Blast 13:: Happiness is a clean napkin (or 8 of them)

Because, sometimes...it really is that simple isn't it?

We are in need of napkins around here. Well, some pretty ones at least. We have loads of every day ones, but I was looking to pretty things up a bit. Not to mention that napkins are always just plain useful. See, napkins keep children from wiping their fingers and hands on their pants... or their mouths on their sleeves...and, generally,  makes meals more enjoyable when folks don't have food hanging off their face. Just sayin'.

Sure, I could just buy some napkins. Even thrift some, but now that seems super silly to drag the kids out, use the gas to get to the store and spend precious time poking around, when 20 feet away I have copious amounts of cottons all vying for my attention (Oh, but how I do love a good thrift hunt....but we're destashing here right!?).

For a touch of  prettiness, I chose to make these little helpers from Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet line..

and how sweet it is....

Another late night; another quicky craft. I gave myself an hour - one hour. That was it. That's all this was gettin'. Really.

I had precut these squares using the cardboard that came with a layer cake fabric pack. I had actually considered this pattern for kitchen curtains but, didn't have enough of the print on hand and although my agreement with myself is to only buy more in order to use something in the stash..I guess I could have gotten away with it. Until, of course, my next peek into the void and see the ridiculous amount of cotton still waiting for its turn - so this was delegated to napkins. Not a bad deal all around, I think.

So, as i was saying, I gave myself one hour to sew these guys up.

Simple.

I had 8 precut napkins and 8 and it was going to be. No sense leaving 1 or 2 to languish in the sewing basket, unfinished for the next month...or year as the case could easily have become.

One hour - no sweat.

Until the thread kept popping off the holder (tension issue?) and snapping (most definitely a tension issue)...repeatedly. And then, when I had one and a half napkins to go and10 mminutess from my one hour deadline - my bobbin thread ran out.

Wouldn't. You. Know.

Time for a quick change...until I realized that my spool holder for threading the bobbin is broken...so, I would need to hold the thread while it spun at an insanely high speed. It took just a few tries to find the speed that would keep the spool in my hand without giving myself thread burn but, also, get the job done in roughly one minute.

Finally, the bobbin was filled... Hallejulah!..

Then, I dropped the bobbin case... and the bobbin thread...and watched it start to quickly unwind as it rolled across the floor while I muttered some choice words....(insert deep breath here)... and then slowly picked them up, wound the bobbin back up a bit and carried on my merry way.

Bobbin case set? Check,

Spool ready to go? Check.

Ready to roll with 3 minutes left to go on the clock. Whiz, snap, whiz and whammo - finished at 1:05. Not too shabby.

Because, after all, happiness is a clean napkin.