Mermaid Craft: Napkins

I am not very good at sewing. When doing one of those "easy" make your own bear kits, I managed to miss a section of the spine and give the poor thing spina bifida. I want to change this. As part of living better for the planet, I want to be able to make and fix rather than buy and throw. I so need to know how to sew. I already have a few projects in mind which demand more skill than I possess, so I thought I would start on something easy yet useful.

Napkins.

I have finally stopped threatening to make napkins and actually made some! I can sew a button back on and I can gracelessly sew up holes; but neither of these things use a sewing machine which is where my skill is sorely lacking. I hated textiles during school. Between The Grinch and the health and safety worksheets, I was terrified of sewing my hands into the machine. And our projects were nothing useful - a pencil case, a cube, and I don't think I ever finished my last project because I certainly cannot remember what it was. But it is high time I got over myself.

I used this method from More Like Grace.

Tiny coffee: check. Measuring tape: check. Set square: check. Template: check.

HOW DID I GO ABOUT IT?

First things first, I checked with my mum if I could borrow her sewing machine. When she found out that I did not know how to use said sewing machine, she insisted I come round so she could teach me. Smart.

Buying the fabric was a little difficult, but mostly because I was unprepared, have never done it before, and was more than a little intimidated by the fact I know nothing about fabric. But the ladies at the local sewing shop were very helpful and I came out with half a metre of cotton fabric in a pretty (but not expensive) pattern.

Ironing the seams, pre-sewing.

HOW DID IT GO?

Really well!

No really!

It was very easy to follow, not massively fiddly, and the sewing machine was not as scary as I remembered. My mum was very helpful, she knew what a mitered corner was (I definitely did not call it a mighty corner), she talked me through the sewing machine, and left me feeling confident enough to do it alone! Which with the second one, I did as she was taking a very important phone call.

Even the fiddly ironing bits were easy to do alone - especially as it meant I spent less time burning my mum's hands and more time ironing. Really, it is a miracle she does crafty things with me. I glued her to my advent calendar and now I tried to iron her fingers! Truly, the woman is a saint. 

I would be lying if I said I didn't scream a little when using the sewing machine, that thing can go really fast! But I found a steady pace and was able to keep it mostly straight. It was all really not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Look at that concentration! (And terror.)

HOW DID THEY TURN OUT?

Not to toot my own horn, but fabulous! The seams are a little wonky, but I am assured that most seams are. Also, I am a beginner so wonky seams are nothing I am going to worry about. They are square enough, fold nicely into napkin shapes, and look like they will stand up to being washed. I did put them to the ultimate test a napkin can receive: The Elf Bootie Test.

Growing up, my mum liked to host dinner parties with us girls and/or family. There was usually a seasonal theme and you have to have nicely folded napkins to make it a dinner party. One Christmas, my sister made in excess of fifteen elf bootie napkins, so the method is well and truly stuck in her brain some ten years later. And most parties ended up with elf bootie napkins and a tenuous link to justify their presence. So, the ultimate test for my napkins was, can she make them into elf booties?

The answer:

Yes. You. Can.

WILL I BE MAKING MORE?

Yes. Emphatically, yes. It was a quick project. It was an easy project. And I, ideally, need more than two napkins. Mum told me about another local fabric store which sells offcuts for cheap, so we are going to have a mummy-daughter date there at some time soon to get more napkin fabrics and fabrics for more projects. If you hadn't guessed, I am very happy with the end result and feel a little more confident in my ability to sew.

One of my next projects is making a pair of jeans wearable again. One of my work jeans was getting a little threadbare on the butt which I, naturally, did not notice until they tore right through. On shift. Aside from the hole my big butt made, these jeans are perfectly wearable. And I think even after a couple washes they may no longer smell of coffee shops! So rather than throw them out, I am going to cut a few more holes in and turn them into patchwork jeans. I am thinking the off cuts from these napkins might go well on the butt - as they are not an ostentatious pattern. There are some off cuts for the cloak material another sister wore on her wedding day, which I am desperate to get onto those jeans.

Point is, I am comfortable enough to give it a go!

Honestly the least terrifying one of these pictures.

THE METHOD

EQUIPMENT:

• Iron and board
• Sewing machine
• Sharp scissors
• Paper (for template)
• Pins
• Needle
• Material - I used 1/2m for two napkins
• Ruler, set square, and measuring tape 
• Optional: A grown up to supervise

STEPS:

1. Create a 17'x17' template on paper. This size can vary, depends on how big you want your napkins, but always allow for an extra inch or so for making the seam. This does also depend on how much material you have. With the amount I had, I could have made three smaller ones or two at this size with leftovers. I opted for the latter.
2. Pin the template to your fabric. If you are smart (which we were not) you can fold the fabric over so that you are cutting out both napkins at once.
3. Cut out your napkins. Try to keep the line as straight and as close to the template as possible. Yes, this area will be folded over, but the less material folded the less lumpy it will be.
4. On the ironing board with the pattern face down, fold over half an inch of material and iron it flat. This should make it hold its shape. Repeat on all sides, starting on the opposite side to the first.
5. Start at one corner and fold it flat, about another half inch in and iron. Repeat on all corners.
6. Fold the edge down, so it meets the the tip of the folded down corners and iron. This is making the mitered corners. There is another method, which involved scissors, so this one seemed simpler. I realise that I have not made it sound so. Have a play with it, it became easier to understand once you actually started folding. If not, refer to the original method, she explained it better!
7. Once fully ironed, you are ready to sew! Line the edge of the material with the foot and secure the material in. And sew! This can be hand done, but will take much longer. Approaching the corners, you will need to raise the foot a little to fit the thicker bunch of material. But you should be going slow at this point anyway, as you are going to have to turn. By the second corner, this was a simple and easy manoeuvre. 
8. Don't forget your reverse cast-on and cast-off stitches!
9. Once all four sides are sewn, cut free.
10. The cast-off stitch should be enough to keep the thread from unravelling but you can sew the loose ends all onto one side and tie them off for further protection.
11. Boom! You have one handmade napkin. Elf bootie test, if you so desire.

What sewing projects are you guys getting up to? Anything to suggest? Lemme know below!

Listening to: Daily Mix 3