Quick and Simple Double-sided Napkins
Just love some of the new fabrics in the shop, but lately there just aren't enough hours in the day to do much sewing. I have had time however to make some quick double-sided napkins to send off for Valentine's day. This is a quick method I adapted from Karen Montgomery's free Super Simple Placemat Pattern. You can get more detailed instructions from her pattern. My daughter has some wonderful lime green dishes so I chose a this great pear fabric from Michael Miller for the center fabric.I started with a sixteen inch square of fabric for the napkin center (you can start with whatever size you want your finished napkins to be). I cut the contrasting fabric 20 1/2 inches - just because I have a 20 1/2 inch square ruler, so it is easy. The contrasting fabric should be about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches larger than the center square fabric. Lay the center fabric on the contrasting fabric, which will be the back of the napkin and the front border - roughly in the center and trim the contrasting fabric so that you have an even amount of fabric on each side of the center fabric. I trimmed mine to 1 3/4" - you can adjust it to suit your own preferences.
After you trim all four sides, then line up the 45 degree angle of your ruler along one side of the center of the napkin and trim off the corner 1/4" away from the corner. Trim all four corners using the same method.
Set the center fabric aside and mark a scant 1/2 inch fold line on all four straight sides of the contrast fabric. I find it easier to press if I mark on the right side of the contrast fabric so I use a chalk marker that is easily removed. Press on the marked line on all four long straight edges.
This is the really clever part - place contrasting fabric right side up. In one corner put right sides together matching edges and sew a 1/4 inch seam. Neatness counts here - if your folded edges don't match you won't have a tidy corner when you turn it - so I use a pin to keep the folded edges matched. I also start and end with a few tiny stitches. Repeat with remaining 3 corners.
Turn corners right side out - making sure that your points are sharp. You will find that when you have turned all four corners you have created a frame for the center fabric you set aside earlier. Press and lay center fabric right side up inside the frame. Finish napkin by stitching 1/8" away from folded edge of frame fabric. I like to pin the fabrics together with a few pins on each side to make sure that the center fabric doesn't shift.
And that is it - really quick and simple. You can adjust the size to suit yourself. And of course, you can cut centers and contrasting fabrics several layers at time if you are making a bunch of napkins. Here is the other set I made - the bird fabric is from Alexander Henry and the contrasting fabric is one of the Minny Muu's from Lucien.
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