amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

Ariadne Umbrell · 07-03-2007, 03:45 PM

Okay, housefully illiterate. Grew up with fine, high- quality paper disposable napkins- with their own wrought iron dispenser, no less.

I've been handing out dishcloths, and cleaning cloths, which is seriously nasty, if you think about it. The ones at the store all seem to be expensive and elaborate. At restaurants, they are using polyester....

What do you use for napkins? I know I see bandannas used in summer dinner parties, but that's presented as sort of a kinky down-market affectation.

So, do you make your own? What do you use? Regular shirt fabric? Bottom -weight fabric? Fancy quilting fabric? Linen? although that looks spendy.

How do you hem them? Deep hems? Rolled hems? One inch blind hems?

Wash them with diapers, or collect for a week, and soak overnight?

Do you use placemats, or do you make tablecloths?

Do you name them, like for towels, or not?

so many questions, so few clues.

ari

Dannielle · 07-03-2007, 04:26 PM

I use cotton/poly blend napkins that I purchased on clearance at Target. It was around $4 or so for a pk of 4. I bought 4 packs, which has been plenty.

I've tried homade napkins made of quilting cotton and they just don't hold up as well as I'd like.

100% cotton also holds onto stains...a little poly really helps stains not stick. Also, the napkins I bought just happen to be red, which I've found is ideal for not showing stains. If you think about it, the majority of staining foods are red.

I don't soak or save them up. The first several washes I washed them with old towels since they're red. But after they'd been washed enough that bleeding wasn't an issue, I just toss them in with any old laundry.

I sometimes use tablecloths, but mostly placemats or just a bare table with a runner or square quilty tabletopper in the center.

Name them? No. My towels don't have names either. I think I'm misunderstanding this part of your question.

~Meeshi~ · 07-03-2007, 04:51 PM

I buy them from Mamas here on the board. I pay $12 or less for a dozen. We generally just use big cotton squares with serged edges. If they're crummy or only slightly soiled, they go with our clothes. I only soak/rinse if they've wiped up something goopy like hummus or peanut butter and then they go in with clothes.

Right now we have a glass table, so no tablecloths or placemats. We're going to pick up a wood toble today from craigslist, and I probably will use placemats. I'll need to buy some, I suppose.

xt · 07-04-2007, 01:17 AM

I have a few I made, a whole bunch of linen and cotton napkins from garage sales, and 10 or so bandannas. We don't match, but we do have clean faces. Except for Rowan, of course.

thea · 07-04-2007, 01:54 AM

I've gotten most of mine from my mom, who had more than she needed. Some of them were from sewing projects that didn't work out, so she used the fabric for napkins. I have a few that came with the 4 place settings of fancy flatware we got for our wedding-they are muslin and are going to become rags soon because they stain so easily. Definitely go with bright or dark colors. Patterns are good, too.
It just occurred to me that I need some more. We're going to be sharing a house with my in-laws as of the end of the week, and they have agreed to go along with many of my crunchy ways. The other day, my mil said, "don't worry about the paper towels in the kitchen, I'm just using them up." Don't want to end up using them as napkins because I ran out of clean ones!

scorch_dc · 07-04-2007, 02:16 AM

I make our napkins (and tablecloths & runners). I like finding fabric at garage sales, thrift stores, and remnants at fabric stores. I keep within my main color "Palette" for them, so they seem to match even if they are all different fabric patterns. I also like buying the fat quarters on sale or at g.sales, because I can get 2 napkins per square. I usually roll and stitch the fabric (don't have a serger). I like the quilting fabric because it is heavier/stiffer than only the nice light calico types or linens. It also doesn't shrink as much, but I'm not too picky. I also use flannel scraps to make kids napkins. It is soft and absorbs more than just cotton napkins. And there are many cute patterns for the flannel, and I can find it everywhere. The flannel scraps also make good light wash cloths. I generally use 100% cotton for napkins and tablecloths.

I just wash them as we go with the regular laundry. I don't use light colored fabrics in general with 2 small boys, and nothing ever gets that filthy. If there is a major spill or ketchup explosion I will rinse it off in the sink right away, but it still goes in the regular wash.

3boysmama · 07-04-2007, 09:44 AM

I have some really nice cotton ones I got on clearance at Kohl's or maybe JCPenney. End of season sales are great. They make cloth napkins for seasons, too.

I have also made my own, usually do a rolled hem w/ my serger. I have used unknown scraps from JoAnn's, looked and felt like a cotton linen blend, and I have also used flannel. I hate polyester napkins. They're so scratchy and they smear stuff around instead of actually cleaning/absorbing. Yes, cotton ones do stain, but if I cared enough, I would keep a set of napkins for guests and use everyday ones. I don't care enough right now, but someday I'll have nice napkins and everyday ones. I also keep a bunch of cheap washcloths handy to wet and wipe off the kids. I have then in the bathroom downstairs (tiny townhouse) and they're used as wipes in the bathroom and for washing faces. Some people might think that's gross, but I wash them all at the same time, so what's the difference? Hot water of course. I wash napkins w/ diapers, towels, and whatever other whites will fit to fill the load. My youngest is potty training, so we don't have many diapers anymore.

back2thebasics · 07-04-2007, 11:27 AM

My sister gave me some that she sergered for me. Other than that I use garage sale napkins. I really love vintage fabric, so we have several white embroidered napkins that I have picked up along the way. I usually give two people a napkin to share and we don't use any placemats or tablecloth. I have a ceramic tile kitchen table that is easy to wipe up. I wash my napkins with my whites. Even if I were't into doing my part for the environment, I would never buy paper napkins, it's a waste of $$$$.

Mamax4 · 07-04-2007, 02:27 PM

I've had a lot of luck buying them at Savers.

