Patriotic Cloth Napkins

Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July is a national pastime. My husband and I have a favorite viewpoint to watch each year where we enjoy a picnic supper along with the fireworks show. I’m sure many FaveCrafts readers do pretty much the same. To augment our country’s birthday celebrations, make a set of 8 easy patriotic cloth napkins to use when picnicking with friends. The napkins prove useful for other national holidays as well, such as Memorial Day.
 

Materials:

• 1½ yards fabric in a patriotic print (you need less fabric for fewer napkins)
• 4 packages of red (or dark blue) double-fold binding/bias tape
• Thread to match
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing needle
• Sewing machine

Instructions:

1. Wash, dry, and iron your fabric before starting your project.
    
2. Cut out 8 10-inch-square pieces (they don’t have to be huge, they’re for packing in your picnic basket).
    
3. Zig-zag or stay-stitch around edges to prevent fraying (optional but recommended).
    
4. There are varying ways to sew on binding tape, here are just a couple to consider:
   
   (A) One is to simply sew by hand. To do this, fold the binding around the napkin perimeter, cutting it off 1-inch past your beginning point. Pin in place, folding the short edge of the end piece under ¼ of an inch (run your fingernail over it to crease it into place) and position it to overlap your starting section. Pin in place and slip-stitch around the napkin on both sides.
   
   (B) Alternatively, sew the binding on with a sewing machine. Follow the same instructions as described above and sew close to the inner edge (closest to the napkin main section), making sure to catch the binding on the other side.
    
5. After sewing, press your napkins, pack them in your picnic basket, and have a happy Fourth of July.