Dinner Napkins With A Rolled Hem Finish

 

Many people use cloth napkins instead of paper ones, not because it’s better for the landfills and forests (though it is) but because they’re superior to the paper ones.  At the dinner table they are much more satisfying to wipe fingers on (they won’t tear) and they’re big enough and tough enough to clean up spills and other little table emergencies.
Another benefit of using cloth napkins is that they’re frugal because they can be washed and used again and again, you save money on buying paper napkins every month.  The best part is that they’re really easy to make yourself.  This is an excellent project for a beginner sewer and a super quick one for an experienced sewer.  It takes only 1 yard of fabric to make 4 generously sized cloth napkins.
 

You can make them all match or you can make them to mix and match.

You can make them out of many different fibers but I suggest using either a 100% cotton or a 100% linen or a combination of linen and cotton.  I would avoid using any synthetics.  My supplies list assumes you already have scissors and other necessities of sewing such as an iron.

What you will need:
1 yard of fabric
matching thread

 
Step 1: Fold your yard of fabric in half, and then in half again.  Use a ruler to mark straight square lines in an 18″ x 18″ size.    If your yard is a little short you may need to cut your squares a little bit smaller to compensate which is fine, you’ll still have a nice sized napkin.
 
Step 2: On each napkin fold two parallel edges of the fabric under 3/8″ or 1/2″ and press them flat.  Fold each of them under again the exact same width and press.  (See the two pictures above to see the folded edges.)
 
Step 3: Stitch along the edge of the hem on all the pressed sides of the squares.  Press again.
 
Step 4: On each napkin fold the remaining raw edges under 3/8″ or 1/2″ and press them flat.  Fold each of them under the same width again and press.
Step 5: Stitch along the edge of the hem on all the pressed sides of the squares.  Press again.

Step 6: If you have any edges hanging out of the hem at the corners carefully trim it off.  This isn’t necessary but will help your project look more professional.  Do  a final pressing.

Project notes: You can make your napkin hems as narrow or as wide as you’re comfortable with.  I never measure when I make them, (though I suggest that all beginners use a seam gauge until they can consistently eyeball widths), and I nearly always end up right between 3/8″ and 1/2″ hems which is a fraction I don’t care to calculate.  The important thing is that all your hems are the same width as each other.
I insist on a lot of pressing while sewing but once I’m done with a project I rarely ever press it again.  With these dinner napkins you won’t need to press them after washing if you line dry or if you fold them immediately when they come out of the dryer.  I recommend washing all fabrics in cold water and using a low setting on your dryer to prevent shrinking.

This is a tutorial for making the round pot holders I used to make and sell in my store.  They are easy to make once you’ve gotten the hang of stitching the bias binding in place.  I cannot stress the importance of not skipping the basting and pressing steps.  Your bias binding will look much nicer and the end product will look more professional if you take these steps.  Pot holders might not be the most glamorous item to sew but they can add instant cheer to a kitchen and the truth is that everyone who cooks needs them.  Because cooking is hard on them, you will always need more.  They make great gifts and don’t use a lot of materials.  (Please see the asterisk for information about total yield you can expect from the materials list I’ve given.)

Materials needed for potholder:

Piece of paper

1/4 yard main fabric

1/4 yard contrasting fabric

1/4 yard Insul-brite (insulated batting)

1 yard double width folded bias tape

Method:

1.  Draw a 9″ circle on the piece of paper to use as your pattern.  Cut it out.

2.  Cut one circle out of the main fabric and one circle out of the contrasting fabric.*

3.  Cut 2 circles of the Insul-brite (you need the double layer to protect your hands from the heat properly.)

4.  Cut a 5″ length off of the yard of bias binding and stitch it shut along the open end and then trim the ends with pinking sheers.
 
5.  Sandwich the Insul-brite between the front and back fabrics.  Baste all the layers together.  This is important: you must not skip the basting because the layers will certainly shift while you baste the bias binding onto the edge if you don’t do this step.
 
6.  Baste the bias binding around the edge of the pot holder pulling gently as you stitch to reduce puckers.  Do the best you can to keep the tape even on both the front and back.
 
7.  When you get to the end, tuck the raw edge under.  (You may need to trim it if there’s too much left over.  You should only tuck about 1/2″ under.)

