Sandi, I have never done it from bought fabric, but if you want to make me a dozen feel free!!!. I did make some for everyday use from good dishtowels I found, just cut in half and sew one hem. They stand up well to washing.

My powder room is windowless, so I bought one of those mirrors that look like a window, installed a rod above it and use pretty napkins, folded, I got at Tues Morn as a valance. Easy to change, and just the right size, a real val would be too big .DH made me a little ledge for it so I can put some decorator access on it.

I have a large collection, most of them found on sale for no more than a dollar. I like to be sure I can use a little bleach, cause some of those stains are brutal. The new stain sticks have made it a little easier though. I have some that I used more than a little bleach, and now they are pale! I have them in a "next stop, rag box, but I always try to give them a Tintex bath before I give up on them!
Like everything else, I am always on the look out for a good buy on napkins, and unless I ruin them somehow, they are here for a LONG time.

Kathleen_li, Your bathroom window sounds very interesting. I don't know what the mirror looks like. I don't think I've ever seen one. I like the ideas of the folded napkins and the little ledge also. It's nice to have a DH that can make little things for us.
I have a lot of napkins, but they are all pastel colors. I want to get some that are more colorful and some that are just fanciful. I definitely believe is the Tintex also. LOL

Sandi, I noticed you passed over the dozen napkins for me idea, LOL.
Do you mean you want plaids, flowers, geometrics??? And what colors, I will look for you.
And today they are rej messages if you have already replied unless you change the title...pain...

Morning Sandi and Kathleen, i've wondered about that too, and thought about buying the biggest sized tablecloth(120"??) and using one of my larger napkings as a pattern. Since tablecloths come in so many different colors, and napkins are usually scarce, it might be fairly easy to find the color you need. I haven't done it yet, but that's my thoughts if you can't find what you need. Also, it might be hard to find the right fabric needed for napkins.

Sandi, I found Battenburg placemats/napkins in a package of four, problem is, I can't remember where! At the moment the placmats are covering pillows, but can be taken apart since they're only hand-stiched. I know they had to be inexpensive, or I wouldn't have bought them, bargain hunter that I am!LOL Try Macy's and thrift stores.

Kathleen, the dish-towel idea is a good one for casual dinners too. Small square 'dresser scarves' would work also if you were doing a romantic table. I collect vintage linens, but only white. They wouldn't all have to match.

DO look at your antique store linens!! ;o)

patty_cakes

Kathleen_li, My mind isn't working right today. We have the Military Ball and I've been running back and forth getting ready and reading the posts here.

I still don't have a reply for the dozen napkins. I'm sure by tomorrow I will though. ;~)

What colors? Hmmm, black and white plaid, yellow and pink floral, green and white check, something for St Paddy's Day...I haven't thought beyond that. I plan on hitting Walmart tomorrow if I have any energy left after tonight.

Patty_cakes, I thought about the tablecloth idea also. I remember seeing a really cute Halloween cloth at a dollar store for $5. It was large enough to cut for napkins and still have enough left to make either a tablerunner or a large square to place on the table diagonally. I wasn't in the sewing mood then, but I still should have bought it. I'm going to keep my eyes open.

Patty, That is a good idea re the tablecloths. Sometimes they have really good markdowns at TJ Maxx and the like. Oh oh!, a new hobby!
Sandi, that is why we have to have a notebook. After holiday sales, buy the stuff cheap,then forget where we put it or why we bought it.
Some day if I ever get off this computer, I think I will try that with the tablecloth. They would be durable, since the tablecloth gets washed. Maybe pick a tablecloth up at a garage sale and practice on that!

Kathleen, you go girl!! And if you get one at a garage sale you'll hardly be spendng a dime, so won't care if you mess up a few times. Practice makes perfect! ;o)

parrt_cakes

Sandi, I have thought about that too--but didn't want them to look "home made". It would be fun to find cute fabrics with designs on it and turn it into colorful napkins to match or complement your dishes. Make sure it is an absorbent fabric. Wouldn't be hard, but would be a little time consuming. Make sure you use a purchased napkin for a pattern and take your time on stitching the hems. Once I found a package of eight plain white napkins for $5.00 at Tuesday morning. I stenciled flower designs in the corners--family didn't want to use them because they didn't want to mess them up! Ha ha

I used to get lots of napkins at Ross really cheap--but never find any now. Last purchase was some battenburg lace trimmed ones in perfect condition at TS for 50 cents each--I could only find four of them. I just run them through the washing machine with soap and bleach and they are good to go.

