Shabby Chic Napkins

I have loved Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic style since she published her first book.  One of the things she had in her books I have had my eye on for years.  She has shabby white linen napkins with a ruffle, so pretty, so informal, but yet formal.  I just love the style. 
Materials:
1 and 1/2 yd of white linen or linen look fabric
white thread
fabric marking pencil
yardstick
scissors
8 and 1/2 yd of 3/8" white satin ribbon 

Click on any picture to enlarge.
 

I finally got to a sale at the fabric store and got the linen to make these napkins.  Now I will show you how.

 
 

I believe the standard dinner napkin is a 21 inch square.  I laid my linen out and cut a 20 inch square.  The ruffle will be the extra inch all around. 

 

Next, I laid out the linen and marked off 2 and 1/2 inch strips with a fabric marking pencil.   The linen was 54 inches wide; and marking and cutting these strips on the width, you will need 2 strips per napkin.

After cutting the napkin and the strips out, take the strips and fold them in half and iron.  This will be your ruffles.

 

 Next, you will take the strips and sew a basting stitch on the unfolded edge about a 1/4 from the edge.

  

You will next pull your basting strings and make the ruffle.

 

You then pin the the ruffle to the napkin square so as when you turn the ruffle out it will hide the seam.

 When you get to the end of the ruffle you will sew the next strip to it.

  

I sewed the two ruffle pieces together and then made basting stitches up to the seam.  I don't have a great basting stitch on this machine so I make several basting stitches all around the ruffle and then gather them up as even as I can.

 

I then have the entire ruffle pinned all around the napkin. The end edges will meet up at one corner as shown above.

 

I then sew those two ruffle ends together and trim the seam. Pin it in place and you are ready to sew the ruffle in place.

 

Sewing ruffle in place.

 

The pressure foot is my guide to how big I make this ruffle seam.  I sew with the pressure foot right on the edge of the ruffle for a uniform finish.

 

When you turn the corners just follow edge of ruffle.  Go back later and trim this square corner off.

 

Trim off threads.  Turn ruffle out and press.

 

Now, turn your napkin back over to the exposed seam on the underneath side and pin your 3/8" ribbon to cover the seam and sew in place.

 

Sew the other side of the ribbon in place and the napkin looks as good on the front as it does on the back.

 You are now ready to have a shabby style table.  I have seen 4 of these napkins for sale for $80 and with some work at the sewing machine you can have your shabby napkins for a fraction of that cost.  Mine were just the cost of the fabric $6, the ribbon $2, and my time.
I am linking this up to Kathleen's Faded Charm Cottage for White Wednesday, Jen's The Thrifty Home for her Penny Pinching Party, and for Blue Cricket Design's Show and Tell Wednesday.