 

8.  Your pot holder should now look like the above picture.  Do you notice that the binding is a little puckered?  At this point you need to iron your potholder making sure to press the binding as smooth as you can.  You need steam to do an effective job.  Do not skip this step.  This will make a big difference in the quality of your finished product.
 

See how much smoother this looks once it’s been pressed?

9.  Carefully stitch the bias binding down.

10.  Remove the basting stitches.

11.  Take your 5″ length of bias binding and put one end on the top front (covering the folded under part of the binding) and one end in the back.  This is easy, but difficult to explain so refer to the picture above to see how to place it.  Stitch it in place.

*1/4 yard of your main fabric will yield 4 potholder fronts, or 2 complete pot holders with the same front and back.  I like doing all my sewing in bulk so my recommendation is to make four pot holders at the same time.  The 1/4 yard of Insul-brite is just enough for four pot holders.  If you decide to make 4 of them at a time you will need 1 yard of bias binding for each additional pot holder.

Fabric note: Because you will be using pot holders to protect your hands from very hot pots and pans, you should only make pot holders from 100% natural fibers.  The best choices are cotton or wool.  Synthetic fibers have a tendency to melt when they come in contact with high heat which, if they melted close to your skin, could cause you some serious injury.
You may also enjoy doing these projects:
Make a mushroom smock
Create a gift larder (includes a different pot holder tutorial)

Home canned goods wrapped in a handmade dish towel.

Beautiful homemade gift basket collection including potholders, decoupaged match boxes, tea cup candle, and home canned goods.

Different presentation from Bethany’s gift larder.

Close up of decoupaged match boxes and tea cup candle.

Note from the headmistress Mrs. Williamson: Bethany Mann, best known as Bitter Betty from her creative crafting blog Bitter Betty Blogs, spent many years working for Nordstrom’s as the regional manager of the window displays before deciding to leave her career to stay home and pursue a more personally rewarding path of becoming an urban homesteader and professional craftsperson.

On her blog you can find useful craft and homesteading tutorials.  Here she is presenting several projects you can easily make from things you likely already have, or can find inexpensively at thrift stores, to create a gift larder.

Give What You Have

By Bethany Mann

Every Urban Homesteader can appreciate the happiness and security of a full pantry, made by your own hands. It is also a great idea to keep a full gift larder, making gifts in batches, to give for most any occasion. Using what you have on hand and recycling make these gifts both green and affordable, which makes giving and receiving them that much better.
I have started a gift larder of my own. It began with putting up some extra preserves with nicer labels. I have moved on to also putting up a few other items that are great to keep on hand. These projects are ideal to do in the wintertime, while the garden is resting.
I do try and reuse as much as possible and some of these items required little or no new purchases to create.

Thrifted Teacup:
Clean the teacup thoroughly.
Chop up old candles and crayons, or new candle wax, into tiny pieces. I like to use the big pillar candles after the wicks get buried and they are no longer useful… but often still have a pound or so of wax left. Half-burned tapers are even easier to chop up. The wick bits are skimmed off after melting.
Melt in a tin can over a pot of boiling water.
(Do not heat in oven, with direct heat, or in the microwave,
as this is a huge fire hazard.)
Prepare the teacup by putting a new cotton wick into a wick clip and tying to a bamboo skewer that has been laid across the top of the teacup.  The wick should extend up from the bottom of the cup.
Pour the melted wax slowly into the cup to the desired level.
Let cool overnight.
Best given with:

Decoupage Matchboxes:
Take the slider off the box of matches.
Cut paper to fit. Reuse wrapping papers and pretty gift cards or magazines.  You can use just about anything!
Use decorative shears to cut borders.
Punches can add pretty 3-d elements to the boxes.
Coat the flat non-strike surfaces with Mod-Podge.
Place the paper and let dry, pressing out the air bubbles as you go.
You can either add a topcoat or not, as you desire.
Glue the 3-D punch-outs in place.
Another couple of items that always seem to be needed are the ubiquitous pot holders and dish towels. Everyone uses them – and they wear out and get shabby so quickly.
These also make a great extra to add to the jar of jam.  The dishtowel can even be used as wrapping!
I use scraps from my stash to make the potholders and trim the dishtowels.
A day or two at the machine, and you can have a nice little stack ready to give.

