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| Mrs. White's table with homemade cloth napkins |
I have been working on sewing projects for the last several weeks. I am busy making a pretty new apron for one of my grand-daughters. I don't use a sewing machine, so it takes me a long time. I have also been hand-sewing hems on pretty cotton fabric to make tea napkins.
A few years ago, I bought a couple of yards of some beautiful fabric. I intended to make dozens of little tea napkins for gifts, as well as some for my own home. I keep the fabric in a plastic tote box and take it out when I want some busy work I can do while resting. Often, this is when I am on the telephone with one of my grown children. As we visit, I pick up a little sewing project to keep busy. Sewing hems on cloth napkins is an easy and fun project that takes very little time.
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| Inside of napkin, showing little hand stitches on the hems. |
The napkins are just pieces of cotton fabric measuring 15 inches by 11 inches each. I cut out the first one by drawing the measurements directly onto the material using a ruler and some white chalk. Once this first piece was cut, I used it as a "pattern" to guide me in cutting all the rest of the pieces.
If you want to make your own napkins, you can choose them in any size you like. I just happened to take some paper napkins and decided I wanted mine a bit bigger, but not quite as large as traditional ones you find in a restaurant. I just wanted simple little napkins. I call them "tea napkins" just for fun.
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| Set of four tea napkins |
The Giveaway
I am giving away one set of 4 tea napkins. These are just plain and simply made by hand. I made them a few weeks ago.
To enter to win a set of these, all you have to do is leave me a comment, telling me about a homemade gift you have given or received. Perhaps it was a dollhouse your grandfather made? Maybe it was a batch of cinnamon rolls your mother baked for you? It may have been something you knitted for your child? Or it could be that you will tell us about the Christmas fudge you are making right now for a church fellowship? Any homemade gift you have given or received would be lovely to hear about.
One random winner we be selected on Friday, December 21, 2018. (U.S. Entries only.) If I am unable to reach the winner within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected. Your entry is only valid if you include a way for me to contact you.
This contest is closed. The winner has been named here.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
You Can Do it! - Housekeeping - With a Will.
A Simple Recipe Idea - Supper Time with Papa.
In Case You Wondered - Why The High Cost of Food?
Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:"Introduction to Home Economics: Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking." Paperback, 200 pages.
49 comments:
My sister knits and was very thoughtful one year and knitted me an old fashioned shawl. It is very warm, and I love it. Another year my mom saved old rags and made all her children rag rugs for Christmas. These are gifts I cherish, especially when I consider all the time and love that went into making them.
My grandmother always made beautiful homemade hard candy for Christmas when I was little. She used old-fashioned flavors like clove, wintergreen and horehound and we all got our own little jar of it. I thought it looked like stained glass windows. I just ordered flavors to make some of my own this year. Can't wait!
My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was young and I love making gifts. My daughter recently got married and I knitted her a shawl in the wedding colors. She loved it, and it was such a joy to create it for her and remember sitting by my grandmother's chair learning.
I live in Arkansas and belong to Plainview United Methodist Church. A few years ago we started a prayer shawl ministry and once a month we meet to knit or crochet shawls, lap robes and baby blankets. Items are prayed over as they are being created, then completed are blessed. They are given to anyone who needs comfort, support, encouragement or just to celebrate life. This is a great group of ladies and I enjoy the fellowship as we work. As I have said before I enjoy reading (and rereading) your blog. I gain so much! I think this give away is great and my contact is msrothfus at outlook dot com.
A couple of years ago my youngest daughter made me a beautiful hand-crocheted afghan in colors found in Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" painting. It's beautiful!
I'm a subscriber!
I shared on my Rebecca's Hearth and Home Facebook page!
Through the years I have made a lot of handmade gifts. :-) This year I made a special friend of 40 years two bracelets and some candy.
I am already subscribed and I receive your emails. :-)
This year is all homemade gifts...I've made afghans for several, scarfs...and over the weekend will be making food gifts (cookies, breads and apple butter). Have a blessed day and a Merry Christmas
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Linda Marie Finn
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Linda Marie Finn
This year i am making fudge, cookies and brownies for gifts for family and those we know.
Linda Marie Finn
I love making and receiving homemade gifts. I recently received some home made Christmas ornaments in an Christmas ornaments swap. I made ornaments to give away using Dollar Tree materials.
