A challenging project- Table Cloth

When I received the phone call from a lady in Rantoul, Illinois that wanted to know if I would consider finishing a crocheted table cloth that her mother (who passed away) had started 60+ years ago, I should have said NO. She had gotten my name from my younger sister. BUT, I knew I had the talent of crocheting and she didn't so
I told her I would take a look at it and see if I could. I didn't think it looked real hard. So I said I would tackle it, but didn't tell her how much I would charge, but that I would be fair about it.



First I had to try and match her mother's stitches, plus figure out how the pattern was done. This was step one.


The corners were the next challenge, yikkees.. this thread is very thin.


Then I had to attach it to a edge that her mother had already done.






Then comes the challenge that I was running out of thread and it wasn't the size that she wanted it for her big dining room table.... Matching thread was not easy. That thread was no longer made...She looked and I looked then she brought me some and compared threads and she decided which one she wanted. Only it was a bit of a different color so she decided it should be put on the other end from where I had been working on. So one again I try and match her mothers tight, tight crochet.




Finished the project and she decided she wanted me to use the Magic Sizing and iron it. Blocking it to size.
I used 5 cans of Magic Sizing on this finished project. I spread a quilt over Bud's train set (4 ft x 6 ft plywood). I used this like a ironing board and pressed it, then sprayed it wet and left it set until dry. It took me a couple of evenings to do this as I could only do a portion at a time.
Here is the finished product.



Yes, She paid me for it. I computed how many of these squares I put on and timed myself to see how long it took me to do one. I believe I charged her $3.50 per hour to do it plus my supplies and I was almost afraid to tell her how much I wanted.
But when she came to pick it up she gave me a fair size tip also.

Would I tackle it again? NO, WAY. This was even harder then making my own wedding gown. It took me over two hours just to block it with Magic Sizing.
Yaa, I was glad this project was done! May to October with many, many hours worth of work.