I’ve been wanting to dye some vintage napkins for a long time and this week I finally did it. I used royal blue dye to set a blue and burgundy Autumn Table. Those colors also influenced the outfit of the week. And I have the recipe for a delicious herbed chicken dinner that Mercedes made and more.
It’s Five Faves time with Annie and Cindy.
Give Vintage Cloth Napkins New Life With Rit Dye
Recently, while at the flea market it Lyon, France, I was inspired to finally dye the white Irish linen napkins passed down from my mother. She used them for family gatherings while we were growing up.
The damask fabric is beautiful but over the years, the color had yellowed and stained. Rather than keeping them tucked away in a drawer, I decided to give them a fresh new look using Rit dye.
Why Dying Vintage Cloth Napkins May Make Sense For You
- You can create a custom color palette that suits your table.
- Extend the life of heirloom linens instead of buying new ones.
- Enjoy an easy, creative afternoon project that feels rewarding.
What You’ll Need
- Rit All-Purpose Dye I ordered from Target and picked it up the same day.
- Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative (helps lock in color and prevent fading)
- Large stainless-steel pot or plastic tub (not used for food)
- Rubber gloves
- Measuring cup
- Salt or vinegar (depending on fabric type). I used salt.
- Mild detergent
- Old towel or plastic covering to protect your workspace
- Vintage napkins (linen or cotton work best)
Step-by-Step: How to Dye Cloth Napkins
1. Prep Your Napkins
Wash the napkins first in warm water with mild detergent to remove any oils or residue. This helps the dye absorb evenly. Keep them damp before dyeing—wet fabric takes color more smoothly.
2. Choose Your Color
Rit has so many shades. I used Royal Blue. You can even mix colors to create your own tone. (Tip: test on a small fabric scrap or paper towel before committing to a whole batch.)
3. Set Up Your Dye Bath
Fill a large pot or tub with very hot water (around 140°F). Add your dye according to package directions—typically half a bottle per gallon of water for a medium shade. Also, add one teaspoon of mild dish detergent to promote level dying.
- For cotton or linen: Add 1 cup of salt to help set the color.
- For silk or wool: Add 1 cup of white vinegar instead.
Stir thoroughly to combine.
4. Add the Napkins
Submerge your damp napkins in the dye bath. Stir continuously for the first 10 minutes for even coverage, then occasionally for about 30 minutes total—or longer for deeper color. My napkins took about 20 minutes.
5. Set the Color with Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative
To help prevent color fading and bleeding, use Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative immediately after dyeing. You can do this right in your washing machine: run a warm cycle, add the fixative according to the bottle directions, put the damp napkins in and let it complete the cycle.
6. After washing, I smoothed them out on top of the dryer to dry.
7. Press and Style
Iron the napkins with spray starch. For a casual look you could leave them unpressed.
I love thinking that these napkins, once used by my mother at dinner parties, are now part of new gatherings and memories.
For more information, Annie, wrote a great post about dying napkins here.
Have you ever revived old linens or tried dyeing fabric? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.
Blue And Burgundy Vintage Autumn Table
Here you can see the table set with the soup tureen that we hand carried back from Lyon!
Outfit Of The Week — A Versatile Denim Vest
I like to combine high and low and here is an outfit that mixes Saks Fifth Avenue, J. Crew, Quince and Target!
J. Crew denim vest and matching trouser jeans (I bought these in petite but am still having them hemmed a couple of inches to be able to wear them with flats–they are the most flattering wide leg jeans I’ve tried) • Quince wool cashmere coat (my friend has this and loves it) • Etro wool/cashmere/silk long scarf • Cashmere crewneck sweater (or you could wear a white button-down shirt for a classic look) • Patent leather classic small shoulder bag in burgundy • Cotton crew socks from Target • Stacked heel suede bootie on sale
Here I am in the store trying on the denim vest (size 6) with what I already had on.
Lindsey, the excellent manager at the Jacksonville J. Crew store took the impromptu photo.
Most Lovely Things French Finds – The Shop is Open
Annie’s shop is open and look what she sent me as a birthday gift! A beautiful Libeco linen dish towel, brush and holder.
What to Cook: Middle Eastern-Inspired Herb and Garlic Chicken–So good!
We had this succulent grilled chicken at Mark and Mercedes’ house earlier his week. Mercedes made enough to take to family friends that had a newborn recently (such a good idea). It would make great leftovers on a salad or with pita bread the next day too. She served it with a chopped cucumber tomato salad and orzo.
Middle Eastern-Inspired Herb and Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1¾ pounds)
- 6 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley, more for serving
- 2 tbsp minced fresh mint
- 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp minced fresh oregano or marjoram
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more as needed
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, more for garnish (optional)
- 3/4 tsp sumac, more for garnish (optional)
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine chicken with all but 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic (save that teaspoon for the yogurt sauce), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, oil, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, 1½ teaspoons salt, and the sesame seeds and sumac, if using. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature; you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
- Heat grill or broiler. If grilling, cook chicken over high heat until charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip pieces and continue grilling until just cooked through, another 4 to 7 minutes. If broiling, arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from flame. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chicken out in a single layer. Broil chicken, turning halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Be careful that it doesn’t burn.
- While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserved grated garlic and lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the chicken drizzled with olive oil, remaining lemon juice to taste, black pepper, parsley and sesame seeds and sumac, if using, with the yogurt alongside for dipping.
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Let’s see what my friends have discovered this week:
Cindy Hattersley Design
Most Lovely Things
Mary Ann what a great idea to dye those heirloom napkins! They really came out pretty. Love your table too. x
Mary Ann! I know exactly the stall where you found your inspiration photo from the flea market in Lyon! I love the color that you used for yours! They look so modern and beautiful while still having that vintage look! Thanks for mentioning my shop too!! So sweet of you!!
Xoxo
This is just the best recycling tip ever! The linens go for nothing at garage and estate sales. I’m going to make a few batches. Thank you!
I dyed some of my linen napkins years ago, but haven’t tried it in years! What a beautiful blue-and that soup tureen is to die for!
Thanks, Cindy. You are the type to hand-carry things back too 🙂
I bought a navy blue slip cover for a chair and it faded over the years so I died it with RIT dye and my washer. It was pretty brave but turned out excellent. I did it a couple of times and then decided I wanted to bleach the slip cover. The slip cover cost $700 so I wanted to make use of it. I bleached it in my washer and then finished it with hydrogen peroxide to neutralize the bleach out of the washer and the blue chair turned into a butter yellow. I had that chair in the bedroom for a number of years before giving it to charity, and that slip cover was still pristine.
Wow…what an encouraging success story!
The napkins turned out gorgeous! And the soup tureen is a wonderful piece. It doesn’t look too big and the colors inspired such a beautiful tablescape. I can see why you hand carried it home.
BTW…your skin is glowing in the J Crew photo. Are you still using the Remedy product? I’m considering ordering it.
I think I look so pale in that over head lighting. But yes I am using a combo of Remedy, Innbeauty and Caudelie night cream (that I bought in France)…plus sunscreen. It’s an ongoing effort 🙂
Your napkiins are beautiful!
Thanks, Sandy. I was just telling my sister, Teresa, that I think my mom would like them.