Playing with Scale for Dollhouse Bedspreads
When I work up a dollhouse bedspread, I usually make them to fit a miniature queen-size bed. This means that they can't be more than 6 inches from top to bottom, but they can be as wide as 8 inches.
The challenge is to get as much detail into this tiny textile as possible. To do that, you need to work with fine thread and tiny hooks of course.
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I wanted to show how you can adapt just about any crochet motif to 1/12 scale. I found a good crochet pattern to play around with in the April 1993 issue of Magic Crochet. Designer Myoshi Kuroi used a classic wheat motif as the repeating square of a gorgeous tablecloth. Her pattern is called Wheat Harvest.
I worked the motif up into a 6 inch square with a size 8 hook steel and a #30 cotton thread. It's a beautiful design, but clearly out of scale for a miniature bedroom! |
I worked it again, but changed hook, thread and stitches: I used very fine thread and a size 13 hook. In addition, I substituted half double for the double crochet stitches. With some additional rows to frame the design, is scaled to fit on a miniature queen-size bed.
The first edging I crocheted just did not work for me, so I reworked it with a shell pattern that had a little more structure. I also tea-dyed the textile for a warmer look. Just a few simple changes, and I'm liking how it turned out.
The first edging I crocheted just did not work for me, so I reworked it with a shell pattern that had a little more structure. I also tea-dyed the textile for a warmer look. Just a few simple changes, and I'm liking how it turned out.
Thread crochet stitch detail.
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Shell stitch border frames the motif nicely.
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Getting back to the original motif that I crocheted with #10 thread, I edged it with some colorful leftover threads, and it is now one of my favorite doilies.
(The peek-a-boo effect on the final round comes from Edie Eckman's great little book, "Around the Corner - Crochet Borders.")