Christmas in July continues with a week of holiday-themed tutorials! Stop by each day this week to see the featured tutorial and find out how you can enter to win the fabric line being used!
Today Cynthia from Quilting is more fun than Housework (and yes, it is!) is sharing the perfect quick and easy gift idea for the holidays. She's made double-sided napkins using the Holiday Cheer collection by Maria Kalinowski for Kanvas. These novelty prints are sew much fun!
Here's Cynthia:
Welcome to my stop on the Benartex Christmas in July Blog Hop. Benartex has so many fun collections coming out for the holidays it was hard to choose a favorite. But when I saw the Holiday Cheer collection, I immediately had the perfect project in mind.
Bright colored candies and cocktail treats....This collection was screaming to be made into party napkins! They are pretty easy to make so I thought I would include a tutorial in case you want to get started on your holiday sewing.
The first step is to get the fabric pre-washed (to remove shrinkage) and
then pressed. I use either starch or a starch alternative like Best
Press to get it really nice and flat.
You will want to remove the selvages and square up the pressed fabric
to the size you desire.
When cutting your fabric to size, you will need
to compensate for the 2.5" you will lose in the finished edging. For my 14" napkins, I cut a 16.5" square.
At your ironing board, fold down 1/4" and press to the wrong side
around all 4 sides of the cloth.. I use a small ruler to help with
this.
You can also mark your fabric with a light pencil line on the wrong side if that is easiest to follow.
(Using Best Press on this step will help to ensure the fold doesn't open up in handling.)
Next, with the 1/4" still pressed down, you will fold in and press an
additional 1" on all 4 sides of the cloth. Once again, the use of
starch or Best Press will keep the folds from opening up.
On a flat surface, open up the 1" fold but keep the 1/4" fold, down. In
the corners, draw a line at 45 degrees through where the fold marks intersect. I use
the 45 degree mark on my ruler to line up with either the edge of the
cloth or the fold mark. Remember to mark all four corners.
Now fold the corners right side together (keeping the 1/4" folded
down). The outer edge of the cloth should be lined up and come to a
point. Sew on the pencil line, remembering to back stitch at the
beginning and end of the stitch line. Sew all four corners.
Trim the corner about 1/4" from the stitched line. I may also trim away some of the bulk at the corner where the fold is to help keep the points sharp.
Now just fold in and you will get a nice mitered corner with a sharp point. I use one of my cutting rulers to slide into the point to push them all the way out. Give all the edges another press.
At this point, you can choose not to line your napkins and just top stitch around the mitered edge (see below) - or you can get even more festive and line your napkins with a coordinating fabric.
I cut a 13" square and tucked it under the mitered edge. I then pinned all the layers around the edge to make top stitching a little easier.
In a nice contrasting or complimentary thread (your choice), stitch
along the inside fold about 1/16" from the edge. Remember to backstitch
when you start out. To turn the corners, put the needle down right in
the miter, lift the presser foot and turn. I also backstitch at the end.
And there you have it - fun holiday napkins!
Perfect little gifts for that favorite hostess...
Or put them away for use at your own holiday party.
Aren't the prints adorable in this Holiday Cheer collection!
Thanks, Cynthia! Head over to Cynthia's blog to enter for a chance to win a FQ bundle of Holiday Cheer fabric!
Don't miss our Christmas in July tutorials all this week!
Friday: Benartex blog design team featuring Joyful
