On our table

First up welcome and thanks for dropping in if you're visiting from Whip up. If you're not, head on over there to see the patchwork placemats that I wrote about for a guest post there. It's a real honour to be part of the current series of guest posts that Kathreen has gathered together- there are some wonderfully inspiring posts from some bloggers I already follow, and some that I'm adding to my Google Reader list.

After finishing the placemats, I had a small pile of spotty fabric strips left over, which I wanted to incorporate into some patchwork napkins. Something to add to our dinner rituals, and so that I'm not pulling out paper serviettes when we have visitors. Something similarly cohesive but not matchy-matchy, using up the placemat scraps and remaining spotty fabrics in my stash.

I checked out a few of the napkins over at Purl Bee (Molly clearly has a larger linen cupboard than I do) and liked the idea of double sided napkins, thereby avoiding tedious hemming and enabling patchwork to be incorporated. I pieced the napkins with one wide single piece of spotted fabric, a narrow pieced strip (5cm wide) and a wider pieced strip (12cm wide) to create a 42cm square, which I backed with a nice quality polycotton salvaged from some old sheets.

The pieced strips were created a bit less randomly than for the napkins. I used only the lighter toned spotty fabrics, and roughly assembled the strips as I cut pieces, so that I wasn't cutting more than necessary (again) and to make the most of what remained of some of my favourite prints. After sewing all the strips, I laid them all out, swapping pieces until I was satisfied that they all worked in a randomly balanced way (if there is such a thing).

I made a set of 8, as with the placemats. So far they're working well- the first meal C knew to place it on his lap, just like Grannie does at her house, and now he can wipe his face himself after the meal. Now I just need to make sure I'm doing the same. And figure out where to store them between meals.