Yes, used. I like all cotton ones, and blends of cotton & linen, and that are not too large (so luncheon sized) and used ones are washed and soft, and therefor absorb more, and feel comfy. I just bought 8 yesterday, infact. Very very soft, and only .49/each. They are fluffy soft, even, and have that nice antique- white type patina that I love.

For general clean-up, I love ribbed bar cloths. YOu can get them cheap, or you can pay a small amount more at a WIlliams-Sonoma or Crate & Barrel place. They aren't costly. After washing and drying a couple of times, they soften right up and pick up everything in a swoop.

choleblack · 07-04-2007, 02:28 PM

just the other day my DD informed me, while pulling out all the fat quarters that she "loved" at the quilt shop, that "these make great napkins mom". She got that idea from you Denise!

Personally I like linen, it seems more absorbent. Of course mine are totally random and what ever I have on hand at the time. I really need to make more, along with more cleaning cloths & FBW. For some reason there just are never enough.

Chole

Mamax4 · 07-04-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by back2thebasics

My sister gave me some that she sergered for me. Other than that I use garage sale napkins. I really love vintage fabric, so we have several white embroidered napkins that I have picked up along the way. I usually give two people a napkin to share and we don't use any placemats or tablecloth. I have a ceramic tile kitchen table that is easy to wipe up. I wash my napkins with my whites. Even if I were't into doing my part for the environment, I would never buy paper napkins, it's a waste of $$$$.

Oh gosh, yes! I have *such* a weakness for old linens. My heart seriously races in antique shops, or church rummage sales, epecially. Oh! I have been hunting for the perfect vintage oil tablecloth cloth for so long now, I don't know what i will do myself if I ever find one.

Ariadne Umbrell · 07-05-2007, 01:38 PM

Okay, shopping-fu is not my strong suit, it turns out. I found silk napkins at Target. Beautiful, but I can't see them for everyday use. I didn't see every day napkins.

And, let's see, I found a dress, that I liked, and I bought it, and it looks like frumpy secretary city on me. A stranger held up a dress and said " This would look good on you." It's a cut and color and fabric and finish I would never, ever, ever choose. I took it home, and let it sit in my closet for a few days, until I figured out what to do with it. I need to wear a close- fitting tee shirt under it- I have exactly one closefitting tee- shirt- and it looks great and I look beautiful and feminine and confident. So now I need to find this stranger again. gah. These are the first two dresses in about six years, since I put on babies, and baby weight. I can't really picture what I look like, if that makes sense. And proportions have changed. Most clothes look really strange.

This really does relate. I found some really nice French jacquards advertised in a French magazine, for napkins and tablecloths, although I have the sneaking suspicion that if I read the language and the price, the words would look like "In your wildest billionaire dreams," or something like that.

I found some handwoven ones here in America. Laugh later- $70 for four.

I went to a housewares store in town. Laugh maniacally- $14 per napkin, for a plain napkin.

I don't see how quilting fabric can absorb anything- I've got some seriously messy kids, here.

I did find some (stained) muslin ones. They were so pretty. Their edges- they had a narrow zigzag edge, which had shapes on it- ogee points, rather than straight edges.

Purlbee is a blog attached to a website in New York. There is a set of napkin making directions that are really complete. I think they are to teach sewing. She used a tonally matched set of fat quarters, and then edged the napkins with a polka dot fabric binding. They are quite attractive.

She also has complete directions on how to make a round pincushion, which is good. That was going to be a future question. I don't like my red tomato, but my chinese men around the world one is too hard. I was curious what people stuff pincushions with. Cotton bolls don't really work, artificial batting doesn't seem to have enough heft. I wonder if wool batting compacts too much. She recommends natural cotton stuffing.

Tesoro's in Austin ( google, since I don't know how to link) has Mexican oilcloth. This is the stuff with the fruit and flowers and the saturated colors. There's a mini book about abuela's that has some of it on the cover. You can make really strong summer totes, and also lunch sacks, out of it. My friends have some that are painfully cute. That might work really well, with your vintage linens, since Mexican oilcloth is based on vintage designs. Abuela means grandmother in Spanish.

Named- monogrammed. word dyslexic at times.

I feel really silly about not knowing any of this. I'm not sure I'm alone on this, though. Like, Martha has articles about linen napkins- for linen that is $34 a yard. So it all seems insanely expensive. Or, say, all polyester jacquard--polyester holds oil- that's the main smell at midcentury vintage shops- body odor and oil held in ban-lon. I can kind of picture a "hand" and a "heft" that would work right, launder well, and be pleasant, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. I know it exists. Pteh.

Like, the really heavy basketweave fabric used in buttondowns. You can buy a lighterweight, similar fabric at JoAnns, but it's not going to have the last ten years looking new ability, or the comforting heft and drape, and absorbancy.

Don't fabrics at thrift stores- aren't they rotting at the folds? I've always read that. Is it true, or only some of the time?

Thank you for answering,
ari

Dannielle · 07-05-2007, 01:42 PM

Not a bad price on napkins here if you're looking for something more traditional.

Mamax4 · 07-05-2007, 02:12 PM

eBay – damask linen, vintage linen and table napkin items on eBay.com. Find IT on eBay.

I've had excellent luck in used stores.

Variant · 07-05-2007, 02:25 PM

I make my own.

I used homespun fabric the first time and they lasted about 2 years with daily washing on sanitize with the towels. When those finally fell apart, I used white muslin and dyed them with procion dyes.

I cut into a big square (maybe 16x16) and rolled-hem serge the edges. Start on one side and when you get to the corner go one or two stitches past the edge, lift the foot, pull on the thread a bit and turn the corner to keep serging. Do that all the way around and leave a long tail to weave into the edges.