Do you love vintage-style Vera Neumann? Do you love a great deal? Then check out Home Goods, because right now they have lots of colorful new tablecloths featuring vintage Vera Neumann designs. UPDATE: Reader Donna also reported finding these styles and a few more at Steinmart, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s — the second photo above is hers — thanks, Donna! This is versatile medium-weight, indoor-outdoor fabric: Kate skipped right past “tablecloth” and bought a bunch to make no-sew roman shades for her screen porch. How about using this fabric to make: Patio cushion covers… a bedskirt… window valances… pinch pleat panels…? Lots of yardage — 60″ wide and up to 102″ long — lots of vintage-style Vera Neumann happy retro color — for the money.
Kate was the one who spotted this deal and came up with the idea to use the tablecloths, in bulk, for her window treatment project. She wrote:
I needed a lot of wide, mid-weight fabric to make roman shades for my screen porch. But I wanted both retro style and an affordable fabric option. Thinking creatively trolling Home Goods, I hit the jackpot when I spotted Vera Neumann-design tablecloths in a 60- inch wide, medium weight, spill resistant indoor/outdoor fabric. I instantly loved the flowery retro Vera print and color. I bought three tablecloths — each about $20, for fabric at the equivalent of $7 a yard. Perfect! Now, I had the fabric I needed to make my no-sew, DIY roman shades.
There were several color ways and patterns available in sizes like 60 in x 84 inch oblong, 60 in x 102 inch oblong, 60 in x 120 inch oblong and a 70 inch round tablecloth. I swiped all three available tablecloths in this pattern. The two 60 x 84 tablecloths were $16.99 and the 60 x 102 tablecloth was $19.99 — a great deal for 7.5 yards of 60 inch-width fabric designed by Vera Neumann.
This whole project cost me just under $150. A fair chunk of that expense went to extra-long wood battens that I needed to buy given the width of my windows. Even so, I suspect that buying ready made roman shades in these large sizes would be much more expensive.
Kate fashioned her shades using tutorials she found online. Note, dear readers, that if you do a project like this, be sure to study up first on how to handle the cords — they can be a safety issue for children, pets, etc.
After Kate told me about her project, I stopped at my local Home Goods in Pittsfield, Mass. to see if there the Vintage Vera tablecloths were in stores nationwide. Yup, seems so: Lots of these tablecloths were on the shelves, including multiples, in case you’re thinking “project.” UPDATE: I checked Amazon, and they also have lots of Vintage Vera products, including tablecloths, if you can’t find them locally; I saw other patterns, too:
it’s so nice to see her designs licensed and reproduced again so widely today
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Or, just buy one of these Vintage Vera tablecloths — and use it as a tablecloth!
JP says
Her house was recently on the market as well. 2 owners! (that’s a lotta scarves..)
http://ossining.dailyvoice.com/real-estate/croton-home-designed-famous-architect-hits-market
http://curbed.com/archives/2013/11/06/totally-chic-marcel-breuer-design-asks-a-meager-1895m.php
Adrienne says
Yes, thanks! They just showed up at my local Home Goods (along with matching table runners and cloth napkins) and I was so excited to pick some up for my retro kitchen 🙂
Janet says
Thanks Kate for the fabulous find! I got some in floral blossom and they are exactly what I needed to brighten up my BEIGE kitchen. An unfortunate 90s kitchen remodel left my new to me house with no other way to tie together my awesome original brick backsplash and ceiling fixtures with a 1957 tangerine seated kitchenette and the really ugly “new ” cabinets. Beige kitchen walls are a crime against humanity. These soon to be curtains actually make it work and the often skeptical husband and child immediately approved. Thanks again Retro Renovation tor saving the day!
Silvertwinki says
GREAT Roman Shades, and ideas for these Vera tablecloths. I’m also going to add my 2cents on the ‘Vintage Vera’ use- the word ‘vintage’ should ONLY be used to describe things that are, in fact, vintage. But these pieces are new, and are reproductions, as you’ve clarified. So in the future, my suggestion is to use something like- Reproduction Vera, or Retro Vera. But not ‘Vintage Vera’. Reproduction clearly conveys it’s a remake, and Retro also implies it’s a remake of an earlier design. But using ‘vintage’ is not appropriate unless items of any kind are truly vintage. Additional guideline that I see utilized for using ‘vintage’ is 50+ years old, although with that said, I’ve also been told that 1980’s stuff is now considered ‘vintage’ :0)
pam kueber says
Hi Silvertwinki, for your input on this issue. I think I will change the post. Yes, I think it’s pretty darn clear when we talk about reproductions vs. vintage here… As you know if you read the blog regularly, I am a huge proponent of buying vintage, but when you’re needing yardage or something like a tablecloth, this kind of deal is hard to beat. These are properly licensed reproductions — a good thing! I read our old stories — there are 8,000 designs in the Vera Company stockpile!!
Oh and — I do not think there is any consensus, really on when vintage becomes vintage. I say 25 years… yes, the 1980s are now vintage, in my book: https://retrorenovation.com/2014/01/24/design-decorating-trends-1980s-lets-make-list/
Kelly Montano says
Pam, I agree that 25 years is vintage. The 80s definitely should be considered vintage. Oh, and by the way, I got that the Vera linens were reproductions and not true “vintage”, so no harm no foul. Anyone would know that going to Home Goods or TJ Maxx to buy something is not going to be buying true vintage products.
Kelly Montano says
My mom is forever doing stuff like this with tablecloths or sheets for curtains is her favorite. Napkins also make great pillows! I have learned that just because it is labeled a tablecloth, napkin or sheets does not mean it cannot be pillows, slipcovers, valances or even a Christmas tree skirt that I am making with a Dansk silver and white tablecloth I found last year.
pam kueber says
Yes, use the 70″ round ones for Christmas tree skirts! Good one, Kelly, thanks!
Elle says
WOW! Love that idea! It’s so funny because I’ve been picking up vintage curtains & tablecloths at thrifty places, as I’ve also found its far cheaper than purchasing yards of new fabric. Speaking of Vera, I was lucky enough to find 8 silk vintage Vera scarves at a local thrift store recently. One of my favorite designers!
Mary Elizabeth says
By the way, Home Goods, T. J. Maxx, and Marshall’s are all owned by the same company. Often if you cannot get something in one store (like matching napkins), you can get it in one of the others.
Mary Elizabeth says
Sorry I didn’t alert you folks to the tablecloths at the beginning of the season. I bought the “Daffodils” pattern tablecloth for my deck back in March, when things were still looking pretty dreary here in Connecticut. It looks great with solid yellow napkins and Corelle Spring Blossom dishes.
A correction, though. These are not vintage, but vintage reproductions. Since they are accurate reproductions of the original Vera Neumann patterns, though, you can find matching vintage napkins to go with them on eBay if your local Home Goods/T.J. Maxx/Marshall’s doesn’t happen to have them. Or you could buy the smaller tablecloth and make the napkins yourself.
Kate, what a great use for the tablecloths as fabric! You always come up with the greatest projects.
pam kueber says
… We know they are not vintage… We refer to Vintage Vera as a proper noun, a colloquial reference used widely in the thrifting community, I think….
Kat says
Just tried the Homegoods in the Milwaukee area…no luck, Kate must have bought them out! 😉 Now to try some TJ Maxx/Marshall’s tomorrow.
tammyCA says
The roman shades look so pretty. I saw Vera table clothes at Marshall’s a few months ago..gonna have to go check again ‘cuz I really like those bright floral ones & they didn’t have those.