Let us know how yours turn out if you try it. Okay? Luvs

Luvs, That was a good price at Tuesday Morning for the napkins. And a very good idea to stencil a design on the corners. I'll have to remember that. Have you ever done any painting on fabric? You could paint some beautiful ones. Some done with embroidery or cross stitch on the corners would be pretty also.

Yes, I have painted on fabrics some, and could do that. Would be pretty easy to do a one stroke rose or other flower. I'm not too fond of doing "multiples" of anything--get bored after the first couple usually. That would be a good "take along" project for our next motorhome trip, wouldn't it? Luvs

I haven't sewn in years, and I'm not good enough to get those "fine" hems, it would drive me crazy. LOL I don't have too much of a problem finding napkins, but that's cause I constantly look for them and when I see ones I want, I snap them up quickly. I do use solid colored ones alot, many colors can intermix with patterned table cloths and other patterned dishes.

Luvs, I feel the same way about doing "muliples". When I do start a project that requires me to do a lot of one thing I always have to make myself finish and swear I'll never do that again. LOL

Judith, You have so many beautiful dishes to mix and match that any napkins you use are just "lagniappe" (There you go Kathleen). I'm hoping to use napkins & other accessories to add more "umph" to my basic sets. That will help me save on money and storage, both of which I really need. ;~)

Sandi - I have sewn my own napkins and tablecloth to match. I think you need a medium weight material, cut 18", turn in 1/2" and then again 1/2" so it comes out 17" square. Last year I needed something different for my kitchen table so I purchased the material at Walmart (on sale) made 4 napkins and the square tablecloth and covered the seats on my chairs. I like changing it out - even the seats, so instead of stapling the material on to the seat, I used my hot glue gun. Worked great. The only thing about napkins is that you would have to find a print that is the same on both sides or it won't look right, IMHO.

Paintingfool, Thank you for your tips. You just saved me some money because I wasn't thinking about the print on both sides and would have realized what I had done wrong after all the sewing. To be honest, I had my mind on some shamrock material I saw at Walmart and wasn't thinking beyond that.

Which brings up another issue. Walmart is supposedly closing their fabric departments in all of their stores so anyone who likes to buy fabric there might want to keep their eyes open for some real close-out bargains.

I don't remember the forum where I saw it, Sandi, but they were asking people to email WalMart asking them not to drop the fabrics. Many people wrote that was the only reason they went there, and they would lose business. I love the novelty fabs there, so inexpens, and I have foound some great heavyweight cotton there for tablecloths for a dollar a yard. I will miss it if it closes!

Kathleen_li, A couple of weeks ago I was in the fabric department and heard a couple of the employees talking to each other about the fabric departments closing. They said one of the Walmarts in a nearby town had already closed their fabric dept and they were told it would be happening at their store soon. That is a good idea about emailing them though and I will certainly do that. Thanks for the tip.

sandi_w, I made some cloth napkins for a friend for Chrismtas. They were so much fun and quick to do. I used 100% cotton muslin and did some country applique work on the front. If I were to do them again I'd probably do them double sided so they would look good on both sides. Go for it!!

Trudymom, Thank you for the idea. I love muslin for lots of stuff. I bet your napkins were very pretty. As soon as V-Day is over I'm going to try some. I'll post pics if I'm not to shabby at it.

Sandi, one of the sites I went to when checking on making napkins even suggested doing them reversible. That would make it so easy. You would just cut your fabrics to size, place them right sides together, stitch around the edges leaving a small section unstitched so you could turn them right side out. Hand stitch the open section and you're done! That could be really fun for holidays, print on one side, solid on the other, and even cheap enough to do for patio or picnic meals!

I heard that not all Walmarts are closing the fabric/craft section. And even if they do, they will carry some "packaged" fabrics. I have a Joanne's and a Hancock fabric close by too. Luvs

Luvs, We had Hancocks when I lived in MS, but don't have any here. I always loved Hancocks. We do have Joann's here so that's good. I heard all Walmarts were closing their fabric departments so maybe they will reconsider if they're thinking about keeping some open anyway. I really don't like the packaged fabrics. I like the reversible napkins, especially in contrasting fabrics. They look even better with certain napkin folds.

Sandi, just thought of something else. If you do the two sided ones, you could even stitch pom poms, beaded trim, or ruffles on them so easily. Heck, now you're making me want to try it--and I need to be painting instead--our painting forum is really sloooow right now! So many ideas--so little time! Maybe if I would stay off here, I could get some things done! BUT this is so much fun too! ;o) Luvs

Luvs, make some of those 2 sided napkins for us, then post a pic. It will be inspiring for us to do that instead of sitting here being mouse potatoes, LOL>

WHAT??? Walmart might be closing there fabric dep't.? I sure hope the couple I shop at don't! I find so many different fabrics there, and even thou I might not use them immediately, I buy them becasue they are so cheap and can't help myself! I'm a fabric addict,too!

