Welcome to the Hand-Sewn Linen Napkins Workshop!

Workshop Index

Linen Napkin Materials and Supplies

Cutting Out A Linen Napkin

Hand-sewing Foundations

Hemming Your Napkins

Workshop Survey

Welcome! I am so excited to hand sew a set of linen napkins with you! Hand sewing has the power to calm the mind and re-connect you to yourself. Stitching a set of napkins will give you a sense of accomplishment and a re-usable, beautiful table setting you can use for years to come. This class is designed to walk you through how to cut out a napkin without a pattern and hem it by hand without using a sewing machine! Using a series of pre-recorded, close-captioned videos this class will teach you to pick out materials, practice hand sewing basics, cut out your linen and hem your napkin. We will use a technique called pulling threads to remove a thread from the weave-structor of the textile to cut a perfectly straight edge and then use hand sewing techniques to hand-hem the edge of the fabric. This project is small enough you can take it anywhere! That is the beauty of hand sewing.

This class is designed for you to go at your own pace using the pre-recorded videos for instruction. Pause, rewatch and review to hone your hemming skills. The goal of this class is to teach you to cut out two napkins and hem them to have a functional, beautiful and re-usable addition to your table. The second goal of this class is to teach you hand-hemming which is a remarkably transferable skill to other areas of hand-sewing for garment construction. Hemming is also known as felling. Think “to fell” or “to fold over.” Hems are felled but so are some seams and linings. These skills will serve you beyond napkins. Imagine the possibilities!

This class is taught by Sarah Woodyard, to learn more about Sarah please click here. If you have any questions or need to schedule a private session please email Sarah at sewncompany@gmail.com. Let’s get stitching to remember what our hands can do!

 Materials and Supplies

Linen: 1 yard, lightweight to medium weight linen (5 to 8 ounces). To buy white linen similar to the textile I use in this class click here.

• Some places to buy:

  Melanated Fabrics

  Fabric Indulgence

  Zadie Grossman

  Blackbird Fabrics

  Cloth House (UK)

Thread: Linen (match weight to textile). For medium weight to lightweight use 80/2, 80/3; for lightweight use 100/2, 100/3. I like to use a contrasting thread to make the stitches visible. But it is up to you! You can buy contrasting or matching thread.

• Great selection here!

• Do not forget the beeswax for coating your thread here!

Needles: I’d recommend size 9 or 10 “sharps,” “appliqué,” or “embroidery” needles.

• I love Bohin needles. Get them here!

Dressmakers shears: 8 inches.

• My favorite shears are from William Whiteley and Co. in England who preserve the scissor making craft. Buy them here!

Small snips: Look for “embroidery” scissors.

• My favorite small scissors are from William Whiteley and Co. in England who preserve the scissor making craft. Buy them here!

Measuring tape, ruler or seam gauge

Thimble (optional but encouraged): Should fit on the middle finger of your dominate hand. Not too tight but not too loose it falls off. Learn how to use one here!

• Where to buy: Antique malls, eBay, etsy, Lacis has a fantastic stock here.

 Cutting Out A Linen Napkin

Cutting out a linen napkin is a perfect project to practice cutting fabric without a pattern by pulling threads. In the video below we practice our skills of: translating measurements directly onto fabric, ergonomic cutting technique and pulling threads for a precise cutting line. We will cut out a 18” by 18” (45 cm by 45 cm) linen napkin to practice these skills. I suggest you cut and sew two for this workshop. This will give you lots of great practice and a matched set!

A note about the measurements: I cut out a 18” by 18” napkin because I wanted to minimize waste. For example: if you have fabric that is 36” wide you can get 2 napkins out of that, if you have fabric that is 54” wide you can get 3 napkins out of that. Remembering that 18” is also half a yard so a full yard yields double these numbers. I would encourage you to cut the square in relation to your fabric width. For example: if your fabric is 54” wide but has a fuzzy selvedge that needs to be cut off subtract the amount you cut off and divide the width in thirds to figure out what the width and what the length should be. If you have 60” wide fabric and you end up with 20” by 20” go with that! The goal is to cut these napkins with MINIMAL waste. This means using the fabric to its best advantage.

 Hand-Sewing Foundations

Before you begin to stitch please watch these close-captioned videos to practice your hand-sewing technique and then move into hemming your napkins. This section shows you how to sew ergonomically and how to use a thimble. And includes running stitch and hemming practice. It is so important to practice with a good foundation. My goal is to teach you a hand sewing technique that is sustainable so you can hand-sew your projects efficiently. To make the videos full-screen click the icon in the bottom right of the video.

Hand-Sewing Posture and Technique:

Threading A Needle/Knotting Your Thread

How To Hand-Sew With A Thimble

Running Stitch

Hemming/Felling

 Hemming Your Napkins

In this section you will hem your napkins. The first video walks you through the first step: basting the raw edges up. The second video walks you through hemming the fold in place. Please watch these close-captioned videos first and then jump into hemming your napkins! To make the videos full-screen please click on the icon in the bottom right hand side of the video player.

1. Basting the raw edge up 1/4” (6 mm)

Left Handed

2. Hemming all the way around the napkin

Left Handed

Congratulations on hand-sewing a pair of beautiful and functional napkins! Don’t be afraid to use them, they are meant to be used and loved! Be proud and celebrate what YOU made every time you sit down to a meal. Well done!

I hope you enjoyed the peace and fulfillment of hand sewing and remembered what your hands can do.

 Hand-Sewn Linen Napkins Survey