We use cloth napkins. Yeah, we are those kind of people.
The problem with cloth napkins is that sometimes a person, who shall not be named, doesn't get to the laundry as often as he or she would like, and then, we have no napkins. I could just purchase some paper and have them "stashed" away, but that seems to defeat the whole point of actually having and using their cloth cousins. So I made some more.
I had some vintage/thrifted sheets that I had cut into fat quarters (I would bundle them and give them away as gifts to sewing enthusiast friends and I have some in the shop) stacked next to my other fabric. Since the fabric was already cut out, all I had to do was sew it together. (Sew pretty sides together, leave big opening, turn fabric right sides out through big opening, press, topstich, done). Pretty easy-peasy. But then my fancy got ahold of me and I added some random trim to the tops. I will admit that these are a bit more shabby chic than I like, okay, I don't really like shabby chic at all, but these are napkins. You know, for getting soiled. So really, it's okay. Besides, they seem so happy and springy!
I know that Martha thinks that mismatched napkins are a huge hostess no-no, but these are going to be used everyday, regardless of the meal. Mac and cheese, chicken enchiladas (much to Bug's dismay), husband-made stir fry and open-faced tuna fish sandwiches will be wiped on these surprisingly large and sturdy napkins. So, whatever Martha. The kids have no trouble using these, Lou is the one who dresses the table with them most often, and using them has led to a couple of pretty good talks about dinner and eating etiquette. Overall, we like the cloth napkin trend.
3 comments:
I LOVE the cloth napkins... we've been using cloth for all of our nearly 18 years of marriage. I have a set or two for company that match but our every day napkins do not match and it's more fun that way we think. They get washed a million times and I have a nice stack in a cheery basket that is hard to keep full in the summer when everyone is home from school. Different from you I LOVE shabby chic and so I love your new cloth napkins. Nice work!
you are so brave! I have thought about switching to cloth a lot of times but was never sure if I could do it... since I don't get to the laundry as often as I should either... :)
Done and done. I just swiped a couple of your fat quarter stashes...thankyouverymuch.
I LOVE using cloth napkins too. Somehow, through table usage, washing and drying many of my napkins retain their folds and/or creases...making them pretty low maintenance in the laundry dept. We still have paper on hand, but use cloth a lot, lot, lot.
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