Patchwork Napkins: A Neat Edge Finish Tutorial

Things you will learn

For the napkin, cut fabric strips 3 by 7 cm, sew them into blocks, and press the seams open in opposite directions.
Pin the finished patchwork panel onto a sturdy backing fabric and trim the edge, leaving a 3 cm margin.
Fold and press the corners first, then trim away the excess triangles of fabric along the fold line.
Fold the sides of the backing fabric in toward the center, then shape each corner in order: the center fold first, then the right side, then the left side.
Pin the folded edge in place, hand-hem it with an invisible stitch, and steam-press the finished piece for crisp, neat corners.

What you'll get

You'll get a square patchwork napkin with an even, hand-hemmed edge and neat mitered corners, ready to use in the kitchen.

Materials and tools

Materials

Small scraps of natural fabric, any color or print works — solid or patterned fabric both suit this project
Sturdy backing fabric, the finished patchwork panel is mounted on this before the edge is folded

Tools

Pins, needed to pin the patchwork panel to the backing and to pin the folded edge before hemming
Iron, needed to press the seams, press the corners, and steam-press the finished piece
Needle and thread, needed to hand-hem the folded edge with an invisible stitch

Preparation

Gather your fabric

Gather small scraps of natural fabric in any colors — solid or patterned — plus a sturdy backing fabric.

Cut the strips

Cut fabric strips of the same size, 3 by 7 cm, for the napkin's blocks.

Piece the patchwork panel

First piece the blocks from strips, then sew the blocks into a single panel.

Sew the strips into blocks

Sew the strips together and press the seams open in opposite directions.

Two patchwork panels made from small rectangles, with a fabric strip for scale

Sew the blocks into a panel

Sew the finished blocks together into a single panel of the size you want.

Mount the panel on the backing

The patchwork panel is mounted on the sturdy backing before the edge is folded.

Pin the napkin to the backing

Pin the patchwork napkin onto the sturdy backing fabric.

Laying the patchwork panel on the sturdy backing fabric

Trim the edge with a margin

Trim the backing's edge, leaving a 3 cm margin around the patchwork panel.

Fold the edge and corners

Fold the corners first, then the sides.

Fold and press the corners

Fold the corners of the backing first, and press them with an iron.

Folding the backing's corner toward the edge of the patchwork napkin

Trim the extra corner triangles

Trim away the excess fabric — small triangles — along the fold line at each corner.

Trimming the excess fabric at the backing's corner before folding

Fold in the sides

Fold the sides of the backing fabric in toward the center and press them too.

The backing's edge folded around the patchwork napkin

Shape the mitered corners

Shape each corner in order so the folds line up with the napkin's diagonal.

Fold the corner's center

First fold the center part of the corner.

Forming the first fold at the backing's corner

Fold the right side

Then fold the right side of the corner — make sure the fold lines up with the napkin's diagonal.

Folding the side of the corner along the diagonal

Fold the left side

Fold the left side of the corner last.

Folding the corner's second side to form a neat frame

Pin and hand-hem the edge

Do the same on all the sides, then pin them and hand-hem with an invisible stitch.

Hand-hemming the folded corner of the napkin with an invisible stitch

Steam-press the finished napkin

The final touch is steam-pressing for a crisp finish.

Steam-press the piece

Be sure to steam-press the finished piece to give the corners a crisp shape and the napkin a neat look.

A teapot and two bowls on a square patchwork napkin

Finish and variations

Finish

Use your napkin

The finished patchwork napkin, with its neat edge and mitered corners, is ready to use in the kitchen or as a place mat.

Troubleshooting

The backing fabric's edges fray

Problem

The unfinished edges of the backing under the patchwork panel start to fray.

Likely cause

The backing was cut from a loosely woven fabric with no extra edge finishing before the main fold.

How to fix it

If the fabric frays easily, fold its edge under by a couple of millimeters before the main fold, to keep it from fraying.

The corner fold doesn't line up with the diagonal

Problem

After shaping a corner, the fold drifts away from the napkin's diagonal.

Likely cause

You didn't check that the fold lined up with the diagonal while folding the right or left side of the corner.

How to fix it

As you fold each side of the corner, check that the fold lines up exactly with the napkin's diagonal before you secure it.

Seams show through or bulk up on the front

Problem

After piecing the blocks, the seams show through or bunch up on the napkin's right side.

Likely cause

The seams between the strips weren't pressed open in opposite directions after sewing.

How to fix it

Press the seams between the strips in opposite directions right after sewing, so the panel lies flat.

The corners lose their shape after hemming

Problem

After hemming, the finished napkin looks uneven and the corners don't hold their shape.

Likely cause

The piece wasn't steam-pressed after hemming the edge.

How to fix it

Be sure to steam-press the finished napkin — this gives the corners a crisp shape and makes the piece look neat.

FAQ

What materials do you need for a patchwork napkin?

Small scraps of natural fabric in any color, plus a sturdy backing fabric.

What size should the fabric strips be?

Cut the strips to the same size — 3 by 7 cm.

What margin should you leave when trimming the backing?

Leave a 3 cm margin around the patchwork panel when trimming the backing's edge.

What if the backing fabric frays along the edge?

If the fabric frays easily, fold its edge under by a couple of millimeters before the main fold.

Why steam-press the finished napkin?

Steam-pressing gives the corners a crisp shape and makes the napkin look neat.

How to Sew Napkins with a Neat Edge Finish

Things you will learn

What you'll get