Cloth Napkins

Cloth Napkins on Sanibel Island Vacation
 
Hello to all my friends and cloth napkin lovers!  We have just returned from a wonderful Sanibel Island Vacation in Florida and thought I would share a little of it with you.  (And, yes, I did take our own cloth napkins, but back to the story). We stayed in paradise at the most perfect resort, called Ocean’s Reach Condominiums, on Sanibel Island. It was absolutely awesome!! If you have never been to Sanibel, let me suggest it, along with Ocean’s Reach.  Sanibel is a little out of the ordinary in that there are no fast food places, no tall buildings, lots of lush tropical foliage, flowers everywhere, and wildlife like you can’t believe.  Our stay at Ocean’s Reach was perfect!! We checked in on Friday afternoon and the staff greeted us and made sure we had all of the necessities before going up to our unit. We stayed in unit 4D4, see our condo along with all of these other fine Sanibel Island Accomodations here. When we unlocked our door and stepped in, we knew we had really arrived. All of the rooms were exquisitely decorated and the unit was spotless.  We looked out the front slider to the Gulf and the beach was right there, if fact it was just 19 steps to the water.  Can you imagine being that close to the ocean?  Why, it was so close I could smell it and hear it from our bed at night.  Our condo was brand new and everything we could have possibly wanted was right there, including a beautiful, private, screened lanai overlooking the Gulf.  There is also a large pool oceanside to use that is kept comfortably heated and from the deck chairs you can watch all of the activity at the waters edge. Check out these Sanibel Island Pictures. Sanibel is very well know for the shelling, and the beach in front of Ocean’s Reach is ideal. The water is usually calm and on the shallow side which makes it great if you happen to have children, and the dolphin sightings are frequent. In fact, I was slowly meandering down the beach one morning looking for shells, and glanced up and right beside me, perhaps eight feet out from the shore, was a dolphin matching my stride. It followed me for a short while and then dove under and was gone. I was so thrilling to think it came that close to me and had singled me out. Wow!

      Sanibel sits east to west instead of the normal north to south, and this allows the island to catch shells easily and they then collect on the beach. The best time to hunt for shells is at low tide or after a storm. It is very a popular shelling place and everybody walks down the beach bent over at the waist so as not to miss that one rare, treasured shell, that the walk is dubbed the “Sanibel Stoop”.  It is really quite a sight!  Acording to many of the shellers on the beach, this particular stretch in front of Ocean’s Reach is well known for turning up a few rare ones. I found many shells during the week, but nothing out of the ordinary according to my book.

     We found many interesting things to do while staying at Ocean’s Reach. They have bicycles to rent and there are bike paths everywhere on the island, so you can even ride bikes to go to breakfast in the mornings, and our favorite place is Jerry’s. Outside at Jerry’s are all of these huge cages with the most beautiful exotic birds. I love to stop and visit with them.  Also, a very interesting place is the Sanibel Sea School, where you can go for the day and sign up for classes in many differentsubjects. This is a place for all ages to enjoy.  The Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is another very famous attraction.  The refuge is part of the largest underdeveloped mangrove ecosystem on the United States. It is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird populations.  J. N. “Ding” Darling is one of over 540 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  The entire complex is approximately 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes, and West Indian hardwood hammocks. The wildlife viewing is incredible. Go to Ding Darling for more detailed information.  One of my favorite places to visit was C.R.O.W., which is the clinic for the reahabilitation of wildlife.They do so many things I can’t even begin to tell you all, but there is one educational program given daily on the grounds of C.R.O.W. every Monday through Friday at 11:00 AM for the entire year and again at 1:00 PM every Sunday through the winter season. This is a must see in my book. You can go to C.R.O.W. to read all about it. Well, these are the only things I managed to do this last week beside sit in the sun and read, and pick up shells and more shells. I am back in the world of reality now, but I’d like to think I am a little better because of Ocean’s Reach Condominiums. Check it out and think about it for your next vacation. It truly was a paradise within reach, and don’t forget your cloth napkins!

How About A Knitted Purse? 

