This folksy dining spot channels the designs of Russia and Ukraine with its painted ceramics, tie-dye spray-painted napkins and runner made of neon-bright doilies.
Give doilies an artful presence by stitching them together to create a table runner. After dyeing the doilies in brilliant hues, let them dry. Arrange the runner design on a flat surface. When satisfied, use a needle and color-coordinated thread to stitch them together.
What You’ll Need
- White cotton crocheted doilies in various sizes
- Masking tape and marker
- Rit dye in colors that coordinate with your tableware
- Smartphone or digital camera
- Needle and thread
Decide if you want a runner that spans the length of your table with an overhang on either end or one that dresses up just the center of the table. Lay out doilies on the table or floor in a pattern that you like.
Assign a dye color to doilies in your table runner pattern. Write the colors on pieces of masking tape and attach to each doily. Snap a picture of your arrangement so you can refer to it later. Gather doilies and sort them into color groups.
Dye the doilies from each group according to dye manufacturer’s instructions. Cotton ones take the dye really well, so keep an eye on color intensity if you want paler shades. If you go overboard, try giving them a quick rinse in soapy water. Hang colored doilies to dry.
When they’re dry, lay them out again in their original positions, referring to the image you took. Decide on a point of attachment between the first two doilies, lay them right sides together and attach with a blind stitch using a needle and thread. Lay the stitched pieces down again, find the next point of attachment and stitch as before. Continue until the entire table runner is stitched together.
Honor Ukrainian folk artists and celebrate creativity when you set your table with the floral motifs they believed to bring health, wealth and love.
© Caruth Studio