Oh, napkins, how I love thee

Napkins. Easiest sewing project ever.

Ok, well, they can be time consuming if you have a lot to make, but they really couldn’t be simpler. And if you only have five minutes to spare, you can sit down, make one napkin, and get back to the rest of your life. They are the perfect “squeeze them in when you can” kind of project. You never have to spend any time trying to regroup, hoping to remember where you left off. Nope. With napkin making, you have a “done” pile and a “not done” pile. You are never coming back to the table “in the middle” of a single napkin, because, really, if you don’t have time to make one complete napkin, then what are you doing at the sewing machine anyway??

These are a gift for my MIL’s birthday, which is Monday. It is dangerous to admire something I have made unless you want one yourself. Case in point: back in August, my MIL complemented me on the Elsie’s Kitchen napkins I was using while serving Neil’s birthday cake. I said “thank you” but really I was thinking “oh, good, now I know what to give her for her birthday in 3 months.”

After completing the final napkin last night, I glanced at the clock to see that I still had half an hour before I’d have to quit and put the boys to bed. Then I took a look at the scraps I had left from napkin-making and decided a table runner was in order. My MIL already has a table runner, and I really don’t know if she’ll have any use for this, but I just couldn’t help myself and had to whip it up.

The fabric I used here was 3 Sisters’ Roman Holiday. I am as sure as I can be without having my MIL’s dining room set here with me that this yellow colorway of Roman Holiday goes perfectly with the upholstery on her chairs. And the large-motif flower pattern strikes me as something she would use. Hope she likes ‘em.

Today I am thankful that I bit the bullet and bought my sewing machine back in May.  I have to say, I’m so excited by the gift-giving possibilities this season. I’ve always loved giving handmade items, and for the first few years after I got involved in polymer clay, everyone on my list got a claything. After a while, I felt like everyone had enough clay jewelry and pens, and I started filling the handmade criteria by bartering with other crafters or buying things outright when I could. This season, I have a new skill, and it’s exciting to me to be able to use it to give gifts different than anything I’ve given before. I guess this means in 10 to 12 years when all of my giftees are all napkined-out, completely bescarfed, and over-aproned I will need to take up yet another craft…