I’m off on another tangent! How about knitting a purse? Hop on down to your local Joanne Fabric Store or Walmart, or your favorite knitting store, and pick up a couple of skeins of wool yarn, and yes, it has to be wool. I know that Lion Brand has a new wool yarn out that comes in 18 beautiful colors and is only $5.99 a skein, and if you can’t find the color you want, you can order it direct from Lionbrand. It will take approximately three skeins to complete a small purse. You will also need a size 13 circular needle that is 16 inches long (size really is important),and two size 11 double pointed needles (I didn’t have size 11’s so I used the size 8’s I did have and it worked fine). You will be knitting the purse with two strands of yarn at all times and when it is finished, you will be felting it.
 
Using your circular needle and two strands of yarn, cast on 60 stitches loosely and join into a round.
 
Knit in rounds (knit all stitches in all rows) until your piece measures 16 inches.
 
On your last round, cast off in a knit stitch. This will be the top of your purse.
 
Turn inside out and lay flat.
 
Now to make the strap, use your double pointed needles, and cast on 4 stitches.
 
Cast on 4 stitches, *Knit 4 and don ‘t turn, slip sts to the other end of the needle. Take yarn across the back of work and repeat from *
until your strap measures approx. 36 inches long. If you haven’t made cording before, it is an easy and fun little process.
 
Now make another one just the same length.  When it is done I twisted the two straps together (it almost looks like it is braided) and secured to each side of the purse using a yarn needle and a piece of yarn, sew it on really well . I attached mine about one inch down the side.
 
Cast on enough stitches to equal about 6 inches and knit one row, purl back. Continue in this manner until your piece measures approx 6″ X 6″.
Sew your square onto the front of the purse, using your yarn needle and a single piece of yarn, leaving the top edge open., and you will 
have a small pocket. 
 
Sew the bottom seam of your purse closed.
 
Now to felt it……
 
Set your washer to hot and your load size to small and maximum agitation.
 
Put your purse in a zippered pillow protector, and place in washer.  Check it every five minutes or so, and continue to reset the washer to
agitate. Do not let it spin out.  When you are happy with the size, remove it from the washer. I rolled mine in a couple of old bath towels
to get out the excess water.
 
Next, I stretched it into the size and shape I wanted and stretched out my strap, keeping it in the twisted form, and laid it on another bath
towel to dry. The wet wool will smell a little like a wet dog for awhile.  Done!!
 
If you ever need to wash your purse, just use a mild detergent, and cool water and lay flat to dry. 
 
If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask. 

Knitted Place Mats
 
I decided to make some placemats to go with my cloth napkins I have made.  These placemats are so easy, I don’t know why I never thought of making then before.  I have made crocheted place mats before in an oval shape, and they never really laid  flat. I guess I didn’t do them very well and never tried again. But since knitting is a favorite hobby of mine, I decided to give it a shot.  I purchased some cotton yarn at Walmart in the thickest size I could find. It is called “Peaches and Cream” and is a 4ply, worsted weight, 100% cotton.  There were not a lot of colors to choose from, so I chose a yellow. I’m sure there are other brands out there, so just check around.
 
I started out with a size 10 needle and cast on seventy stitches. I then used a stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row), but you could use just plain knitting (garter stitch). I knitted until I reached 12 inches, and then bound off my stitches, *k2,and sl first stich over the second and repeat from* all the way across until the final stitch and tie off.
 
Because I did mine in the stockinette stitch, my edges curl. They can be pressed to lay flat, or you can not worry about that, or you can crochet around the edge, which will allow them to lay flat. All you have to do is to do a hdc (Half double crochet in each stitch around the edge with four hdc in each corner. They really take quite awhile to make, but they are easy, small to carry around with you, and something to do, and look very nice!

To Many Napkins? How about a shawl? 
 
Well, I have really been on a roll, and now I have so many cloth napkins, we can’t manage to use them all!! I have enough to give some away to my daughter and a couple of friends, and still have probably ten yards of fabric to make up. But, I need a break from the napkin world for a short while. I have a new project to share that is fun, easy, not too expensive, and also a green project !  Does anyone out there knit? If you don’t, don’t rush away because I can put you in touch with a super easy tutorial that will allow you to teach yourself on-line. Just click here. 

