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I’ve used cloth napkins so long, I feel GUILTY when I reach for a paper towel. My Grandma made me some for Christmas about 15 years ago with matching place mats and after I moved away from OKC to Chicago I thought about her every time I used them. So not only are cloth napkins the “green” way to go but I’ve also developed a sort of comfort attachment in some way I guess.. I tucked those napkins and place mats away for safe keeping and I’ve just gotten around to replacing them and I’m going to give you an easy tutorial on how to make some for yourself.
Over the years, I’ve used several methods for making napkins. From one-sided to the fancy ones that are doubled-sided with mitered corners..these are reserved for the holidays,
but today we are just going to make double-sided with a top stitch.
The pic above is from the “I Glimma All Over The Place” blog post about a month ago and those napkins have been tried and tested through many washes and I am here to tell ya that they look and feel like new! So don’t hesitate on going green yourself… let’s get started on your own set!
I used fat quarters for mine but you can use up some of that fabric from your stash by cutting 18 ” squares. You will need 2 per napkin.
Place your (2) 18″ squares right sides together. Pin so it doesn’t shift while sewing.
Using a 1/4″ seam allowance sew all the way around the fabric, leaving a 3-4 inch opening for turning.
Clip the corners, being careful not to cut through the stitches.
Turn right sides out through the opening. I used this handy little thingamajig to poke my corners out nicely. Just make sure you don’t push too hard. You’ll push right through your seams.
Press, making sure to turn in the openings raw edges.
Top stitch close to the edge on all sides to secure the opening. This helps keep the fabric from shifting and will help it lie nicely over time.
And you’re all finished! Now go make a nice meal for your Babe or Sweetie to compliment your pretty napkins!
Make sets for your holiday table..
Or gifties for your friends. They’re sure to be impressed!
Do you have a tea lover on your Christmas list?
I do too and these little tea wallets are perfect for them. The wallets hold up to 4 packaged tea bags.
It only takes (4) 5″x 7″ pieces, 5″ x 7″ fusible interfacing, button and elastic or ribbon. These were really easy to whip up. I actually made all of these last night. It would have gone much faster too if my machine wasn’t being so angry with me! We had a couple of fights last night:)
I made myself one too. Since I’ve given up soda/caffeine, I’ve been drinking a lot of water. That gets old real fast so this seemed like a great idea to take with me when I’m on the go. Especially since there are a lot of teas out there that are decaf.
Here’s the tutorial I used for these if you’re interested.
Toss this in your purse and you might just find yourself asking for a mug of hot water instead of soda the next time your out for lunch!
The buzz is summer’s almost over…bummer:(
Russell’s already registered for school and then before you know it, I’ll be getting up at the crack of dawn. No more sleeping in. I LOVE to sleep in!
I’m actually ready for fall, like I’m sure most of the country is, since we’ve had extreme temperatures this year.
Birdie’s still hanging in there though. I love the sunflower idea and my mom suggested a bumble bee. That was a great addition to an already cute block. Thanks again Little Miss Shabby!
My Birdie block for May is finally finished! I snagged one of my sewing machines and other necessities from under the paint tarp and set up shop “old school” on my kitchen table. It doesn’t bother me to sew there, except the table’s too high and my back starts to ache from stretching…or maybe it aches from having to use the proper posture to reach the machine.
But any who, it doesn’t matter how it was finished as long as it was. I must say it turned out cute! I don’t even think this pic does it justice. I weeded out some of the smaller flowers and used the Cosmo Seasons variegated floss. A different one for each flower.
Thanks again Little Miss Shabby for another cutesy, fun block!
Yesterday, Jeanne, my Oklahoma Sista from my Flickr Tea Group asked us how our spring projects were going. Well, Jeanne here’s what I’ve been doing and I’d have to say they are going pretty well. I made these cute tea towels with some of my leftover Grandmother’s Flower Garden blocks.
These make me want tulips, warm weather, and green grass. Speaking of tulips, I was too lazy to plant mine last fall and they’re trying to bloom in my garage! Can you believe that! I did see signs of my Hyacinths coming up yesterday..Yay!
Isn’t that the cutest little embroidered bunny?
So what are you working on to chase away the winter?
I finally have one of my sewing boxes listed on the Etsy store. I actually cut into..I know, say it isn’t so..the unfinished Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt I was working on to make this box.
I hand stitched everything from the flowers, the quilting, and the covering on the underside of the lid and I gotta tell ya that this is hard to part with. I think it turned out just awesome! It’s made from a vintage sewing machine treadle drawer and I’ve attached a lid that doubles as a pincushion. I use mine behind my machine for easy access to my pins, machine needles, and presser feet. It’s one of the things in my sewing room that is unique.
I’ve made several of these over the years. My mom has one out of an orphan block. My Grandma and my Mom-n-Law also have one. This is a pic of mine…
I also made the yellow one on the left. It turned out sooo cute! I machine appliqued the Grandmother’s Flower onto a cute yellow and purple flowered background and hand embroidered a lazy daisy flower in the center.
I’m choosing not to list this cutie on Etsy because it’s not as perfect as I like my things to be. Its flaw is that it doesn’t seem to close as tightly as the other one and I had to move the hardware on it once. If it were mine, I would love it just the same but I kinda figured that if I’m expecting someone to pay for it, then they expect it to be at least close to perfect. I can’t list something I’m not completely happy with.
I just hate the thought of it not being used and loved by anyone. So I thought I would give it away to anyone who leaves a comment on this post today. I’ll pick the winner and post it tomorrow, Saturday the 19th.
So if you’re interested please let me know. Remember it’s only for today, Friday the 18th.
Have a great weekend!
SewMod