Anti Macassar using Bella Solids, tutorial and giveaway

According to Wikipedia

“An antimacassar (/ˌ æ n t ɪ m ə ˈ k æ s ər /) is a small cloth placed over the backs or arms of chairs, or the head or cushions of a sofa, to prevent soiling of the permanent fabric. Also refers to the cloth flap on a sailor’s blouse, used to keep macassar oil off the uniform.

Macassar oil was an unguent for the hair commonly used in the early 19th century. The poet Byron called it “thine incomparable oil, Macassar.” The fashion for oiled hair became so widespread in the Victorian and the Edwardian period that housewives began to cover the arms and backs of their chairs with washable cloths to preserve the fabric coverings from being soiled. Around 1850, these started to be known as antimacassars. They were also installed in theatres, from 1865.

They came to have elaborate patterns, often in matching sets for the various items of parlour furniture; they were either made at home using a variety of techniques such as crochetor tatting, or purchased. The original antimacassars were usually made of stiff white crochet-work, but in the third quarter of the 19th century they became simpler and softer, usually fabric embroidered with a simple pattern in wool or silk. Annie Chapman, the second canonical victim of Jack the Ripper, was said to have made antimacassars for a living shortly before she was murdered.

By the beginning of the 20th century, antimacassars had become so associated in people’s minds with the Victorian period that the word briefly became a figurative term for it. (See also: doily).

Antimacassars are also used on the seat headrests of commercial passenger transport vehicles, such as trains, buses and especially aircraft to extend the life of fabrics”

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimacassar

Maybe we don’t have the fragrant Macassar Oil slick in our hair today but we do still need to protect our lounges from all sorts of oils and chemicals.

Moda had just released the new Bella honeycombs and while I was waiting for mine to arrive I thought I might try a little experiment and mix quilting with crochet.

My crochet skills are very basic but if you are an accomplished crocheter then, the possibilities are unlimited. You could make squares, triangles, circles using this technique. Maybe use a combination of crochet and quilted shapes.

I could envisage a whole quilt using this method.

If you have make a crochet/quilt masterpiece, please share in the Flickr Group – Anti Macassars. I would love to see all the wonderful combinations you come up with.

What you will need:

1 pack new bella solids mini charms ( 30 – 2.5″ squares )
1 yard bella solid ( 9900-170 Etching Slate)
Heat n bond lite ( or other fusible product )
1 yard Iron on light weight pellon
2″ heart template
2″ finished sided hexagon template (I have a hollow template that has a 1/4″ seam allowance included in the template. I could use the outer edge for the solid hexagon and the inner edge for the pellon hexagon)
Pencil
Perle Cottons
Crochet Hook (1.50 mm #2)

From the Solid yardage cut:

8 – 4 1/2″ strips. Cut 60 hexagons from these strips (Remember to add 1/4″ seam allowance if not included in your template)

Applique

Trace 30 hearts on dull side of fusible web
Cut out each heat leaving 1/8″ around each shape
Press onto back of each mini charm square

Cut out each heart on pencil line. Peel off backing paper from fusible and press onto centre of 30 hexagons.
Using an applique stitch, sew around hearts.

Cut from iron-on pellon, 30 hexagons measuring 2″ on each finished side.
Centre and press onto back of 30 plain hexagons.

Take one appliquéd hexagon and one pellon backed hexagon and place them right sides together.
Start 1/4″ from corner and sew around 5 sides. Pivot at the 1/4″ mark at each corner.
Turn out the hexagon and push out the points.
Fold in the open seams 1/4″ and press.
Slip stitch the seam closed.

Using perle cottons in contrasting colours, quilt around each heart.

Using perle cotton and an embroidery chain stitch, stitch all around the edge of the quilted hexagon.
Make sure there is an even number of stitches on each side and add an extra stitch on each corner.

Crochet around the edge of each quilted hexagon. I chose to do single crochet (sc), with 3 stitches in each corner for first row and then 2 rows of double crochet (dc) with 2 dc, 1 ch, 2 dc into every corner.