Continue Reading Free Shawl Knitting Patterns

Putting a little elegance in your life by using cloth napkins can be a trifle on the costly side, especially if you are purchasing them. Therefore, we need to talk about making them in an inexpensive way. Most of the time if you are going to make them, the only cost will be your fabric. If you are sharp, you can wait for sales and pick up some very nice fabrics for less than half price and sometimes for as little as one dollar a yard. If you can be patient and wait until the day after a holiday, the fabric is reduced by a large percentage. Then there is always the fantastic find at a garage sale or at the local thrift shop. Many people purchase fabric, then never use it and are eager to clear out their coffers. For the easiest pattern to make your own, check out my page, one layer napkins fringed.

Also, don’t forget when you are out on one of your bargain hunting quests, to not only look for fabrics, but look for napkins! These can often be found in the sale bins at many places, even at Walmart and Kmart. Keep your eye open at the local yard sales and also your local thrift shops. Don’t forget to ask your mother or grandmother if they have any extra that they are not using. These could be the least expensive of all.

Tea towels and small hand towels work well too. If you watch your sales, these can be found for practically nothing. Bandanas can make a very colorful selection of napkins for everyday or for that special picnic lunch. They in turn can be used after the meal is over to wet and really freshen up with. There actually are many uses for a bandana besides as your napkin. Just ask any of your neighborhood Brownies or Girl Scouts, they have lots of uses that they learn.

Many of our napkins at home don’t match and that doesn’t bother anyone in our household. In fact it can sometimes add a little extra color to our table. If you are a family that prefers to use your napkin for more than one meal, different napkins can make it easier to recognize your own. I will have to confess, I prefer to use a clean one for each meal, but that is just me. There is always room enough in one of my wash loads for a few napkins. Actually, where I was going was that you can make your napkins out of many things and it really doesn’t matter if there is enough fabric to make more than one or two. I have used a beautiful cotton skirt that didn’t suit my shape any longer, and made a set of four. Patchwork napkins are one more way to use up all the little extra pieces that are not big enough by themselves.

So you see, there are many ways to come up with inexpensive cloth napkins. With a small amount of patience, a little bit of time, and a sharp eye, you too can have many pretty, inexpensive napkins to adorn your table.

DII Primary Set of 6 Napkins

How To Make Quilted Napkins

I have been experimenting on making all types of cloth napkins, and quilted ones have me a little stumped. There are all styles of quilted placemats on the market. In fact they seem to be the best kind and they have that layer of batting between the top and bottom of the placemat. Okay, so now imagine a quilted placemat as a napkin. I can’t quite see it. They are just to thick and don’t bend or fold well. If you make them without the batting, then they aren’t really quilted. So I made some using the leftover scraps of fabric from the napkins I have been making, and they have a patchwork effect. So now I have two patchwork napkins that I am displaying below. I used my rotary cutter and made perfect four inch squares. I them laid them out in a pattern and sewed them together. I was so very careful to make my seams exact, and when I crossed over a seam, I made sure they were all pressed open , and they still came out a little crooked. If you are a quilter, you may know how to do this more precisely than I do, and if you know how to make all of those beautiful patterns that quilts come in, then your napkins would look more like a quilt.

Making quilted napkins seems like a very difficult thing to do. If any of you out there have done this, and would care to comment on how to accomplish this, I would welcome your expert advise. I am sure that there are many who would love to try this project. It would be a great way to learn quilting on a small scale.

Double Sided Napkins

1. Wash and dry fabric first.
2. Iron if necessary.
3. At each cut end of the fabric, go down from edge approx. ½” and make a small cut. You are now going to rip the fabric across to the other side. This puts your fabric straight on the grain and allows your napkins to always be square.
4. Make a square template out of poster board or cardboard the size you want your napkins to be plus ½” wider on each side. 16″ cut to 17″ for seam allowance. Cut out your squares.
5. Place two squares right sides together. Pin , putting your pins perpendicular to the edge of the fabric. This allows you to sew right over them.
6. Start at the center of one edge and in approx. ½”. Use your guide on machine to keep stitching straight.
7. Start sewing and when you reach a corner, leave needle in fabric, raise presser foot, and turn fabric to sew next side seam.
8. Sew next three sides and stop at corner of the fourth side.
9. Now you have a square with three sides closed and the fourth side half way closed.
10. Remove from machine and turn the napkin right side out thru the opening on your fourth side.
11. You will need to use something pointed such as a pencil or knitting needle to poke your corners out to points.
12. Iron and be sure to iron the seam allowance at the opening to the inside of the napkin.
13. Now return to your machine and make a straight line of stitching ¼” from the edge, all around the four sides, backstitching at the end.
14. Your napkin is complete!!

