How To Make Jubilee Embroidered Crown Napkins with Sophie Holt, Deputy Editor of Sew Magazine (UK)

Stitched napkins make great party favors as they’re quick to stitch up and can be customized for any event – whether you’re creating Jubilee souvenirs or birthday party keepsakes. For this design I’ve chosen to stitch a simple crown design, along with '2012' to commemorate the summer’s events.

Remember to use an embroidery hoop to keep your napkin taut and secure whilst stitching the needlework design – it’ll ensure a neat finish and will make the motif easier to work. This project is made up from simple squares of cotton, so is a great way to use up any remnants of curtain fabric that you may have left over!

Step one: Decide how big you want your napkins to be, and add 1 1/2 inches to both the width and the length measurements, for seam allowances. Cut a piece of gingham cotton to that size – work along the gingham design to ensure straight edges. Fold a 1/4 inch double hem along each edge, and pin into place. Sew into place with a straight machine stitch to secure each edge, then press to fix the stitches.

Step two: Using a water soluble or vanishing ink pen, draw out the design you’d like to embroider to one corner of the napkin. Make sure to leave enough space around the design that it can be secured into an embroidery hoop.


Step three: Place the napkin into an embroidery hoop, making sure the design is as central as possible. Prepare an embroidery needle with a length of thread – I used all six strands for this design to make sure it’d show up on the gingham background – and work the design using whatever stitches you like. I worked the entirety of my motif in back-stitch. Remove from the hoop, and press once more to set the stitches into place. If you like, add jewels or sequins to the top of the crown for extra sparkle…

Sophie at Sew Magazine
www.sewmag.co.uk

P.S. For perfect stitches every time... may we recommend one of our sewing machines from our friends at Brother® -- like the Laura Ashley Limited Edition Isadore Sewing and Embroidery Machine, the queen of all machines with its regal style and state of the art sewing, quilting and embroidery features.