Homemade gifts are the most special and thoughtful. I have a shelf in my kitchen that my BIL made me years ago, and it still remains in it's place. This year we will be remodeling the kitchen and I have decided to paint it to match the cabinets. I also received some homemade vanilla from my daughter last year. She had to purchase a lot of vodka to make it for all of her family and friends, but it was wonderful. She put it in fancy glass jars from Hobby Lobby. I am already subscribed here for quite some time now. Love this post!~ Diane W.
Mrs. White, I posted a plug for the giveaway at my blog coveredwifeoftim.blogspot.com which you can also contact me there. I didn't want to leave my email addy in public.
I just now subscribed for reminders that you have created a new post.
30 yrs ago, my folks had very little money for our Christmas. My mom made 2 large muslin dolls complete with full embroidered faces, yarn braids, and handmade dresses with starched white pants and aprons; one each for my sister and me. We both still have our dolls; mine has some marker stains on her after I allowed my own daughters to play with her, but she's still beautiful.
This year, I've made fun-themed crochet hats for my neice and nephews. My 4 children and I have been making popsicle-stick treasure boxes and crocheted scarves for our extended family and friends.
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I love making handmade things to giveaway, and especially at Christmas. This year I've made created little picture frames using pictures I took in my garden and added a scripture to them. It is so fun to make things and give them away :) I am impressed that you hand sew things, I need to do more of that! Blessings and hugs :)
About 15 years ago, a friend made me a homemade gift that I still have and use. She took a spaghetti sauce jar, painted the lid a pretty mauve color, and painted my name and a flower decoration on the glass part of the jar. I currently use it to store arrowroot, which I use in gluten-free baking.
I received homemade granola as a Christmas present from someone in my childbirth class over 16 years ago. I wish I had her recipe because it was amazing and I never forgot that sweet, thoughtful and nutritious gesture from a person I barely knew. I have been thinking about baking granola for my neighbors and my kids’ Sunday School teachers. I will use an old Sun-Maid granola recipe and divide it up into small Mason jars. I like that you sew by hand. :) My email is melissacseverance@gmail.com.
I give so many homemade gifts it's hard to pin them down! I give my mom macaroons every year for Christmas (and Mother's Day and her birthday too) because they are her favorite dessert. Last year for Christmas I gave my mother in law an afghan I crocheted in her favorite colors. She still talks about it and she uses it every night in her chair while reading or watching TV. It's always nice when you spend so much time on something and the person really enjoys it. :)
Our daughter paints beautiful cards for my husband and I for all the special occasions in our lives. Such treasures! And I always love receiving the creative and whimsical "refrigerator art" sent to me by my two beautiful granddaughters!
My favorite handmade gift is from my step mother. She always makes wonderful cookies for gifts for us every year. The napkins are beautiful! Sunrigs@yahoo.com
Napkins make wonderful gifts. I subscribe.
This year I am knitting stocking caps for many people including some charity knitting. I made my first stranded or fair isle hat with snowflakes on it for my daughter. That was challenging and satisfying. Do you knit? I cannot remember you mentioning it before. Also, do you choose to sew by hand or is it because you do not have a machine? Hand sewing is so relaxing.
Be blessed,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
I love homemade gifts, I am still using napkins my mother made for me as a shower gift more than 38 years ago! Every time we use them I think of my mom, who has since passed away!
I am already a subscriber! Love your blog!
Shared this post on my Facebook page for my blog!
Oh, Mrs. White. How I love your posts. One of my most special handmade gifts was a handspun/handwoven scarf given to me by a friend. I had a Kheeshond dog with long fluffy hair. My friend asked me for some of the hair after I had brushed her. She lovingly handspun and wove a scarf for me using the dog's hair. My pet is long gone, but I have this forever memory of her. Thank you so much for this lovely post. May you have a very special and blessed Christmas. 26rejoyce37@gmail.com
You will be blessing someone, with these napkins!
Your napkins are lovely! I enjoy using cloth napkins as well, and they can add a great burst of color on a set table, as well. Sometimes, I set a table with only napkins in rings, or done in a fun fold, at each place, and candles and flowers, nothing else!