Single Layer Fabric Napkins Hemmed
 
Make sure your fabric looks the same on both sides. Gingham is a good example. This is not necessary, but does make prettier napkins.
1. Wash and dry your fabric.
2. Iron is needed.
3. At each cut edge of fabric, go down from the edge approx. ½ “, and make a snip into the fabric approx. ½” to 1″. Now you are going to rip it clear to the other side. This puts fabric straight on the grain, and allows your napkins to always lay flat.
4. Make a square template out of cardboard or poster board the size you want your napkins to be, plus ½” wider on each side. 16″ napkins cut 17″.
5. Go to your iron and press all side in ¼”.
6. Next press in all sides again ¼”. When you reach a corner, it is easier to mitre, but you can just fold over again if it is easier for you. This gives your hem no exposed edges by making a double fold.
7. Return to your machine and sew a straight line of stitching right down the middle of your hem and when you reach a corner, leave your needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot, turn the napkin and sew the next side until you reach your starting point. Backstitch and you are done. If you don’t have a machine, your hem can just as easily be put in by hand. I must also add, if you are lucky enough to have a serger, this would work so easily.
Your single ply napkins might also be hemmed in another way. You can purchase bias tape and sew around the edges, or perhaps even make your own by cutting your strips on the bias. Single ply napkins are the cheapest way to make your own, as you can get more out of your yardage, but my stitching is not always perfect, so they don’t always show as well.

One Layer Napkins Fringed

Make sure fabric looks the same on both sides. Gingham is a good example. This is not always necessary, but it does make them prettier.
1. Wash and dry fabric.
2. Iron is needed.
3. Cut a template out of cardboard or poster board to the size you need. 10″ 12″ 16″
etc.
4. Cut out your squares. A rotary cutter works very well.
5. Set your sewing machine to a zig-zag stitch or a straight stitch will work also. Run a
line of stitching on all four sides approximately ½ inch in from the edge.
6. Fringe each side of your napkin at least 5 rows of threads. They will fringe more as
they are washed, but the zig-zag will prevent them from fringing to far.

How To Fold A Cloth Napkin

Napery is the art of napkin folding. It is also sometimes referred to as napkin origami. Origami being the Japanese art of folding paper to create many objects . Napery became an art of folding fabric in the same manner. Many years ago in the late 1800’s dinner was a festive meal. Families dressed for the occasion and dressed their tables with their finest silver, china and cloths. It was a chance for families to show off their wealth, and it was a chance for the lady of the house to show off her cleverness. One way she was able to achieve this was by folding napkins in a creative manner.

Napkin folding is definitely a way to express your own personality and creativity still. One of the better napkin folding sites I have found is here.

I believe there are eleven different folds with simple to see instructions. No matter how many ways there are to fold, the first thing to remember is that you can’t fold napkins if they don’t crease well. Therefore the most significant consideration is the fabric content. Synthetic fabrics are made to resist wrinkles and stains, and just don’t hold up well to folding. A fabric made of cotton or linen fold very well and also take to starch easily. Napkins need to be at least 15″square, spotless, well starched , and ironed flat before beginning.

When learning napkin folding, the most important thing to master is the fold. They need to be made with a great deal of care and precision. Check your folds at each step for accuracy and then crease with your thumbnail. If you work on a hard surface , such as your countertop, the folds will crease easier. Start with a simple creation first, and remember if you become dispirited, walk away and take a break. It is usually easier when you return.

There are so many different ways to fold , you will be astounded. The French pleat, candle, crown, peak, flame, Bird of Paradise, are just to name a few, and if you go to Napkin Folding Guide, you will find easy instructions to follow for these and many others. One other fold for the outrageously bold, is the penis fold . It can add a hilarious touch to a special party and is found at You must see this video. There are also many other wonderful sites that show easily how to create, but the ones I have listed here are incredibly well done, and easy to follow. So fold on ,dear people, and enjoy your new creativity.