LINEN TABLECLOTHS AND NAPKINS
Prove you know your onions by putting discarded skins to good use and bringing some extra colour to your kitchen table.
You will need:
4 linen napkins (we used midweight linen cut into 42x42cm squares) 1 large piece of fabric to fit your table (we used 2m of fabric) Onion skins – you’ll need 1 part onion skins: 2 parts fibre. (we used a combination of yellow and red onion skins for a deeper colour, but if you like a sunny, warm honey tone, then just use yellow skins. Or experiment with whichever you use most) 1 tbsp soda crystals (or 1 tsp soda ash for every 200g of fabric you're using) Measuring tape Scissors Container for pre-soaking Dye pot big enough for your cloth
Sieve
Wooden spoon
1 For the napkins, cut four pieces of linen large enough to cover your lap. For your tablecloth, measure your table and calculate the size needed, so your linen drapes generously over the sides. We left the edges frayed for a relaxed look and no-sew project. 2 Scour your linen by placing it in the washing machine with 1 tbsp of soda crystals or 1 tsp of soda ash in the drawer, per 200g of fabric (do not add detergent). Run a lukewarm or cold cycle – 40 degrees is fine – then remove and leave to dry. When dry, weigh the fabric and note the weight, then weigh half that amount in onion skins. For example, our tablecloth and napkins had a combined weight of 600g so we used 300g of skins (⅓ of which were red). For richer colours, use equal parts skins to fabric weight.
3 Place the linen in a container of water to pre-soak for at least 1-2 hours while you prepare the dye bath. 4 Add the onion skins to the dye pot and cover with water. Place on the stove and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 30–45 mins.
5 Once the colour of the water has changed and deepened, the dye is extracted. This can take anywhere from 30 mins–1 hr. Turn off the heat, leave to cool completely, then strain out the skins using the sieve.
6 Squeeze out the excess water from your linen and add it to the dye pot. You may need to do this in two stages depending on the size of the pot. Remember not to squash your material into the pot, you always want it to move freely.
7 Return to the heat and simmer gently for 30 mins, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and leave the dye bath to cool completely.
8 When you're happy with the colour, squeeze out the excess dye and remove your fibre from the pot. Leave overnight for stronger colours. Rinse your fibre with pH-neutral soap and hang to dry.