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Cloth napkin recommendations?


Miss Peregrine
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the last set of a dozen I purchased was a restaurant/hotel napkin.  (bought them from amazon) I fold it when it comes out of the dryer before putting them away. about the same as the poly.  and they will actually absorb what falls in your lap as opposed to the poly ones.

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I use the 79c IKEA red and white dishtowels for napkins and unpaper towels. They're cheap enough to have zillions. For fancy meals, I have some pretty cloth napkins from Cost Plus World Market.

 

We also use dishtowels as napkins.  I bought a set from Target a while back; half of the towels actually were thick like towels (so they hang up to dry hands on).  The other half in the set were thin like cloth napkins, but nice feeling (not slippery polyester but thick and cottony).  We use them as our cloth napkins.

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Thank you for this; I just ordered some plain birdseye weave napkins.

 

I hope you like them! They do shrink up a bit the first time you wash/dry them. I panicked and e-mailed the seller to ask if I should have handled them differently. She responded quickly, letting me know that the material shrinks up a bit the first time and that they won't shrink after that first wash. She was correct - they haven't shrunk at all since and I've washed and dried them a bunch. I'm copying her reply to my e-mail - what she described is exactly what happened. I didn't take her up on her offer, but it was really nice of her to offer bigger cloths. 

 

"Hi Amanda,

Thanks so much for your order.  They won't shrink any more, even if you wash them in hot water and dry them on medium.  This fabric has a unique attribute called "fulling" or "shrink and full".  That means that although the fabric shrinks up a bit, it also puffs up, kind of like a quilt.  One that happens, the fibers are locked together  and  the fabric is stronger, more absorbent and fuller or thicker than if it didn't shrink at all.

 

I would be happy to send you a 10 pack of 14x14 inch cloths at no charge to see if that size suits your needs better.  We want our customers to love our products, and be everything that they expect them to be.

 

Kind regards,

Gina Jordan"

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I just bought a bunch in the Dollar Spot section of Target. They're a robin's egg blue color (probably a bit darker), made out of a nice, soft, thick cotton. They're not coming out of the dryer terribly wrinkly--definitely not as wrinkly as my thinner cotton ones! They were 2 for $3, and I'm very happy with them. Of course, my youngest promptly used one for cleaning the whiteboard  :glare: I may need to pick up a few more next time I'm over there *sigh*

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If you can sew a straight line you can make your own. Purl Soho and Sew Mama Sew have tutorials. I used to buy them up at estate sales and secondhand shops, but supplies seem to have been depleted (erm, probably by me). I prefer linen, personally, as they are sturdier and more absorbent.

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I pick up cottony ones at the thrift store all the time.  I don't think they are a big seller around here, so I can usually find a pack of 4 for $1.99.  I like to embroider little things in the corners.  My arty dd draws me something simple and I outline stitch it.  On my cranberry red napkins she drew some spoons with silly faces and on the white napkins she drew humming birds.  I never buy the polyester ones because they don't absorb well & they just don't hold up as well.

 

Amber in SJ

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I bought some cotton ones from Pier 1 many, many years ago. They have held up well through countless washings and they look nice even when not ironed (they aren't completely wrinkle free but close enough). I've bought other cotton ones from Target that just aren't as soft and are a wrinkled mess. I make the kids use them.

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I'm another fan of cotton over poly.  They are more absorbent and I don't worry about the wrinkles.  I just fold them when they come out of the dryer.  We go through so many in a week that no one even notices if they are wrinkled. 
I like ones that are hemmed, or the double-sided ones the have been sewn then turned right side out. I avoid fringe or rolled hems, as they don't hold up as long.  I've had some last over twenty years!

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