I'm so glad I saw this thread! I've been wanting to make some napkins for a friend, but needed some good ideas. Thanks for bringing it up, BeachBirdie!

:) :) :) Great minds think alike!

In thinking about this and me always wanting a finished looking back. Could you not fold, iron and cut the corner and then place a piece of matching fabric inside, faceup and then re-fold the borders down and sew. You would have the mitered corners, and a finished looking back of your napkin. You would catch the fabric also soit would stay in place.... You could even place another coordinating fabric there and have a nice touch...

Hmmmm, now the mind is going crazy. Thanks ladies. LOL

Kids can be so rotten!! But I love your idea :twisted: :twisted: :D

Echo....I never thought about putting a coordinating fabric on the back....but it certainly sounds doable. They would be very luxurious napkins.

Napkins would be a great project to use decorative stitches or a twin needle for top stitching :D

Who needs a stingy friend!

I was thinking that also...I just bought a new sewing machine...and there are quite a few pretty decorative stitches. I was thinking of making some pretty napkins for the thanksgiving. I am having about 20 people, and buying napkins is very expensive. Much less expensive to make them. Even if I make good size napkins....about 18 inches....I can get about 6 per yard of fabric. So for 20 napkins...what is that about 4 yards of fabric. Now I just need to find a nice fabric. woohoo

btw.....one recommendation I would make....learned this from experience....is make sure you wash the fabric first before making them....that way any shrinking won't affect your finished napkin. Also, you'll get an idea about how well your napkins are going to wash after use.

Beachbirdie -

I just take 18-20 inch squares. If I am doing just for me and I am in a hurry I surge the edges using the rolled hem technique. However when doing for someone else, I "bind" them as I would a quilt.

If I were to do reversible ones and use two fabrics - I would first preshrink them so that they would not shrink at dif rates.

hi chele, very good link thanks

I have made napkins with rights side of both fabrics out and serged a roll hem. For Christmas I used wooly nylon metallic thread in the loopers, easy peasy.