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- Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014
Add a stylish and thoughtful finishing touch to your table with The Art of Napkin Folding. How much better food tastes when it is thoughtfully presented at a beautiful and stylish table, and what better way to embellish your dining experience than with a chic folded napkin. There are step-by-step instructions for 20 napkin folds in a range of stylish shapes. Inspiring ideas for decorating, embroidering and monogramming are also included, as well as for making napkin rings using fresh flowers, fruit and ribbons. There are also suggestions for using napkins in more novel ways - to wrap a gift, for example, or to make a cutlery bag. Ten themed occasions are featured, including all-time favourites such as Classic Elegance or Romantic Dinner, festive meals such as Christmas Cheer and Wedding Breakfast, as well as everyday occasions such as Mother's Day Lunch or Baby Shower. For each event there is a wealth of delightful suggestions for creatively styled napkins and other finishing touches. Whether it's a relaxed family lunch or a formal wedding table, The Art of Napkin Folding is full of inspiring suggestions for beautifully styled napkins.
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The art of
napkin folding
includes 20 step-by-step napkin folds plus finishing touches for the perfect table setting
First published in 2012 by
Ryland Peters & Small
20–21 Jockey’s Fields
London WC1R 4BW
and
519 Broadway, Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10012
www.rylandpeters.com
Text copyright © Liz Belton, Margaret
Caselton, Rebecca Tanqueray and Ryland
Peters & Small 2012
Design and photographs © Ryland Peters & Small 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
US Library of Congress cataloging-in-publication data has been applied for.
eISBN 978-1-84975-401-9
ISBN 978-1-84975-271-8
Printed and bound in China.
Senior designer Toni Kay
Editor Ellen Parnavelas
Head of production Patricia Harrington
Art director Leslie Harrington
Editorial director Julia Charles
contents
INTRODUCTION:napkins in history
sizes and types of napkin
ties and ribbons
natural decoration
colours and patterns
embroidery and embellishment
SETTING THE SCENE
country flowers:rose, envelope
natural elements:place card holder
contemporary chic:perfect points, diamond
asian fusion:bow
classic elegance:water lily, petal
vintage charm:ruffles, bouquet
white on white:fan, wheatstalk
all that glitters:festive gift
wedding day:fleur de lys, guard of honour
romantic opulence:boat
tropical oasis:bird of paradise, french lily
the great outdoors:pocket
coastal table style:tuxedo
THE SETTINGS
index
picture credits
introduction
The napkin is as practical and useful an object as anything else on the table, but it can also be the most decorative element. No table setting is complete without this vital ingredient. Tableware need not match to look effective – table linens can be dainty or dramatic, or you can use a traditional large damask napkin for special occasions. This book aims to encourage and inspire anyone wanting to create an inviting table setting.
napkins in history
The history of the napkin is a long and interesting one. Indeed, one anonymous French researcher has taken the subject so seriously that he or she refers to the 1960s and ’70s as the era of ‘emancipation’ – of the napkin and table setting, rather than conventional morality!
There is without doubt an emancipation in the rigours of table etiquette from the early 20th century, when only ‘double damask’ would do and Emily Post, author of Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage, pronounced that ‘napkins should never…be put on the side, because it looks as though you are showing off the beauty of your place plate’ or ‘very fancy foldings are not in good taste’, and every household dutifully obeyed. Meal times could not have been much fun when everyone was looking out to check that every affectation of manners was being observed.
Today there are no such rules, apart from those of consideration and courtesy. At dinner parties, the trend is towards creating a pleasant ambience with the table settings and lighting. The emphasis is on making guests feel welcome by creating a convivial atmosphere. This can be helped with a well-planned table setting. Place cards, fun napkin folds, fresh flowers or herbs tucked into napkins, and pretty or personalized napkin rings will all create talking points, make guests feel that you have taken care, help the party get started and, above all, make them feel as if a fine feast is about to take place. Contemporary etiquette, according to Drusilla Beyfus in her book Modern Manners, suggests that napkins can either be laid in the centre of a place setting or placed on the side plate. The only golden rule, she says, is that ‘whatever its design, a napkin should always look and feel freshly laundered’.
It is believed that the ancient Romans introduced napkins. Two were used: one large napkin was tied around the neck, and slaves would pour perfumed water over the guests’ hands and dry them with a second napkin. It was during the Middle Ages that table linen became fashionable, and by the 16th century most of the wealthier households would lay the table for meals. People at that time ate with their fingers and a knife, and either wiped their hands on the tablecloth or on their bread. Therefore, the tablecloth was changed several times during the meal, and sometimes two or three cloths were laid one over the other. (In some restaurants, a change of cloth during the meal is still a custom.) Another method was to lay a border or ‘cover’ of linen over the edge of the table, which is the origin of the restaurant ‘cover’ charge.
double damask (above opposite) A double damask napkin in a silver napkin ring indicates a formal table setting. In the Middle Ages, the size of the napkin would have indicated the rank of the guest.
starched linen (right) Starched napkins are piled high in preparation for a dinner. In earlier times, when large households employed a team of staff, there were servants whose exclusive job it was to care for the linen.
formal place setting This formal place setting has a white damask napkin and cutlery for two courses. Napkins are usually placed on top of the dinner plate or, alternatively, on the left-hand side of the setting.
