Dyed Vintage Doily Table Runner

On a recent trip to my visit my folks, my mom pulled out a big bag of doilies. They were yellowed and all had coffee or tea stains, but the loving hands of my grandmothers had made most of them, so my mom couldn't throw them out. She asked if I would like to try to repurpose them. 

You bet I would! I have seen some beautiful repurposed doily creations by crafters and decorators around the blogosphere: added to clothing, pillows, and pieced into table runners. 

Here in the greater Seattle area where I live, we have had one of the rainiest winters on record. I saw an article yesterday that said Seattle has had 3 sunny days since the start of October. THREE. So I shouldn't be surprised that I have been aching to brighten up my house with all the spring colors I can get my hands on. I have even considered painting my dining table white.  

So, naturally, I decided to make a bright, spring table runner with the doilies. I will walk you through the steps of how you can make one for yourself, and give ideas of where to purchase what you need--even the doilies if you don't have heirlooms from your grandmothers. 

YOU WILL NEED: 

Doilies

I found this set of 24 here.

Here is a set of 4 larger ones. 

Dyes/Dye Kits

These kits are so nice because they come with squirt bottles and gloves. I actually used some of these neon colors on my project, I just didn't leave them to "process" for as long as suggested so the colors would be more pastel.
Find this and other kits here.

Large trays/cookie sheets

Protective Gloves

Squirt bottles/ Mixing bottles

STEP 1

Mix your dyes in squirt bottles according to package directions. If some of your doilies are made of synthetic fibers, add a little vinegar to your dye for color sustainability. 

Lay out your doilies on trays. Large ones can be folded in half to fit.  I recommend taking everything outside. It was raining throughout this project, but I didn't let it stop me!

STEP 2

One color at a time, slowly squirt the dye on layers of the doily designs. This part was super exciting for me. I loved how the color contrasts really made the beautiful designs of my grandmothers' handiwork come to life!

Don't worry about the colors bleeding into each other. That should happen. It will soften up the look of the final product. 

STEP 3

Gently squeeze out excess dye from each doily and place them in individual baggies.  Let them sit for 4-8 hours (depending on how bold you want your colors). 

STEP 4

This was an exciting load of laundry to remove from the dryer!

Remove the doilies from the bags straight into your washing machine. Wash with a little detergent and cold water on a gentle cycle. I threw a couple of old towels in with mine as "padding" for the roughness of the machine's agitator.  Tumble dry on low.  Remove and iron. I used spray starch to stiffen mine up a bit. 

STEP 5

Lay out your doilies and decide how you want to arrange them for your table runner. I ended up not using 2 of mine. They may become pillows in the future. 

Pin and Sew

If you look closely, you can see my straight pins holding together the pieces. 

Use a ziz-zag stitch in coordinating thread to sew the pieces together. It will be virtually invisible in the finished product.  I ironed it one more time after sewing. 

My little dining room feels much more ready for Spring! I smile every time I look in at the happy color and think of my sweet grandmothers and the time they spent making beauty for their homes. I am so grateful these special pieces of art were preserved.

Home Tour: Fall and Halloween Decor

Happy Fall, Y'all!  

I frequently get asked about my handmade fall decor, so I decided to share a few areas of my home and how the decorations came to be.  I have a kid-friendly house, so nothing is fancy or expensive.  I like decorating (especially handmade stuff), but I LOVE how excited my kids get when they see that I have added fun festivity to our home! It makes me smile, too. (:

MY SIDEBOARD

 (pictured above), located in my dining room 

• Autumn Grasses. Purchased at JoAnn's, similar here and here. 
• BOO letters. I spray painted them with a warm white, then painted the rims gold. Find the letters here. 
• Chalkboard. Made using a second hand framed picture from Goodwill, using this tutorial. 
• Fabric Pumpkins. Handmade using this blog post. 

DOOR WREATHS

• Wreath form purchased at Joann's (similar here).  After trying several kinds of forms, I now have a pretty strong opinion that the kind made of pressed, shaped straw wrapped in plastic is the most sturdy. Just my 2-cents.
• Burlap and fabric flowers made using tutorial found here and here. 
• Feathers made from yarn and liquid starch. Tutorial found here. 

FOYER

• Floral pieces and Pumpkin from Joann's. 
• Thankful board: 1x4 wood, painted light brown, then sanded around edges to distress. Vinyl "thankful."
• Sitting scarecrow: This was a hand-me-down from my mom. :)

DINING ROOM

• Table: Tray and metallic balls from Pier One.  Leaves from JoAnn's. Vintage lace table runner made according to this tutorial. 
• Mini mason jar floral arrangement:  These are the Atlas Mason jars that Classico Pesto comes in. I always save them. They make excellent small drinking glasses for my kids, and they are adorable in decorating.  I painted these with a warm white spray paint.  Floral pieces are from JoAnn's.

FIREPLACE

• Painting (of Colorado Rockies in Fall) available here. 
• Wool Ball Garland made using these.
• Fall Feather Garland tutorial found here.  
• Letterboard is "The Poet" from Letterfolk.

Small Space Sewing Room Makeover

I have been gawking and swooning for years at all the big, beautiful craft spaces I see highlighted on blogs and in magazines. "One day...," I would think to myself.  But then I got real. I live in a suburb of Seattle where most people live in small homes (or condos) that cost twice as much as homes twice as big in other parts of the country. So I don't have a 12x12 spare room I can dedicate just to my creative zeal. I do, however, have a 3x6 corner--and by golly--I decided it was high time I made the most of it! 

Here is my unabashed "Before" picture.  My "sewing table" was a catchall and a mess. I was storing my stuff in plastic containers that were too small and unorganized. 

Since this room triples as our family office and workout area,  I really needed to use the space to its fullest capacity, which meant shelving. So, I took this picture, took measurements, and headed to Ikea. 

I found the EKBY BJARNUM 11" shelving system and fell in love. It is a clean, modern look, but it is also adjustable to any length and super strong. Pretty AND practical. 

And the beauty is, if you don't have an Ikea closeby, you can order these online at Amazon or Ikea.com.

Next, I needed containers for organization. Once again, Ikea came through. 

These strong rails and storage cups are ideal for a sewist's or crafter's supplies.  These are perfect for things like rotary cutters and measuring tape that need a place, but are used too often to be put in a box. The Bygel Rail and the Bygel Containers are both available online as well! 

I found these cute and affordable Kvarnvik boxes at Ikea for organizing all my schtuff. Ikea and Amazon have so many options that are similar to these, you can really make your space just the way you want it without breaking the bank. These are available at Ikea.com, but I didn't find these particular boxes at Amazon. However, I found some very similar here. 

I love the pretty lining and the addition of the metal-framed labels on these boxes. 

This hat box is perfect for my tall thread spools.  And look at that cute gingham lining...**Swoon**

My final additions to my sewing nook were aesthetic. I wanted to add some pops of color and texture to the space.  I hung one of my DIY Modern Yarn Wall Hangings on the wall by the window. 

I also framed my Seattle Skyline Watercolor (prints available HERE) on a fun wrapping-paper background in a simple poster frame. 

I used this tutorial from Simply Gloria to make my fabric tassel garland. 

For my "MAKE" sign and the decorative wooden arrow, I went to the ever-reliable Hobby Lobby. Everything was 50% off, and I used 3M Command picture hanging strips to hang them, so no extra holes in the walls!

I couldn't be more pleased with my new happy place. I have done a double take multiple times when I walk by and glance in what used to be an eyesore hodgepodge of crafting clutter, but instead see organization and beauty.  I don't have an entire room, but I LOVE the small space I do have!