quilting

Cloth Napkins

I made cloth napkins this week. Not quilt-related, but a necessity here at the Pieceful Thoughts household. Years ago, I switched to using cloth napkins. I have some that I purchased about 15 years ago. Those napkins have been used frequently and are just beginning to show wear. It is time to replace them, and I’ve been unable to find any similar pre-made cloth napkins that I like.

So what to do? Make them, of course! I began the search for fabric and came up wanting. The original napkins are made from a loosely woven cotton, similar to homespun, but a bit heavier. I like them because they are soft, absorbent, and have a nice weight. While shopping at a discount home goods store, I came across a tablecloth with exactly the fabric I was looking for. The tablecloth measured 60″ x 84″ and cost $9.99.

Cloth Napkins - I made cloth napkins from a 60" x 84" tablecloth - piecefulthoughts.com

Obviously I wasn’t thinking about the upcoming holiday season while choosing the tablecloth. Actually I wasn’t terribly fussy about the color or design. I wanted the right fabric at a decent price.

The first thing I did was launder the tablecloth. I wanted to be sure it didn’t run, shrink, or lose its shape. It washed up beautifully. Then it sat while I was busy with other quilting projects.

I literally grabbed it the other day and started cutting 20″ squares. In my haste I didn’t bother to do any math. I also miscut my last strip, so some of the cloth napkins will be rectangular. No matter; they’ll still be useful.

Once cut, I pressed one-inch in around each square, then folded the raw edge under to create a half-inch hem. I stitched around the square using my walking foot.

Cloth Napkins - Creating a half-inch hem for my cloth napkins using my walking foot - piecefulthoughts.com

I didn’t even bother with a mitered corner. My walking foot handled the thickness just fine.

Cloth Napkins - No mitered corner, just folded the corners over and kept stitching - piecefulthoughts.com

The cloth napkins went together so easily. In just an afternoon, I had six napkins ready. The rest will be finished on another day. Once the project is done, I should 9 napkins and very little waste fabric.

Cloth Napkins - I've made six cloth napkins, so far, from a 60" x 84" tablecloth - piecefulthoughts.com

While walking through another home goods shop the other day, I noticed some pretty Christmas tablecloths. I passed them by, but just thought I’d let you know in case you want to whip up some cloth napkins for the holidays. [wink]

Happy Wednesday, friends! I hope your week is going well!

Wendy

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