At this time, the size of napkin that a guest brought to a meal would signify his wealth, therefore, the larger the napkin, the wealthier the guest. Servants would tie the napkin around the neck like a bib, and if the napkin was on the small size, it was said that its owner could ‘just make ends meet’. Napkins belonging to the ‘seigneur’, or lord of the manor, were large and luxurious and often magnificently embroidered. They were draped over the diner’s arm, just as a waiter in a smart restaurant might carry a napkin today – a habit that may have developed from this ancient custom.
Napkins have followed the dictates of fashion. In the times of ruffs and large lace collars, napkins were enormous in order to cover these elaborate accessories. As fashions changed, so did the style of napkin, and by the early 19th century the way in which it was used became a subject of scrutiny. Today, we only use napkins to dab our mouths or wipe our fingers.
In the 17th century, particularly in France, there was a vogue for folded napkins. One can imagine the theatre of special celebrations when napkins were folded into the shapes of animals, fruit, birds, butterflies and other complex shapes. Napkin folding was a profession in itself and a ‘napkin folder’ was employed by wealthy households to arrive the day before a feast and create these displays. This gave meals and banquets a great sense of occasion and it is this sense of visual excitement that we can recreate at our own table, using the plethora of different napkins and accessories we have at our disposal.
informal setting An informal setting requires only enough cutlery for one course – the knife and fork may be placed together on top of the napkin, on the right-hand side of the diner’s plate.
age-old traditions At formal restaurants or grand dinners, a starched white napkin is often placed over the waiter’s arm; a tradition that may have its origins back in the Middle Ages.
practical and elegant Napkins are sometimes placed around the neck of a wine bottle once it has been opened, to prevent drips or splashing when wine is poured, and to soak up any condensation if the wine is chilled.
sizes and types of napkin
Table linen, just like clothes, has its changing fashions and today we enjoy a wonderful choice of napkins, ranging from the correctly formal to the purely whimsical and decorative. There is always a suitable napkin for every type of function, from banquets and weddings, luncheons and afternoon teas and cocktail parties to more casual gatherings of friends and family.
The type of napkin used usually denotes the level of formality or the spirit of the occasion. Since the 17th century, it has been traditional for large white or cream damask, or plain-woven napkins to be used on formal dinner or lunch occasions.
One of the finest dinner napkins is the ‘double damask’. Damask is a firm fabric woven on a jacquard loom. Traditionally made of silk from Damascus, it can now be made from cotton, wool or a combination of fibres. The richly figurative design is produced by the contrast of a sateen weft against a satin warp. On a double damask, the pattern is represented on both sides of the napkin. Linen is preferable to cotton, as it is resistant to sunlight and is stronger.
luxurious linen (top left) A ‘double damask’ dinner napkin is the most luxurious and elegant option.
the perfect fit (bottom left) This classic setting demonstrates the simple arrangement of a folded damask napkin just overlapping the top and bottom of the dinner plate.
various napkin sizes from top to bottom: cocktail, tea, lunch, dinner and traditional early 20th-century French napkins.
fine linen (below left) An inviting afternoon tea tray is set with a white tray cloth and fine linen and organza appliquéd napkins.
cocktail napkins (far right) Champagne and strawberries are perfect for a summer’s day, and fine Swiss linen scalloped-edged and embroidered cocktail napkins make a charming accompaniment. Settings can be enhanced by linking the napkin decoration to that on the china or glassware. Here, the curves on the napkin echo the more graphic curves on the Christian Lacroix tea plate.
There are only general rules as to the correct size of a napkin. Traditionally, dinner napkins vary in size from 75 cm/30 inches square to 50 cm/20 inches. Anything smaller than this would be considered a lunch or supper napkin. Luncheon napkins tend to be more decorative and less formal than those used for dinner. Many feature embroidery or other decoration, such as drawn thread work or a woven or printed border.
Afternoon tea napkins are smaller still, at roughly 30–20 cm/12 –8 inches square, and can but don’t have to be laid on the lap. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, afternoon tea napkins were often exquisitely embroidered. Tiny cocktail or finger napkins are often fashioned from less sturdy, more fashionable fabrics. These can be made from lace, organza and organdie or fine cotton lawn. Cocktail napkins range from 15 cm/6 inches square down to handkerchief size.
less is more A modern and minimalist place card has been created using string and stencilled card to match a contemporary-style setting. The leaf pattern on the card echoes the other natural elements used for this table.
cross stitch (right) Create a stylish tie using a strip of felt sealed with two neat cross stitches.
tone on tone (left) These ivory napkins are held in place using vintage upholstery rings.
rope braid (above) A coiled satin rope braid napkin ring gives textural interest and adds to the contemporary use of materials in this elegant setting.
ties and ribbons
There are so many different ways in which we can use napkins to decorate and embellish table settings. Sometimes a napkin decorated with a simple tie or ribbon is all you need to add a stylish finishing touch to your table. Napkins may be tied with a wide variety of materials. Bracelets, necklaces, beads and haberdashery trimmings can all create beautiful and unique effects. Mixing colours, textures and fabrics is a great way to create different looks.