This year, one of my Christmas gifts is a pizzella maker, and I intend to make these delicious cookies and share them with family, most likely at our New Years Eve get together. I love to browse cookbooks *I have over 100, for just the right recipe!
Merry Christmas!
We have a mitten tree at the local library for low-income kids and I add my share with upcycled wool sweaters. Each year I have a goal of a dozen; sometimes I cannot reach that goal for lack of finding just the right kind of wool I like to use, This year I was able to exceed my goal as I started collected the sweaters early in the summer!
...and I have been a follower, via email:)
A number of years ago a dear friend gifted me some knitted dishrags. I loved them so much that she taught me to make them, and I have made 100s to share with family and friends! If I win the lovely tea napkins, I'll send you some knitted dishrags! Christmas blessings to you and your family.
Mrs. White,
Your tea napkins look so pretty! I love to hand-sew also...just something so soothing about it. Last year I made two bib aprons(my favorite!) one for my friend and a matching one for myself :-) They are red and white check...pretty colors for Christmas I thought or for summer picnics. I would be so very excited to receive something you've made by hand(such a treasure and much more meaningful than purchased gifts I think. God bless your & yours during this wonderful season.
Kay Walker
so nice of you to give us a chance to win the beautiful napkins...I love handmade things! I made crock-pot apple butter one year for everyone because i didn't have much money to spend...it ended up being a favorite for all the ones who got it. They loved it and so do most people...it's just special to know someone took the time. God bless you!
Kay Walker
I have given many blankets I have crocheted as gifts. Then this year, my sister-in-law sent us a crocheted blanket she made for us. We love using cloth napkins in our home.
Those are so pretty. When I think of handsewing things, I always think of that episode of Little House called, "The Richest Man in Walnut Grove." Mary is sewing for Mrs. Whipple to help her family.
I just received a wonderful tote bag yesterday in the mail from my old college roommate. It's just beautiful, all covered in winter birds nesting in some kind of leafless bush filled with red berries. It's going to be my new bag to keep my embroidery in. I was just tickled when I opened the box!
Aw, when I read this, it reminded me of when I was little and my great-uncle gave me a dollhouse he had made. It was so precious to my heart. This brought back some special memories, so thank you. And thank you for the chance to win your beautiful homemade napkins! God bless you this Christmas!
I would love to recieve something hand made like napkins from you. I wish my Mother made them, but she had gone to heaven, and never even thought of it, I guess. This year, my life was given back to me because my Mother had cancer, and it felt like I was killed from it, as well. It has taken 6 long, lonley, painful years for me to fully get back up out of bed, ( literally) and get my body back in motion. This Christmas, I am rejoicing in life. Life is the best gift of all, and thank God for it everyday. Thank you for reading.
Allison
Mrs. White,
I tried to subscribe to your blog but something went wrong...I am NOT computer smart but maybe can get my kids to help me :-) Also, I do not do facebook or have a blog but will certainly share your blog with my daughter so she can read it too. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
Kay Walker
Years ago while living in Alaska, I cross-stitched a picture for my mother that depicted a girl pulling behind her three little wagons with her toys in them (a bunny, maybe teddy bear, etc.). The caption read, "A mother holds her children's hands for a while, their hearts forever." My mother and I had never been close but I was hoping she would appreciate this. It took me three months to cross-stitch. I had it beautifully framed in an oak frame and matching paper frame around it. Much to my dismay, she took one look at it and said, "You know I don't like wooden frames." Although she hung it on her wall, the pain of what she said was always with me (to this day, apparently). I don't regret making it for her and continued to cross-stitch, but never again for her. I guess some people don't appreciate homemade gifts as much as others. Oh, well. I am the main caretaker for her now (which is not easy with her attitude), but God has given us many gifts and mine is the gift of giving, even when others don't appreciate or want my gift. If homemade is from your heart and you have the gift of giving, continue to give and appreciate your gift as God is also blessed with the gift of giving - His Son, the greatest gift of all!!
Oh, how nice would be to get these! I would love to learn the art of sewing :) this year, we are making homemade candles, soap bars, quas cookies and pumpkin bread to give as Christmas gifts . This way I keep my whole crew engaged and productive while keeping things within budget .May the Lord bless you and your family during this Christmas!
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