tutorial showing how. The shapes and colors of the doilies are so pretty as a tablerunner! You can make your tablerunner as large or small as you like, depending on the number of doilies you have to work with.

Turn them into wall art! Mod Podge Rocks shows how you can create wall art with that pairs a vintage doily with bright colors and patterned paper. It’s a fun mix of vintage and modern that would be at home in an eclectic décor.

These doily sachets are a great way to use doilies that are damaged. The sachets only use small pieces of a doily so even those doilies that are too damaged for other repurposing projects could be used to make these sachets. Go to NordicCrafter for the tutorial.

[photo credit: Heather Handmade]

Next Pattern:

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

Next Pattern:

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