Vintage Crochet Special Issue

When you hear the words "vintage crochet", what do you think of? Lacy doilies, intricate tablecloths, fine linen hankies with delicate thread edging? Elaborate bedspreads or Irish crochet wedding dresses?

Ask a group of designers and writers this same question, and here is what you'll get:

PieceWork Magazine's special issue Vintage Crochet 2016

Vintage Crochet 2016 is a very special issue indeed, with 21 lovely patterns and 7 feature articles, all highlighting various aspects of crochet's fascinating history.

One of the patterns is mine, and so is one of the articles.

The Pattern

http://www.needleworktraditions.com/

The Modern Afternoon Apron with 1912 Edging was inspired by a garment belonging to Susan Baker, one of my favourite characters in the Anne books of L.M. Montgomery.

The apron's wide edging was reproduced from an online image found in the Antique Pattern Library:

I later adapted the edging to make it curved at both ends, and designed a smaller pocket edging to complement the wider trim. Both edgings work up very quickly in sportweight cotton yarn.

Pocket under construction

Instructions for sewing the apron are included in the magazine. I have to admit that writing the sewing part of the pattern was much harder than writing the crochet part! The actual construction is very simple, but trying to explain it clearly and concisely (without any illustrations) was a real verbal workout.

These edgings could also be applied to a purchased apron, if sewing isn't your thing.

The Article

The article is a lighthearted review of crochet's appearances in the Anne books, with speculations on some of the characters and situations involved. Needlecrafts are very well-represented in LMM's writing, with knitting the most frequently-mentioned, but crochet runs a very respectable second, appearing in seven out of the eight original Anne books.

It was such a treat to be able to include three of my favourite things - crochet, sewing, and the books of L.M. Montgomery - in this project.

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It's always humbling to find myself sharing page-space with people I think of as real crochet designers - like Robyn Chachula (who designed the stunning cover sweater), Margaret Hubert, Tammy Hildebrand, and many others whose work I admire. Here are just a few of the other projects from this issue:

All photographs by Joe Coca for Vintage Crochet 2016,a special publication from Interweave. Copyright © F+W Media 2016.

You can read more about this issue and see all the project photos here. Click here to order your own copy of Vintage Crochet 2016 (for a digital copy, click here).

And I have a free issue to give away ... stay tuned! :)

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