Question about blocking a large project...

[Mommy2Max]

I am in the beginning stages of a tablecloth made up of 2.5" squares. I have blocked small projects, like doilies, but I am wondering how I block such a large project?

 

Since it's a tablecloth, I don't want it to be stiff/starched, but I also want the squares to lay right. Also, I can't block each square as i go because they are interwoven, not something I can make and assemble later.

 

Any advice/thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[KateCrochets]

I wish I had finished a tablecloth to have the problem of how to block it

 

Here's a suggestion for how you could block... try blocking it piece by piece. Imagine a sheet of paper is your tablecloth, but you only have an index card to block it on. Draw a grid on your blocking board, and pin out a specific set of your tablecloth (a certain set of motifs, or rows, or such), spray with a bottle of warm water (and a light spray starch if you prefer). Repeat for the rest of the tablecloth, matching on your blocking board where you did the same size piece before.

 

It will take a while, but might be worthwhile.

 

I have also heard of people that block on towels layed on the floor, pinning directly into the padding under the carpet. I'm not recommending it, I have no experience with it, but I'm just telling you what I've heard

 

And - most importantly - take pictures to share with us (you know we all like to look ). Hope this helps!

[sunnywolfgar]

Something so large I image I would put starch in the rinse water and hang it outside to dry but first I would double towels on the clothes line and then hang it over the towels so it won't get the crease in the middle. let us know how it goes........ oh yes and pictures we love to see what you crocheted~~~

[Katy]

I am very interested in the answer. This can't be a new problem, lots of crocheted table clothes out there. And you would have to keep washing it and putting it back into shape. So, it's not like a wool sweater that you block once and the wool remembers, at least through dry cleaning. The over the clothes line with some stiffening in the rinse water sounds probable. I'm not making a table cloth now, but will certainly do it some day. So, let us know what you do and how it works. Maybe some other posts will turn up here...

Thanks,

Katharine

[MaryPat]

I've made tableclothes of thread that needed blocked but not starched. I've also blocked shawls that were large.

 

I use the floor. I pin the object to a sheet and work on top of the carpet.