Springtime Embroidered Napkin

Today I'm going to talk a bit about how I make some of my own cloth napkins for the dinner table (known also as a serviette in Canada and the UK).  I'm not a big believer in paper towels.  I can't really explain why, they just seem wasteful to me, I don't like the "throw-away" aspect of them. 
Therefore, when we eat our meals, we use cloth napkins instead of paper towels. 

One of the drawbacks to cloth napkins is that over time they tend to deteriorate.  That's because I wash them in hot water, sometimes with a tiny bit of bleach added (to kill any germs).  Because of this deterioration, I'm always making replacements.  (I use the old ones for dusting, dirty jobs and whatnot).

The whole thing sounds tedious, but I actually enjoy it very much!  I love to embroider on things that are useful and cloth napkins for the dinner table are useful, and easy to stitch-up in a day or two. 

This is a little blue bird vase napkin I started last night.

Call me cheap, but cloth napkins found in the stores can be kinda pricey, and sometimes fade over time.  So, I'm going to try a new plan.  I simply cut a new, inexpensive, regular sized dish towel into four sections, hem up the sides on my machine, and presto! there are four blank napkins to embroider.

He's a work in progress.

Sometimes I draw or trace a small pattern, but iron-on transfers are an easy option as well.  Usually, an Aunt Martha iron-on pattern will have a small "test" pattern included in the set, and those tiny test patterns are perfect for a small napkin corner. 

No, no, not THAT kind of test pattern (although my TV loving husband might like that one).
I'm talking about these little test patterns.

When I get this little Blue Bird Vase napkin done I will share it with you!
Until then, have a happy, vintage day!