Quickie Potholders:
Cut 3 strips of coordinating fabric for each front panel.
Strips should measure 4×9 inches.
Cut one rectangle that is 10×9 inches for back panel.
Sew strips together (1/4 – inch seam allowance) and press open seams.
Place front panel, right sides facing on back panel, and pin if you desire.
Sew around the perimeter leaving a 4 inch opening at the “top” of your potholder.
Layer in 2-3 layers of cotton batting or recycled towel and smooth flat.
Hand stitch (or machine stitch) the opening closed, inserting a loop of ribbon with which to hang the holder.
Machine or tie quilting makes this project even nicer.
I machine quilt mine in a loose square spiral pattern.
Handmade dish towels can be trimmed with patchwork, stamped with potato prints, or embroidered to match.
Often freshly-baked goodies are gift enough, but a sophisticated presentation can be a little tricky. I am trying to avoid using plastics too much and the prints on the average tins are usually “not my style.”
On the upside, that is easily changed.

Peace Tins:
Thrift store purchased tins are cleaned and sanded.
Several coats of a non toxic (check label – some are okay for kids’ rooms) spray paint applied to both top and bottom.
Find a plate that is slightly smaller (by 1.5 to 2 inches) than the lid.
Trace it on the lid, and also on contact paper.
Use blue tape to mark the peace symbol lines on the contact paper and cut out along the lines.
Re-assemble on the lid using the circle line as a guide.
Spray paint the lid white and let dry.
Remove the contact paper.
Wash, line with wax paper, and fill with cookies.
I also keep an eye out for clean baskets while thrift shopping. People donate these like crazy. These are cleaned, sometimes painted and filled as needed for whatever occasion may come up.
Why not give yourself the present of never having to make a mad dash to the mall or pull an all nighter and set up a little gift larder all your own? You’ll probably want to send yourself a Thank You card every time you use it.

This project was created and brought to you by my very close friend Lisa E. who is an excellent knitter with an Etsy shop called Knitpotato where you can buy pretty scarves, felted bags and bowls, and super cute crocheted caps.

 
Lisa is always experimenting with ways she can recycle and reuse the things she already has at home.  She gardens, preserves food, and is an excellent cook.   She is always inspiring me to use what I have in the cupboards to whip together amazing meals.  I hope you will try her project and check out her shop.
 

Why would anyone want to knit a washcloth? Because they are quick and easy to make, and the process is oh so satisfying! Knitted cotton washcloths are durable and become super soft the more they are used and laundered (machine wash and dry). Did I mention economical? One ball of cotton yarn, readily available at your local craft store for a couple of bucks will make two washcloths. Better yet, if you have odds and ends left over from other projects, it is a great stash-buster!

Making knitted washcloths is a great project for the beginning knitter or for anyone wanting a simple and rewarding project. If you are new to knitting and don’t have a friend or relative to show you the ropes, just get on the web and find a tutorial for any knitting technique you are not familiar with. You will be well-versed in the knitting basics after the first one (cast on and bind off, knit, increase and decrease), but I bet you won’t want to stop until you have a good supply for yourself and for last-minute gifts.

This project is knit on the bias.  The first half you will increase one stitch on each row creating a triangle shape, and the second half you will decrease one stitch on each row to make a square. These increases and decreases create a pretty eyelet border. 

The eyelets make it easy to hang to dry when you are finished using it.

You can easily adapt this pattern to make a baby blanket if you keep increasing until you have the desired size.

Get set to crank out a stack of these babies and have them ready for birthday presents or stockpile them for a great Christmas present along with a special bar of soap.

You will need:

Size 6 – 9 US knitting needles

1 skein 100% cotton yarn such as Lion Brand Cotton or Lily Sugar’n Cream

Instructions:

Cast on  stitches.

Row 1: Knit across row.

Row 2: K2, yarn over, knit to end of row. (5 st)

Repeat row 2 until you have 40 – 45 stitches depending on the desired size of your finished washcloth.

Next row: K1, K2tog, yarn over, K2tog, knit to end of row.

Repeat until 4 stitches are left. Knit one more row and then bind off.

