# Napkins and Handkerchiefs??



## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

I am trying to do away with most all of the paper products in the house (except for the toilet paper! you can't take that away!  ) Anyway....I have been wanting to make some napkins and handkerchiefs but don't know what kind of materials is best for these items.

Any ideas? Got any good advice?

THANK YOU!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Personally I am addicted to flour sack cloth. I can buy them at the grocery store in the dish towel secion, but I don't know if you can buy it from a fabric store. I uses them for napkins, kitchen towels.. everything. I have found that that material is very useful as a thermal wrap for cold drinks. I just wrap the bottle up in the towel and it stays cool for a long time. It also lasts forever. I have the same ones for 4 or 5 years nd that is with consant washing and bleaching etc.. I would love to have an apron, shrt, skirt, sheets... out of it. It is so soft.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I just buy white muslin, and use my serger to roll the hems for hankies, bread cloths. Napkins, you can use any cotton fabric.


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

I use scraps of cotton left over from quilting or remnents (sp) that are cute but not quilting type patterns LOL I have about 30 napkins and the largest amount of one pattern is 6. I agree that it is a great plan, I have cut down my paper towel use by more than half by using napkins. I even send them to work with DH in his lunch box, he said it does raise some eyebrows and makes even the plainest lunch seem a little fancier.


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

chickenista said:


> Personally I am addicted to flour sack cloth. I can buy them at the grocery store in the dish towel secion, but I don't know if you can buy it from a fabric store. I uses them for napkins, kitchen towels.. everything. I have found that that material is very useful as a thermal wrap for cold drinks. I just wrap the bottle up in the towel and it stays cool for a long time. It also lasts forever. I have the same ones for 4 or 5 years nd that is with consant washing and bleaching etc.. I would love to have an apron, shrt, skirt, sheets... out of it. It is so soft.


Your not alone! I am addicted to flour sack cloth too! :angel: I don't know why I didn't even think of that! Most of my kitchen towels are the flour sack and I would love to throw the rest of them out, but that would be wasteful wouldn't it? :grump: My only complaint is mine seems to stain pretty easy and I am not the best laundress in the world so most of my towels don't look the prettiest but I guess they still work.

Anyone have any pics of hankies or napkins you have made?
What would be a good size for these items?

Barnyardfun <<<< Clueless!


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## Kathy NW Ohio (May 10, 2002)

I have been making soft handkerchiefs from the backs of worn out or stained tee shirts. We have some colorful hankies. I just cut out with pinking shears or regular shears.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

No pics... yet. I hope to start selling some embriodered type ones when we open the store. With the outlines of peppers or tomatoes.. etc.
The ones I have are old and stained too, but I still love them.
I need to break down and get new ones. And I too would love to not have anything but. And I threw out one of my other type towels yesterday. I could see more through it than on it.. so out it went. I felt good.
For my fancy napkins I use some old linen ones I got at a thrift store. I have used them twice since I got them years ago.


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## avandris (Jun 8, 2007)

Like Kathy I make my napkins and hankies from old clothing. I find thrift store clothing with a stain here or there that I can get for free or close to free and cut out the good parts and make them. I have some really pretty ones and some well....interesting patterned ones. I only use 100% cotton or cotton/linen.


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## Sumer (May 24, 2003)

I made my first batch of napkins from an old table cloth that had a hole in it. Its that red and while checkered pattern type stuff. I an not exactly sure but I think its cotton.

I found some more of it at jo-anne fabrics and now I have red, green and blue checkered napkins. They even have it with ants walking around on it. :baby04: I want some of that too. I like the checkered pattern because the lines on the material makes it easy to cut. 

I just measured one , they are 13" x 13" with a 1/4" folded hem so they started at 14" x 14". Its a good size I think for every day use.

~~Sumer


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## madcreations (Sep 28, 2007)

I have this site bookmarked for how to make napkins, it will take you direct to the pdf document that starts downloading

http://www.whitesewing.com/PDFs/08napkins.pdf

I really like the round, 2 sided napkin.


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

Well, I did it! They are not the most beautiful things but I made 6 napkins last night.....only took me 4 hours! During that time I was really wondering if it was worth it. But I guess it was because I am proud of them. Now please keep in mind I am a novice at sewing (that is a bit of an understatement!) I think I may try to make a few more for home and then I may make some for Christmas presents.









You can't really tell from the pic but there are two layers, two different materials. Thought they would look better that way and be thicker.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Nice - 
pretty and serviceable. And being double fabric they ought to last a good while.

Angie


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## MoCrafter (May 19, 2004)

Barnyardfun,

You napkins turned out very pretty. Thanks for sharing. I have plans to make some for us as soon as I can get around to it.

Winona


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

How pretty! I need to get off my butt and make some as well, those turned out very nicely!


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## barnyardfun (Mar 26, 2005)

Thank you all! I am excited about them....BUT the funny thing is we still haven't used them!  There pretty and new and I would just hate to use them for such a plain dinner!  Guess I have to get over that mentality and just use them!


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## ruby_jane (May 15, 2007)

How about using washed cotton flannel? :shrug: I made a load of 'em last year in a 22"x22" size (big, messy family  )...


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## triana1326 (Feb 13, 2006)

What about hankies? We've run out of Kleenex, and I'm refusing to buy more. We only have two hankies that are hand-me-downs from my dad. I'd love to make some, but I'm not sure what kind of cloth is "leak proof".


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## ruby_jane (May 15, 2007)

triana1326 said:


> What about hankies? We've run out of Kleenex, and I'm refusing to buy more. We only have two hankies that are hand-me-downs from my dad. I'd love to make some, but I'm not sure what kind of cloth is "leak proof".


Try the flannel for that, too...might not be really leak proof, but soft as heck on little noses


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I bought some cloth diapers, plain ol diapers a few years ago (at least about 10) and they make the best hankies for at home. Large enough and absorbant enough and soft enough.

Angie


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## Colorado (Aug 19, 2005)

I also make dish rags and out of old tee shirts. Can use in kitchen even as napkins. I round the corners a little and run a not tight zigzag once around. So many napkins I seen have a sergered edge. Terry wash clothes I zigzag twice around them as ravels. Before I had the machine to do it, I took terry and crocheted a finish on them. No lace. 

At one time I had to wash hankies for 5 people. We went to kleenex.


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