Anthropologie Inspired Dish Towels and Napkins

Add a bit of charm and personality to your kitchen or table with Anthropologie inspired dish towels and napkins. The secret to this sew or no sew project is rick rack in fun colors and various sizes.

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Handcrafted Society

It’s time for our Handcrafted Society monthly get together hosted by Wendy of WM Design House. If you’re wondering what the Handcrafted Society is all about. Simply put, it’s a group of bloggers who share a love for handcrafted items.

Our challenge each month is to take an assigned medium or theme to create whatever our heart desires. Diane of South House Design chose fabric as our medium for our August challenge. The sky’s the limit on this one. Are you ready to see what everyone created? Me too!

If you’re coming over from Saved From Salvage, I’m so happy you’re here. I’m sure you are loving Regina’s coastal wall art project as much as I am.

To see last month’s HS project, click on my post DIY Raffia And Shell Candle Holders.

Anthropologie Inspired Dish Towels and Napkins

For our challenge this month I’m trimming a set of linen dish towels and a set of linen napkins with rick rack. As you can guess from the title, my inspiration for this month’s challenge comes from the linens I’ve been admiring from Anthropologie.

I just love their home accessories, and always find something inspiring every time I visit their stores or site. Recently, I couldn’t help but notice the use of rick rack trim on bed linens, tablecloths and napkins. I guess you can say rick rack is having a moment, and I couldn’t be happier.

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Those cute linen napkins take me back to the late 60s and early 70s, when so many of my dresses were trimmed with rick rack. I have the best memories of my mom, and the sound of her busy sewing machine. My sewing skills don’t come anywhere close to my mom’s, but I can stitch a straight line…most of the time. 😉

By the way did you know that rick rack (aka rick-rack, rickrack, ric rac, or ric-rac) has been around since the 1800s. It’s a classic like gingham, toile, ticking and paisley. Some design elements stand the test of coming and going, but never go out of style.

Rick Rack Trimmed Dish Towels 

Let me start off by saying, if you don’t have a sewing machine no worries, because fabric glue is the next best thing. I use fabric glue on projects and repairs all the time.

Supplies And Shopping Links

• rick rack
• cloth napkins or dish towels
• straight pins
• fabric glue
• sewing machine, thread, scissors

Before you start be sure to wash your cloth napkins or dish towels since some fabrics will shrink after washing and drying. I gave mine a quick pressing with the iron to remove the wrinkles before moving on to the next step.

Using straight pins, secure your rick rack around the perimeter of your napkin or towel. Make sure you have enough trim to overlap a little before you cut off any excess. Fold the end of the rick rack and pin into place.

Next stitch the rick rack in place going down the center of the trim or attach the trim with fabric glue.

When using fabric glue, I suggest working on one section at a time. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions of fabric glue you are using. I started off using Aleene’s Permanent Fabric Glue, but switched over to Aleene’s Fabric Fusion. I think the gel is easier to apply. You can find the fabric fusion link here.

Rick Rack Trimmed Napkins

On the linen napkins I went for look similar to the Anthropologie’s table cloth. The oversize gold rick rack is little more dramatic than the whimsical bright colors on dish towels.  Don’t you just love it?  

 

I can’t wait to use these gold trimmed linen napkins on a pretty tablescape this fall. You can bet there will be more on that to come.

Be sure to follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest, where the boards are up to date with my favorite seasonal inspiration!

So what do you think about my Anthropologie inspired dish towels and napkins? Want to make some too? While you’re at it, make a few extra rick rack dish towels to keep on hand for hostess gifts. Food for thought!

Now I’m going to send you over to Sonata Home Design where Missy is sharing a chic chair seat makeover. You’ll love it! Be sure to check out the rest of the links below from my Handcrafted Society friends with lots more inspiring projects.

Cheers!

Enjoy more Handcrafted Society fabric projects…

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