Reversible Placemat & Napkin

 

Wax-Less Batik Reversible Flower Placemat and Napkin

By Denise Bielick

This colorful, reversible summer placemat and napkin were created by using a washable batik resist medium. Flower motifs were stamped along the borders of the placemat and in the center of the napkin. This eliminates the old messy wax resist used to do batik and makes it much easier to do. The resist prevents the dye from penetrating the fabric and creates a batik-like effect. Because the table setting is reversible, when you tired of one color, just flip it over for another color and look!

Supplies Needed

  • Rit Dye Liquid Dye: Petal Pink, Cherry Red, Violet and Evening Blue
  • Crafter’s Pick Batik-EZ Resist Medium
  • Two 5” x 42” strips white, 100% cotton fabric for borders
  • Two 14” x 18” rectangles white, 100% cotton fabric for center of placemat
  • Two 19” squares white, 100% cotton fabric for napkins
  • Daisy & Zinnia flower stamps
  • Measuring cup & measuring spoons
  • 10 – Cup Glass bowl or plastic container
  • Metal spoon
  • 1” sponge brushes
  • One detail brush
  • Plastic wrap
  • Plastic table cover & newspapers
  • Paper towels
  • Rubber gloves
  • Old potholder

Instructions

  1. Launder fabric to remove sizing and finishes that could interfere with dye absorption.
  2. Cover table or counter with plastic cover. I also like to use old newspapers on top of that to absorb any spills.
  3. Immerse all 6 pieces of fabric in warm water.
  4. Prepare Petal Pink Dye: Shake liquid dye bottles before opening. Wearing rubber gloves, measure out 5 teaspoons Petal Pink dye. Pour into 10-cup container. Add 8 cups HOT tap water, stir well.
  5. Remove one of the 5” strips of fabric, one of the 14” x 18” rectangles and one of the 19” squares from the water. Wring out excess water. Immerse the three pieces of fabric in the Petal Pink dye solution.
  6. Microwave Instructions: Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Line bottom of microwave with paper towels. Place bowl in microwave and set on HIGH for 2 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave. Be careful, it is hot. Let cool. Remove plastic wrap. Rinse fabric in cool water until water runs cool. Wash in warm water with mild detergent, rinse, dry and iron fabric.
  7. Prepare Violet Dye: Shake liquid Violet dye before opening. Wearing rubber gloves, measure out 4-1/2 teaspoons Violet dye. Pour into 10-cup container. Add 8 cups HOT tap water, stir well.
  8. Remove the last three pieces of fabric from the water. Wring out excess water. Immerse the three pieces of fabric in the Violet dye solution. Microwave and launder following instructions in Step 6.
  9. Place the petal pink 5” fabric strip on sheets of plastic wrap that have been overlapped so plastic is slightly longer than the fabric. Apply Batik EZ resist medium to a daisy stamp with one of the sponge brushes. Be careful to keep the resist on the raised areas of the stamp only. Press stamp onto fabric, pressing firmly. Carefully remove stamp. Repeat stamping daisy randomly along fabric strip. Allow resist to dry.
  10. Using a Zinnia flower stamp, repeat the stamping process using the Batik EZ along the center of the 5” light violet strip. Allow resist to dry.
  11. Place the pink 19” square napkin fabric on plastic wrap. Stamp one Zinnia flower evenly into the corner of the fabric. Allow to dry.
  12. Place the violet 19” square napkin fabric on plastic wrap. Stamp one Daisy flower evenly into the corner of the fabric. Allow to dry.
  13. Prepare dye for painting over Petal Pink: Mix 2 teaspoons Cherry Red liquid dye with 1 cup HOT tap water. This will be used to paint over all the pink fabric pieces. Paint over the plain pink rectangle (center section of placemat). Cover with plastic wrap; seal edges. Microwave and launder following instructions in Step 6.
  14. For the stamped pink fabric pieces, use the same Cherry Red dye solution to carefully paint around the resist. Use a small detail brush to paint the open areas in the middle of the designs. Cover with plastic wrap; seal edges. Microwave and launder following instructions in Step 6. Note: The 5” strip of fabric tends to dry out in the microwave and could only be put in the microwave for 1 minute on HIGH.

  15. Prepare dye for painting over Violet: Mix 4 teaspoons Evening Blue liquid dye with 1 cup HOT tap water. This will be used to paint over all the violet fabric. Do everything the same as you did above for the pink fabric. Remember to only microwave the 5” strip of fabric for 1 minute.
  16. Once everything is laundered and dry, cut the 19” squares into 17-1/2” squares for the napkins. Keep the stamped motif centered in one corner. Place these 2 pieces of fabric, right sides together, and sew around the edges using a ¼” seam. Leave a small opening for turning. Trim corners, turn right sides out, iron and sew the opening closed. Now you have a reversible napkin.
  17. Cut each 5” x 42” strip into one 3-1/2” x 12-1/2” piece and one 3-1/2” x 18-1/2” piece. Center the stamped flower motifs to create a pleasing design.
  18. Cut each 14” x 18” rectangle (center section of placemat) into a 12-1/2” x 15-1/2” rectangle. Sew one of the pink daisy 3-1/2” x 12-1/2” strip pieces to the short side of the violet rectangle using ¼” seams. Press seam. This is the left side of the rectangle. Sew the corresponding pink 3-1/2” x 18-1/2” strip piece to the bottom of the violet rectangle using ¼” seams. Press.
  19. Repeat with remaining pink rectangle and set of violet strips. Place these two pieces right sides together and sew around the edges using a ¼” seam. Leave a small opening for turning. Trim corners, turn right sides out, iron and sew the opening shut. Now you have a reversible placemat.
  20. Repeat dye and batik stamping for each placemat and napkin.
     

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