Mary Carolyn Waldrep (editor) - Floral Crochet (Dover Needlework Series)

FLORAL
CROCHET

Edited by

Mary Carolyn Waldrep

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC., NEW YORK

To my mother,
for sharing her love of needlework with me.

CROCHET ABBREVIATIONS

* (asterisk) or (dagger)... Repeat the instructions following the asterisk or dagger as many times as specified.

** or... Used for a second set of repeats within one set of instructions.

Repeat instructions in parentheses as many times as specified. For example: (Ch 5, sc in next sc) 5 times means to work all that is in parentheses 5 times.

Copyright 1987 by Dover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.

This Dover edition, first published in 1987, is a new selection of patterns from: Crocheted Bedspreads, Direction Book 2000, published by the Lily Mills Company, Shelby, N.C., in 1948; Decorating with Crochet, Direction Book 1800, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1948; Flower Garden Doilies, Design Book No. 52, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1950; Roses in Crochet, Crochet Design Book No. 71, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1953; Spreads That Are Different in Motifs Easy to Make, Star Book No. 68, published by the American Thread Company, New York, in 1949; Gifts, Novelties & Toys, Design Book No. 23, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1949; Crochet Gifts and Bazaar Novelties in D.M.C. Cottons, Vol. 405, published by the D.M.C. Corporation in 1953; Doilies, Book No. 12, published by Royal Society, Inc., in 1951; Correct Table Settings, Book No. 260, published by The Spool Cotton Company, New York, in 1949; Bedspreads and Tablecloths, Star Book No. 109, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; Doilies, Design Book No. 67, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1952; Lilys Album of Crocheted Designs, Book 1200, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1944; Edgings: Crocheted, Tatted, Design Book No. 58, published by the Lily Mills Company, n.d.; Fair, Bazaar and Gift Crocheting, Design Book No. 63, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1952; Crochet for Today, Tomorrow and Always, Direction Book 1700, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1947; Doilies, Design Book No. 83, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1958; Doilies, Star Doily Book No. 104, published by the American Thread Company in 1953; Crochet Your Gifts, Book No. 212, published by The Spool Cotton Company in 1944; Doily Book, No. 137, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; County Fair Crochet, Design Book No. 51, published by the Lily Mills Company in 1950.

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
25532806 2013
www.doverpublications.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Floral crochet / edited by Mary Carolyn Waldrep.
p. cm.

Selected patterns from various publications of American thread companies published in the 1940s and 1950s.

ISBN-13: 978-0-486-15636-1

1. CrochetingPatterns. 2. Decoration and ornament Plant forms. I. Waldrep, Mary Carolyn.

TT820.F66 1987
746.434041dcl9 87-20295

CIP

Contents

Introduction

During the first half of the twentieth century and well into the second, Americas thread companies produced thousands of instructional leaflets to promote their products. These 1025 leaflets contained designs for tablecloths, bedspreads, edgings, placemats, centerpieces and many other types of crocheted lace.

By the beginning of the 1960s, this flood of instructional material had slowed to a trickle and the earlier leaflets soon disappeared. Today, because of renewed interest in crocheted lace, these old leaflets, and the patterns they contain, have become collectors items.

Floral motifs had always made up a respectable proportion of the designs in the leaflets, and in the 1940s and 1950s, the vogue for floral crochet reached its zenith. A whole garden of designs appeared, from simple, stylized depictions of flowers to elaborate three-dimensional blossoms. This book is a compilation of some of the best floral patterns from that period. Modern technology allows us to show them to you as they originally appeared. Many of the threads listed in the instructions are still available, but, if not, similar threads can easily be found. Be sure to buy enough thread of the same dye lot to complete your project, since dye lots can vary considerably in color.

For best results, you should have the same number of stitches and rows as indicated in the instructions. Before beginning a project, make a small sample of the stitch, working with the suggested hook size and desired thread. If your work is too tight, use a larger hook; if it is too loose, use a smaller hook.

To give your project a professional look, you should wash and block it. For large projects that are made of many units sewn together, you may find it easier to block the individual pieces before joining them. Use a neutral soap and cool water. Squeeze the suds through the crochet, but do not rub; rinse thoroughly. If desired, starch the crochet lightly. Using rustproof pins, pin the piece right side down on a well-padded surface. When the crochet is almost dry, press it through a damp cloth with a moderately hot iron. Do not allow the iron to rest on the stitches.

The terminology and hooks listed in this book are those used in the United States. The following charts give the U.S. names of crochet stitches and their equivalents in other countries and the approximate equivalents to U.S. crochet hook sizes. Crocheters should become thoroughly familiar with the differences in both crochet terms and hook sizes before starting any project.

The stitches used in the projects in this book are explained on page 47. A metric conversion chart is located on page 48.

STITCH CONVERSION CHART

STEEL CROCHET HOOK CONVERSION CHART