Make This Bespoke Rosemary Tablecloth Set In Time For Fall
With Fall just around the corner, the time is coming to move indoors and celebrate the harvest. In the spirit of the season, we turned to Sasha Dueer’s Natural Color, a rich resource of indoor, plant-based DIYs now that the weather is turning a little cooler. We especially love the rosemary tablecloth and napkin set below, which gives your dinner party a chic dose of garden style. Pair this setting with copper cups, a large vase, or matte ceramic french press (we use it for flowers too!) to create an earthy yet elegant, modern look.
Materials
- 4 1/2 yards linen fabric, 54″ wide
- 1 pound fresh rosemary, cut or broken into pieces
- 2 tsp iron powder
- pH neutral soap
- heat and water resistant gloves
- dust mask
- large stainless steel pot with lid
- strainer
Directions
- Scour your linen fabric. Soak linen in water, keeping it wet until ready for the dye pot.
- Put the rosemary into a large, stainless steel pot two-third full of water, enough to fully submerge the fabric.
- Bring the rosemary and water to a low boil and simmer on low for 40 minutes.
- Scoop or strain out the rosemary. (You can add it into compost!)
- Wearing a dust mask, add the iron powder to the dye bath and mix well.
- Add the soaked fabric to the dye bath and simmer on low for 20 to 40 minutes.
- Let cool and rinse the fabric in pH-neutral soap. Hang dry out of direct sunlight. Cut into 3 yard by 54″ tablecloth and fashion the remaining fabric into 6 napkins.
For other ideas on how to make your own plant-based dyes, check out the complete book.
Reprinted with permission from Natural Color, by Sasha Duerr Fossel, copyright 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography copyright 2016 by Aya Brackett.
