Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Placemats and Napkins

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
~Plato

Finally. Two more kawandi placemats complete. There were only three birds so these have none and the scrap colors are much louder. I decided to pull a smaller, coordinated collection of scraps from the bag to add cohesion... Maybe. Reds in the first round established strong perimeters. I tried adding tiklis but am still not good at it. They usually occur to me after a round of stitching. 

Kawandi placemat 4

The dark pink across the top {and on the right side} is a gift from Sujata. It's Indian cotton, finer than lawn. What a difference it makes when stitching. The needle slides through like butter. Somehow, all the loud prints ended up in the previous placemat and this one was left with only quiet fabrics for the center. Still, a plate will cover it.

Kawandi placemat 5


Last week when washing the napkins, it came to my attention that they are permanently stained. Well, they've been used for several years. Clean ones are needed. At first I whined because there's not enough yardage of any of the fabrics that look like napkins. That means they won't match. Oh, boo hoo.

These fabrics have been sitting on a chair for too long. I'm starting here and will pull any fabric that is at least 22" square to make a napkin. A glorious riot of prints and color. Take your pick when you come over. 

Woven cotton prints with purple or white backgrounds
Cloth napkins


It took more time than I thought to make them. Cut, press the seam, pin the folded seam, turn the corners, sew, and press. The first ten are done. The old napkins are going to compost.

Reading


Oh, boy. Time for the third mystery in Martin Walker's Bruno series. Black Diamond refers to truffles but the story also involves attacks on various Asian businesses. 

Enjoy the day, Ann

26 comments:

patty a. said...

The placemats are so pretty! I haven't tried that method of hand stitching yet; just not enough time in a day!

Nann said...

Love the planned-random-improv placemats, Ann. And the napkin assortment! (I have surprised myself by how much fabric napkins require to be a decent (usable) size.) My husband has enjoyed the Bruno mysteries.

rondiquilts said...

Hand stitching is such a joy, I really need to get on the Kawandi band wagon, everyone seems to be enjoying it. I enjoy using the old linens/napkins of my maternal Grandmother. I came across them in a box several years ago and I'm so glad I started using them instead of keeping them in a box. I need to get some of my fabrics just sitting there and make some napkins as gifts. Thanks for the idea!
Rondi
rondiquilts@yahoo.com

pforgerson said...

Its a great read!

Julierose said...

that is a pretty fabric from Sujata--- I think your kawandi are really lovely. nice work
hugs, Julierose

O'Quilts said...

nice post and lovely fabrics...

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Pretty placemats!

Ann said...

Thanks, Patty. It's fun but sets my arthritis off if I do very much. Still, nice to work on in the evening while we're watching or listening to baseball.

Ann said...

I think the placemats will work with our Fiestaware. I should have bought yardage for napkins but it's easier to use up what's lying around... when there's enough. Most of mine is half a yard or less and that's not enough for a good sized napkin.
The Bruno series reminds me so much of Tony Hillerman. They both immersed their stories in the region they wrote about.

Ann said...

I also inherited some napkins from my grandmother and love the delicate repairs they have. I need to pull those out for daily use. Better than rotting in a drawer.

Ann said...

He’s an excellent writer.

Ann said...

Thanks, Julie. It looks minimal to me but I like the strong border.

Ann said...

Thanks.

Ann said...

They are fun to make.

Preeti said...

Matching napkins are so overrated, Ann :-D I love an eclectic mix and you are clearly on the right path.

Ann said...

They certainly are eclectic. And they are clean, always a plus. Thanks, Preeti.

Bluestocking said...

I too love my cloth napkins. I made dozens out of fat quarters that my girls chose themselves and then used in their school lunch boxes, and though I also have a set from yardage that we use at home, sometimes the school ones end up on the table! It's all good!

Bluestocking said...

I too love our cloth napkins. I made a stack out of fat quarters that my girls chose themselves and used in their school lunch boxes, and a set for home out of yardage. Sometimes the school ones end up on the table at home -- it's all good!

Ann said...

That sounds perfect. They are much prettier, too.

Kaja said...

Mismatched sounds lovely to me. Much more interesting.

Mystic Quilter said...

Such a good idea to use our quilting fabrics for napkins, I love the ones you've made here Ann. Imagine a meal, plates set down on the colourful Kawandi place mats and the addition of bright napkins. I'm attending a zoom class with Sujata in April for the Kawandi quilts, I'm so looking forward to it!

cspoonquilt said...

These placemats are so much fun! I want to make some!!! And thanks for the mystery book tip. I'm always on the look out for another mystery author!! take care, cw

Ann said...

Thanks. That's a good way to look at it.

Ann said...

You will have a great time in her class. Sujata's a wonderful teacher. I look forward to hearing about your experience.

Ann said...

Sorry, Claire. I just saw your comment. The placemats have been fun to make and just the right size.

Ann said...

Sending them with your daughters was smart. I'm amazed how some of the oldest are still clean and useable while some of the newer ones have permanent stains already. So glad I'm not worrying about matching these days.