Making House: DIY Fabric Napkins

When we moved I discovered that I have, uh, quite a little bit of fabric (imagine this being said with a wincey face and a shrug of my shoulders towards my ears).  AND...while mentally I have quilt designs intended for every piece of fabric I ever purchase...well let's face it...quilts take time and I definitely don't have a lot of that.  AND...I have lots of fabric that I just can't seem to Make Myself cut into because it is so precious to me that to imagine it no longer available for the day I have the cojones to actually use it for the absolute perfect project for it makes me teary eyed.  Mary Fons Porter said on a Quilty video I tripped across that buying fabric is so much fun it is as fun as buying clothes.  I don't know about you but for me that was pretty much the biggest understatement ever.  Clothes require sizing, fitting, and a place to wear them.  Fabric, unlike clothes, doesn't care where you put it or who is going to see you wearing it or whether your shoes will match, it doesn't make you feel fat or wonder why you didn't lose that last 5 lbs you promised yourself you would(!), fabric is just ready to be there to be loved, admired, inspiring, comforting, pet, and eventually so worn in to the point of sentimental love.   Fabric is a hell of a lot better than buying clothes.

Anyway.  I realize that I have to stop hoarding fabric.  I have to USE my fabric otherwise it won't ever be loved and enjoyed.  Which is why my 2013 pledge is project Making House.  Those fabrics are going to be used goddamnit and I am going to enjoy them with each and every project I make to create personal touches in our home house.  Be it pillows, quilts, fabric decals, hand towels...or napkins...

We painted one wall in our kitchen Benjamin Moore Bright Yellow...and man...it is bright.  It is also a yellow that tends toward a gold hue which means finding the right yellow that complements and doesn't clash is an issue.  

That is unless you have a crazy obsession for all things Anna Maria Horner (which, of course, I do) and therefore happen to own a stash of her Lou Lou Thi Needlework Crossing Paths in Tumeric.  Which is only the perfect combo of gold yellow, burnt orange, and blue to go with my wood table, yellow wall, and blue chair pads.  HA!

Clearly I was never going to use needlework for this fabric.  Clearly I was kidding myself when I bought it to make pillowcases.  Clearly...this was meant to be.

These napkins measure 17" for a bit of an oversized dinner linen.  To keep it fun and versatile each napkin is reversible with a funky monotone fabric on the other side.  This is great for changing the mood depending on the type of dinner and also will allow guests to distinguish their napkin!  

Now someone clever is wondering why there are only 3 napkins thus far...yeah well chalk it up to motherhood.  Nothing gets past my daughters.  As soon as Miss E and Miss O saw Mommy's cool napkins they said Mommy we want napkins...where are ours?  I knew I'd never hear the end until they had their own.  I even considered sharing my AMH stash to the princess napkin cause, but I knew my heart would stop half a beat each time my two year old smeared something undesirable on that most beloved fabric.  I know that sounds horrible - I really love AMH that much!  Instead I went with another favorite and steadfast love of mine...Amy Butler!

And yes, these have cute little uncoordinating backs too!  To accommodate small laps they measure about 12", roughly the size of a standard paper napkin.

Our napkin family.

Project Making House is on a roll...now only 3 more *adult* napkins to go...

Here is a quick and easy tutorial on how to DIY Fabric Napkins!

- rebecca lynne