Cloth Napkins- A Christmas Gift

My cousin loves to entertain with dinners and get togethers.  She is not one to throw out some paper plates and 2 liter bottles of Pepsi and do things buffet style.  She held a Christmas dinner, of about 20+ people, a couple years back and we used regular plates, centerpieces, and the whole table was set with place settings.  Everyone sat down and the food was passed around the table.  It was really nice and beautiful.  I have not lived in the same state as her in a good 6 years and we have missed getting together, especially at Christmas time.  I decided this year I wanted to get her something special but with our limited budget I knew I would have to get creative.  One day it just hit me, monogramed cloth napkins.  I knew she didn't have any and she is one of the few people I know of that would use and appreciate them. 

I started looking into fabrics to make them (because why would you buy something you can make yourself? haha)  and found linen fabric at Hobby Lobby was, wait for it.....$18.99 a yard (mouth gapping open as I looked at the price tag).  I couldn't believe it nor could I justify paying that kind of money for napkins.  The other day my mom and I were at target and I randomly decided to go through their kitchen section (I rarely go through this section since their stuff is normally a little pricey).  As luck would have it I found this:

 

A 60x84 inch rectangle table cloth on clearence for $5.38 and the best part was the color was perfect.  Her kitchen is done in lemons and blueberries so the blue stripes will be perfect on the kitchen table.  I used a cloth napkin I already had as a template and cut out 12- 12x12inch napkins (and I think I can use the extra fabric to make a really cute table runner later). 

 

Normally when I do monogramming I use a water soluble quilting pen but because this fabric was so dark I knew that wouldn't work because I wouldn't be able to see the markings.  Instead I used a trick my friend Melissa taught me (except she taught me to use it with my embroidery sewing machine).  I printed the "B" on computer paper in the size I wanted then traced it onto a napkin.  next I baste stitched around the napkin square to hold it in place while I hand embroidered.  Here is what it looks like when you have it basted:

 

 

I used a satin stitch.

 

 

I liked how it turned out but using a satin stitch was going to take me forever and a day, and lets face it I don't have that much time to devote to one project.

 

 

So I used a basic embroidery stitch (havn't a clue what it's called, my Mamaw taught it to me years ago) and basically just stitched around the "B".

 

 

For whatever reason my mom and I both liked this one better.  I think it's kind of different from your typical monogrammed napkins.  I can't wait to give them to her!