Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Cloth Napkin Tutorial


Good tutorial for making your own napkins

When choosing fabric for napkins, keep in mind a few things:


1) How easy is the fabric to care for? Will it hand press nicely or must it be ironed every time? (Remember, this is for family night, not company, otherwise I'd recommend ironing for sure!) Tip: If they tend to wrinkle and it bothers you, try gathering them from the center point and slipping them in a napkin ring.


2) Is the fabric soft to the touch? Since it will be used on the face, you will want it to be gentle to the skin.


3) Will the fabric hide stubborn stains easily? A solid fabric will show stains and wear faster than a busy print. It may not be everyone's style, but it's something to consider.


4) How much fabric do you really need per napkin?


The cheapest fabric isn't always the best choice. Consider the time you will invest making them as part of your decision. Once you've made one and understand the process, making them in an assembly line fashion will save you some time.





Press the corner over the template...




And then start pressing all four sides toward the wrong side. I turned under about 1/2' to 3/8' seam. On a project like this, I honestly don't measure much, I just make sure I do it the same all the way around. This is the kind of project I want to do quickly and I'm not necessarily looking to do it perfectly. However, if they were a gift or I was teaching my girls, I'd certainly measure!










Going back around, turn under a second time the same amount and press again...






Pin around the edges...



And stitch as close as you comfortably can to the inside edge of the fabric...



Stitch all the way around and be sure to back stitch once you've crossed over where you began so it won't come unstitched. You now have a finished napkin!





Click on the link in the title for the full tutorial.


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