A cloth napkin earns its place in the kitchen when it’s easy to wash and pleasant to reach for. These are made from ordinary quilting cotton or another lightweight woven fabric, with a narrow hem that keeps raw edges tucked away.
Choose and cut your fabric
Pick a tightly woven cotton that can go through the wash; very slippery fabric is harder to keep square while sewing. For each finished 18-inch napkin, cut one 19-inch square, allowing a half inch on every side for a double-fold hem. Wash and dry the fabric before cutting so any shrinkage happens before the napkins are finished.
Press the hems neatly
With the wrong side facing up, press each edge over by a quarter inch, then fold it over another quarter inch to hide the raw edge. Work around the square one side at a time, checking that the corners stay flat rather than bunching into thick knots. A few pins or clips will hold the folds while you move to the machine.
Stitch and make a small stack
Sew close to the inner folded edge, backstitching at the beginning and end of each side. If you’re new to sewing, turn the fabric slowly at the corners and keep the needle down while you pivot. Press the finished napkin once more, then repeat with the remaining squares; a set in two coordinating prints makes everyday table settings feel personal without needing to match perfectly.