12 MAKES OF CHRISTMAS NO. 4

THE NAPKINS

Now I happen to think this would make a very nice present - napkins are like pillowcases - a) you can't really have too many and b) they really don't all need to match.  Well, maybe in the case of pillowcases, its nice to have 2 that go together, but a white tablecloth laid with lots of different coloured napkins would be totally cool!

Here they are looking like a box of Christmas crackers

As it happens I had a long strip of lovely blue green linen that was enough to cut 4 x 53cm square pieces that when hemmed all around made 4 generously sized 50 cm napkins.   Linen is a perfect fabric - elegant when crumpled but, more importantly, uniquely absorbent so good for blotting and mopping.  And its hardwearing so will withstand many many washes.  Best to wash and dry the fabric before you start, in case of shrinkage - remembering that you may well want to wash them long and hot to get rid of all those red-wine and good food stains of the future.   

The best place for 100% linen in a HUGE range of wonderful colours is The Cloth Shop in London's Portobello Road.

And to complete the look, I used a strip of fabric leftover from my tablecloth to make these easy napkin rings with the help of some stiffener and buttons, but tying them with some ribbon or even a length of string would be just as effective.  

12 MAKES OF CHRISTMAS NO. 1

As you may have noticed, the description above states that I will muse on textile pattern, colour and texture as well as techniques and tips.  Well I reckon I've mused at length on the first three items in that list. From bees to tartan, deckchair stripes to herringbone, I've raided the treasure trove of furnishing fabrics to highlight the ones that I love, and told some of the stories that are woven into them along the way.  But I haven't done much in the way of the two T's: techniques and tips.

  

To right that wrong, and ring in the festive season (and just to make my life just a little more hectic than it is already!) I have decided to give myself a challenge:  in the run up to Christmas I will post 12 easy peasy Makes - simple ideas of things you can make as gifts and treats for your friends and family. 

So, as its the first day of December, it seemed fitting that the Gina Take a Bow CHRISTMAS MAKE NO. 1 is an Advent Calendar that you can make to string across a mantelpiece: 24 little bags to fill with sweets or tiny presents, to unpin and empty each day in the eager countdown that is the magic of Christmas!

Ian Mankin's Ticking 01 in traditional black and white, with snippets of red swedish linen from Portobello Road's Cloth Shop

For further instructions, go to the Makes tab at the top of the page.