I've never made a doily before, and for the most part I'm not interested in making them a lot, because of how long they take and their not something I would need or want all over my home.
   But I am interested in making doily's and lace table cloths that have breathtaking color schemes.
   Thread painting uses more than one threads at a time, switching individual threads after a number of rows to create a gradually changing color effect. I'm using 4 strands of thread (sewing & similar sized thread) with an E hook for a pattern in a book. I'm using a slightly larger hook than the traditional itsy-biztsy steel hooks, in order to leave larger holes and for the piece to be larger for my coffee table. I'll post a picture of it soon.
   Here's a thread painting example: