I’ve been quilting for about four years now, and sewing for over three decades, and this is the first time I’ve washed my fabrics before cutting and sewing them! I’m a little amazed at myself, but here’s the thinking. I’m making tablecloths and napkins!! They’re going to be in and out of my washing machine heaps of times, so I better have my dimensions right, and know up front if my fabrics will shrink or not. One thing I really don’t like is tablecloths that are too short. And I want my napkins to be a nice generous size too.

don't they look oh so pretty on my line?

I’ve been deliberating for awhile now about making cloths for my kitchen table using some of my favourite fabrics. Sounds like a perfect idea, yes? But I know that some time in the next year or so, we’ll be either building or buying a new home to live in, and I don’t know if I’ll be using the current rectangular table in my kitchen, or if I’ll have what we always planned to have in the kitchen – our beautiful custom-made square table. If that’s how it’ll go, then all these beautiful cloths I’m making now won’t be of any use. See my point?

Only thing that got me over the line today, got my hands scooping up the fabrics and dropping them into the machine and turning on the water, was the knowledge that sometimes I am just darn stupid, and I let my need to have things be perfect distract me from actually getting something done! I know I’m alone in this, I know you won’t have a clue what I’m on about, right?

So, I’m determined to sew something this week. It’s been w-a-a-a-a-a-a-y too long since I did anything, so I’m going to finish this cloth before Wednesday night. We’re having the immediate family over for Sarah’s birthday and my new cloth is going to be on my table!