If I were to make napkins, I would definitely hand-stich the hems. I just think they would come out looking more even. ;o)

patty_cakes

Luvs, I saw a set of napkins that a lady made with ruffles on them and fell in love with them. After I get all of my Valentine decos down I'm going to play and see what I come up with.

Kathleen_li, I know you probably have some fabric you could use. Give it a try. I don't want to be a "mouse potato". LOL
Patty_cakes, A really good seamstress can do napkin hems on a machine and make them look better than most people could hand stitch. Now, I am NOT saying I'm that good a seamstress, but I'm going to give it a try. ;~)

I think those painted napkins sound beau, Luvs, and you could make diff flowers on each one so you wouldn't get bored.
Bebe, where would you find cotton fabric with both sides printed?? I will have to look in Joanne's the next time. I guess a serger would help on the edges..
Sewing two pieces sounds good, but would they pucker?? I have never done it. I will keep looking in TJMaxx's and other places. I love napkins too. OMG, so many addictions, no more drawers to store things.
BTW, what is this ROSS store? Do they have a website??

It has been quite a while since I've made any napkins but I have made assorted printed ones, some with a runner to match and I've also made plain white ones with lace trim. On some of the printed ones (that I would be using outside), I just used my pinking shears instead of sewing a hem. I have a serger and used that on some of the napkins....they were ok but I need to practice more! lol The only reason I bought the serger was for napkins and runners but I haven't done a whole lot with it! I'm always thinking that would be a good winter project, but.....

Mary, Do you really like your serger? I need to read up on them. A very long time ago I made something and I really can't remember what it was, but for the finished edge I didn't fold the fabric over and I used a very small zig-zag stitch to finish, just barely catching the fabric on one side. I know how to sew ok, but I don't know sewing terms.

Hi Mary, I've never used a serger, but have a friend who loves hers. I checked some of my napkins, and some were serged hems, others were regular hems, some with mitered corners, some not mitered. The main reason to make some would be to have a wider choice of patterns to use, and how fun to make matching table runners!

Kathleen, Ross is allot like TJ's or Marshall's. I ALMOST want to get a job at our local one, I want to be in the houseware's section. I just can not believe that they can't display items better and make it so customer's can see the plates easier. No wonder so many things get chipped or broken. (See what happens when you work in an antiques and collectibles shop for awhile!) Ha ha

Luvs

sandi, They are nice and so much faster than making a hem the regular way. I have a SIL that does a lot of sewing on the serger and I should take it there and have her show me some tips for it. I think it has been close to 3 years since I have had it out, that's terrible!!

luvstocraft, Yes, when you make your own napkins you can have anything you want! I bought some really pretty fall flowered material and made 2 runners (to use across the width of the table) and napkins,& put a plain color on one side. With the napkins, I like the looks of the contrast, esp. in a napkin ring. Sometimes I use two napkins together, one plain and one with a design.

Mary, I've used 2 napkins together also. They are very pretty...just make for a little extra laundry. ;~) When I use my white lace tablecloth over a colored one, I like to do the same with napkins.

If you get some tips from your SIL you might find you like using your serger more. I know I love sewing tips.

I buy some of the tablecloths(one for the table and an extra for napkins) at the dollar store that are a loose weave. I cut a piece the size that I want for napkins plus an inch in all directions. I run a line of fine stitches an inch in from the edge and then pull the threads to make a fringed edge all the way around. It is a mindless task that can be done while talking on phone or playing with GK's....in fact, the oldest GD likes to help!!!
If I am making napkins out of a nice linen, I cut them an inch and 1/4 larger than I want the finished product. Fold in the 1 1/4inch to make about a one inch hem with a mitered corner. I then stitch the hem with a line of straight stitches...after it is pressed, I often go back and stitch over the line with a fancy stitch, a satin stitch or couch in a colored embroidery floss to add a touch of color.

Jaybird, Thank you again. I know where I'll be going Thursday! LOL Lots of times you can get some pretty tablecloths at the Dollar Stores for about $5. I didn't think about doing the fringe like you said, but I'm going to try it. The directions for linen napkins with mitered corners sound pretty easy, but I guess the proof is when it's finished (if I'm doing it). ;~)

If you get stuck...email me, I will be glad to help....just put something about gardenweb in the subject line..
jbmusik at yahoo dot com

jaybird, thank you so much for the offer of help. I didn't get to go shopping today, but am going by Monday for sure. I will certainly email you for help.