Lately I have been experimenting with new napkins. I work at Purl Soho and we received some beautiful new yarn dyes. My first design job was creating yarn dyes for mens sportswear at Columbia Sportswear in Portland Oregon. I find that I am still in love with these fabrics, I am always drawn to them. A yarn dye is when the yarn is dyed then the fabric is woven together into the design. Yarn dyes also are usually softer than printed fabrics. Most shirting fabrics are yarn dyed. As a yarn dye designer I would sit at my desk and pull apart swatches and count the threads in the warp and the weft. I found this to be so peaceful and also challenging. Sixteen years later I still feel the enjoyment of pulling apart the threads and seeing each color and shade.
The fabrics we received are from Robert Kaufman and the collection is called
Classic Threads. There are 41 designs to choose from! I picked 3 and really want to keep a little bit of each for myself.
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| Multi Colorway |
First I wash the fabric for shrinkage purposes and this also makes them a bit softer. Then I topstitch a 1/4" seam allowance, iron and now time to pull the threads. It is pretty labor intensive but I love the fringe look!
These napkins are great for everyday use. Or I think the pepper colored ones can add a bit of sophistication to a casual dinner party. You choose!
Maybe my kitchen drawer will see a set of 8. If you would like to buy a set you can find them here in my
etsy shop!
Thanks!
