Waldrep - The Crocheters Treasure Chest: 80 Classic Patterns for Tablecloths, Bedspreads, Doilies and Edgings

THE CROCHETERS
TREASURE CHEST

80 Classic Patterns for Tablecloths, Bedspreads, Doilies and Edgings

EDITED BY

Mary Carolyn Waldrep

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC., NEW YORK

Copyright 1988 by Dover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

The Crocheters treasure chest.

1. CrochetingPatterns. I. Waldrep, Mary Carolyn.
TT820.C933 1988 746.434041 88-23702

eISBN-13: 978-0-486-15076-5.

This Dover edition, first published in 1988, is a new selection of patterns from Home Decoration, Book 76, published by The Spool Cotton Company, New York, 1936; Modern Table Settings, Book 88, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1937; 100 Useful Edgings, Book No. 129, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1939; Bedspreads, Book No. 136, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1939; Bedspreads, Book No. 151, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1940; Bedspreads to Knit and Crochet, Book No. 166, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1941; Edgings, Book No. 182, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1942; Bedspreads to Knit and Crochet, Book No. 186, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1942; Doilies, Book No. 201, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1943; Bedspreads, Book No. 244, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1948; Priscilla Centerpieces, Book No. 276, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1951; New Ideas in Doilies, Book No. 283, published by The Spool Cotton Company, 1952; Edgings, Book No. 305, published by Coats & Clark Inc., New York, 1954; Ruffled Doilies, Book No. 306, published by Coats & Clark Inc., 1954; Edgings: Crocheted, Knitted, Tatted, Book 7, published by the American Thread Company, New York, n.d.; Star Book of Doilies, Book 22, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; Conserve with Crochet... For the Home, Star Book No. 25, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; Doilies: Crocheted and Tatted, Star Book No. 44, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; Emblems and Church Laces, Star Book No. 50, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; New Tablecloths, Book No. 57, published by the American Thread Company, 1948; Doilies, Star Doily Book No. 124, published by the American Thread Company, 1955; Doilies, Star Doily Book No. 151, published by the American Thread Company, n.d.; Crochet County Fair, Design Book No. 51, published by Lily Mills Company, Shelby, North Carolina, 1950; Tablecloths for the Seasons, Crochet Design Book No. 57, published by Lily Mills Company, n.d.; Doilies to Treasure, Book 1600, published by Lily Mills Company, n.d.; Crochet for Today, Tomorrow and Always, Direction Book 1700, published by Lily Mills Company, 1947; Laces and Doilies, Book No. 3, published by Royal Society, Inc., 1943; Crisp New Doilies, Book No. 9, published by Royal Society, Inc., 1948; Doilies, Book No. 12, published by Royal Society, Inc., 1951. A new Introduction has been written specially for this edition.

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Table of Contents

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.

STITCH CONVERSION CHART

STEEL CROCHET HOOK CONVERSION CHART

Introduction

Crochet has long been one of the most popular forms of needlework. Instructions for crochet have been a staple of womens magazines for well over a century, and early books on the subject were eagerly sought by practitioners of the art.

During the first sixty years of the twentieth century, Americas thread companies produced thousands of inexpensive instructional leaflets designed to promote their products. These leaflets featured beautiful crocheted tablecloths, bedspreads, doilies, edgings and other household items. By the 1960s, however, tastes in needlework had changed, and such crocheted accessories were no longer in favor.

Today, there is a new interest in crochet, and these now rare instruction leaflets, and the designs featured in them, have become collectors items. Here we offer directions for 80 of the finest designs from the 30s, 40s and 50s. Modern technology permits us to present them to you exactly as they originally appeared. For your convenience, we have arranged the designs into four categoriesTablecloths and Placemats, Bedspreads, Doilies and Edgings.

A number of the threads called for in the directions are still available; if not, other, similar threads can easily be found. Be careful when buying threads, however, because some product names used in the past are now being reused on completely different threads. If using colored threads, be sure to buy enough at one time to complete your project, since dye lots can vary considerably.

Many of the patterns in the book list a gaugethe number of stitches per inch or the size of the individual motifs or blocks. However, not all patterns give this information. Doilies often list only a finished size, while a few patterns do not even do this. In these cases, a small variation in the size of the design will make little difference to the appearance of the finished piece. Whether there is a gauge listed or not, the number of stitches and rows should be the same as indicated in the directions. Work a sample of the pattern using the suggested thread and hook and compare it to the gauge if one is listed. If your piece is too big, use a smaller hook; if too small, use a larger hook. If no gauge is stated, check the appearance of your workif the stitches are loose and untidy, use a smaller hook; if they are crowded, use a larger hook. Edgings are a special case and can be made using a variety of threads, depending on the desired effect. Just remember, the finer the thread, the smaller the hook required.