Here is a fairly quick and easy project you can do to make use of men’s shirts that may have grown too shabby for the office or for dressing up.  If you don’t happen to have any lying around your own house, they are easy to find at thrift stores for a couple of dollars.  Smocks are  great garments to have around for cooking in, mucking out chicken runs, doing yard work, or wearing while canning.  They cover your clothes more fully than most bib aprons.

Sewing skills needed: ability to apply bias binding to a seam edge and experience making and stitching appliques.  This project is appropriate for intermediate level sewers.

Materials needed:

1 men’s shirt

3 yards narrow bias binding

matching thread

contrasting fabrics for applique (1/8 yard each of 3 different fabrics of your choice)

fusible web (1/8 yard should be enough)

2 pieces of paper

This project is easiest if you have a dress form on which to make your alterations.  If you don’t have one, you will need to use a friend or family member to model the shirt while you pencil in the shape of your neckline.

1.  Pencil in your desired neckline.  There is no science to this.  You can keep the neckline high if you prefer for more coverage or scoop it out lower for a looser fit.  Sketch it out using your dress form for guidance to help make each side as even as possible.   Try to follow the natural curves of the neckline of the dress form or the person helping you.
In the front you want to keep your eye on where the buttons are and sketch your cutting line either just above a button or just below it.
In the back you want to avoid cutting into styling details that are already sewn into the shirt such as yokes with pleats.
 

2.  When you are satisfied with the shape of the neckline, cut the shirt along the lines you have made.  Then cut the sleeves off of the shirt as well.  Don’t widen the armscye until you try the smock on after this first cutting.
Once you have tried it on you can widen the armscye if you need more room (a smock should be a comfortable garment) and make any adjustments to the neckline that you feel will improve it.
 

3.  Now measure your neckline and your armscye and add 1″ to each measurement to allow for turning the ends under.  If it’s a little longer than you need you can snip the excess off when you’re finishing the edges.  It is better to have a little too much than not enough in this case.

4.  Stitch the bias binding on your raw edges.
 

At this point you have a usable smock and if you like it plain then you’re set to go.  But making an applique is such an easy embellishment that I urge you to do it.  My mushrooms give me joy every time I see them and it is the little touches like these that make putting on an apron or smock so enjoyable.

To Make A Pocket:
1.  Using one of the pieces of paper measure out a rectangle that is 8.5″ wide  x 9.5″ tall (use a T-square ruler if you have one). 

Note: if you are petite you may need to make a smaller pocket, depending on the width of the cut open sleeve of the men’s shirt you’re using.  I have simply supplied you with the measurements I used.

2.  Cut open one of the shirt sleeves that you removed and press it.

3.  Pin the rectangle to it at its widest point, making sure that if there are stripes you line them up with the straight edge of the paper.

4.  Cut it out.

5.  press the top of the pocket under 1/2″ and then turn it under 1/2″ again and stitch it down.

At this point you need to make your applique which you will sew to the pocket before stitching the pocket in place on the smock.

1.  On your second piece of paper draw out 2 mushrooms (I made one slightly bigger than the other).  Keep in mind that you will be cutting the stem from the top so that you can use contrasting fabrics.  Cut the mushroom shapes out.  You should have 2 stems and 2 caps.

2.  Using your paper cutouts as patterns, cut out one each of these in the fabrics you have chosen.

3.  Now use your mushroom pattern to cut out fusible web.  You don’t have to use the fusible web but I find it makes appliques so much easier to stitch without having the fabrics pucker.

4.   On your ironing board, lay all the fabric mushroom pieces together on the pocket with the fusible web between them and iron them in place.  (Do not move your iron back and forth.  Just place the iron over the applique and apply gentle pressure for several seconds.)

5.  Use a narrow zig-zag on a shortened stitch length (or an applique stitch,  if you have one) to stitch the pieces in place.
The Last Step- stitching the pocket on the smock:

1.  Turn the sides of the pocket under 1/2″  and press them.

2.  Turn the bottom of the pocket under 1/2″ and press it.

3.  Place the pocket on the shirt.  If you have stripes try to match them up (but don’t agonize, this detail will not be noticed by others, just by you if you can achieve it.) and pin it in place.  I placed mine about 1.5″ from the hem of the shirt.  Place it where it feels comfortable to you.

4.  Top stitch the pocket edges down.
Now show me your work please!  I want to see the pretty smock you’ve made.