cloth napkins

This week I have been spending some time trying to figure out some crafty Christmas gifts. "Christmas?!?!" you say in shock. Absolutely. I figure if I start now I have much more time to make things and might get it all done. I really like making gifts for people but only if they are practical and I think they will really like them and get good use out of them which sometimes makes it difficult to think of things. Anyway, I got a few things figured out but can't post them for obvious reasons. I am going to have to start gathering coupons for Joann's though and make a trip for some of the little things I need. I also don't really like to make big things. I tend toward projects that won't take me more than a few hours so as to limit the frustration I have time to feel.

Speaking of small projects, recently I purchased the book Bend-the-Rules Sewing, mostly because it has lots of small projects that don't require much fabric and thus, I can use a lot of what I have instead of buying more fabric, a real money saver. I was looking through it last week and discovered the pattern for cloth napkins which are simple and use fabric beautifully! I got very excited but also annoyed at myself at the same time for not having thought of it myself. Had I just stopped to think about it, it would have occurred to me that you just need a piece of fabric and then to fold the sides over and sew. If I had just looked at the cloth napkins I already have I might have noticed. But at any rate, there it was and I decided that I could make some cloth napkins that are all cute and mis-matchy and I could also make some pot holders with the leftover scraps. Genius, pure genius! So that is just what I did this weekend. The potholders are not completed due to the fact that I need to get some batting that won't, ya know, melt when heated thus defeating it's primary purpose. So the fabric pieces are ready to go once I have the rest and the napkins are done and really cute. In fact, they are so cute, I might make more, a gift set perhaps? Only time will tell. So first up are the napkins by themselves. They are about 13x9 or so when opened so the perfect size when folded for a muffin or scone (tea party anyone??) And then we have the napkins with their matching soon-to-be pot holders.