Among the easiest sewing projects is to make cotton napkins. With just a couple basic supplies, you can produce this eco-friendly item that not only is reusable, but elegant too.
Supplies needed:
1 yard of cotton fabric. 100% cotton is most beneficial, but a cotton blend will continue to work too.
Thread to complement our fabric color, or coordinate with one of the colors within your fabric. Contrasting thread may be used for an even more decorative effect when sewing the edges of your cotton napkins.
Scissors
Tape measurer
Tailor chalk or marking pen
Sewing machine
Sewing Instructions:
Pre-wash and dry your fabric to remove any sizing from the fabric (sizing is just a finish on fabrics that could dull your needle); and and also to pre-shrink your fabric so that your stitches won't pucker the very first time you wash your napkins.
Decide what size and shape you'd like your napkins to be. An 8 inch square is just a nice size. Work with a tape measurer and the tailor's chalk or marking pen mark on our fabric the dimensions you've decided for your napkins.
Cut right out your napkins. You can fold your fabric in two to cut two napkins at once, or fold once more to cut four napkins at once. Bear in mind the more layers of fabric you cut through, the more likely the fabric would be to shift and your napkin sizes won't all function as the same.
Along with your sewing machine stitch set to zig-zag and a quick stitch length, use a scrap of your fabric to sew across the edges to try your stitch. Adjust the zig-zag width until it's the way you'd like it. The concept is for the zig-zag to be close together in order to complete the edge of the napkin to stop fraying.
Sew across the edge of each napkin along with your zig-zag stitch.
OR....
You can fold across the edge of the napkin 1/4 inch, and press by having an iron. Then fold again another 1/4 inch so no cut edges are showing, stitch near the folded edge with a straight stitch to create a clean edge for every single napkin.
OR...
If you have a serger machine, you can even serge across the edges of each napkin in order to complete the edges.
That's it! Your napkins are actually willing to use.