Sunday, February 20, 2011

Restoring Heirloom Crochet/knit pieces.






Good Morning Everyone,

I'm trying to think Spring even though more snow is forecast for tomorrow, so I thought green print might help. I can actually see green buds on my lilac tree, so maybe it will be soon.

About 2 months ago I received an email from a gentleman, who was looking for someone who would be able to restore two treasured afghans that he had inherited from a beloved aunt. The timing was so bad, I was in the middle of book deadlines and the holidays were looming. I wrote and told him that I would love to see the afghans, but he would have to wait a while.
He sent me photos, and even in the photo you could see that they were badly in need of repair. I eventually saw the pieces in person and they were gorgeous. One was in really bad shape, one much less damaged. I agreed to take on the job. I really was excited about restoring them.

The crocheted one, was made up of 1o4 squares, each square made up of 4 triangles, each one made separately and joined, truly a labor of love. This one was in really bad shape. In addition to many smaller damaged areas, I had to remove several entire squares, re-make them with new yarn and insert them back in place.
The first 2 photos are the crocheted one with a closeup of the triangles/squares.

The second afghan was woven, made up of 198 little woven squares, made on a small loom, then each square edged with crochet. Every single joining had to be reinforced and 6 of the squares had to be repaired. The last 2 photos are the woven afghan and a closeup of the small woven squares.

I love to do this work, even though it is very time consuming, because I really hate to see these cherished old pieces end up in the trash. I'll continue to make time for these special projects as long as I can, and right now I have 2 more thread table cloths waiting for me to work some magic on.

I delivered the restored afghans yesterday, and Mr D was so pleased, it made my day.

Have a great day everyone

Margaret