There are more than 800 pinwheels in this double bedspread, each about 4 in. in diameter. It was made over the course of 10 years out of 30-weight mercerized ecru cotton thread with a No. 8 crochet hook. Each crocheted square is handsewn to the next in such a way that the seams are imperceptible. The finished bedspread weighs 10 lb.
Anna LoSchiavo, my grandmother, learned the pattern and stitch for this lace coverlet, or coperta, when she was a young girl living in Italy. She told me that the bedspread is usually laid over brightly colored sheets to emphasize and enhance the openwork.
She started crocheting the coverlet when I was a child and showed it to me when it was finished-15 years ago. It remained in a cedar chest until this photograph was taken, waiting for the day I’d marry and take it into my home. It seems an arbitrary reason to keep a treasure like this hidden and so long out of use, but this is why the bedspread was made. I'm trying to find another way to get it.
Over the years, my grandmother has made countless afghans, scarves, shawls, handkerchiefs, nightgowns, and slippers. She has accumulated yards of fabric, skeins of wool, and spools of thread, intended for projects that are still to come. At age 89, she is planning to start a bureau runner to match the bedspread, and also some squares for the night tables. —Deborah CannareUa
