Super Easy Napkins and Table Runner

It's Baseball Week on Pandiola Lane!

The morning of our Home Run Derby Party, I thought, wouldn't baseball napkins be fun?!?!

Better head to Joann's to get some fabric....

I bought a yard of this Alexander Henry "baseball":  (the background is navy)

and half a yard of this:

I just bought myself a serger (a "end of the school year" present to myself) and am I LOVING how easy rolled hems are to do on it. 

(If you've never used the rolled hem feature of your serger check out this Prudent Baby video on how it works.) 

Ok ready for the steps?  Here it goes:

1.  Wash, dry and iron fabric. 

*NOTE: this is the longest step of this project.

(No need to cut off all those threads from the wash since the serger will cut them off for you.)

2.  Fold the yard of fabric in half (cut sides together) and trim the edges if needed to make the edge even.

Then fold in half again the same direction.

Then fold your long rectangle in thirds the other direction.

 You will have it piled to make 12 napkins.  

Does this picture help? (I forgot to take a picture.)

3. With the fabric still folded cut along all the folds. (Stick your scissors in the folds and cut as straight as possible.)  You'll end up with your napkins all stacked up in a pile.

*NOTE: If you are very particular about all your napkins being precisely the same size, a cutting mat and big ruler might be a better option for you.  If you need to make napkins SUPER FAST (like guests arriving in an hour fast), do it the way I did.  

I figured if our guests were comparing napkin sizes, we must be throwing one super boring party.

4.  Serge a rolled hem around each side of all the napkins, leave a chain of stitches hanging off each corner like so:

5. After you have your pile of napkins serged, keep them in a stack.  Trim all the chains off one corner at a time of all 12 napkins (rather than all 4 corners of each napkin one at a time).  

(This is just to save time - remember guests are showing up in less than an hour!) 

Then dab a little fray check on each corner.

Repeat for the other corners.

6.  And you're done!!

OK, ready for the table runner steps?

1. Serge a rolled hem on all 4 sides of the half yard of fabric.
2. Cut thread chain off corners.
3. Dab fray check on all corners.
4. DONE!

These were seriously so easy it doesn't really feel like a real project.

All the edges look neat and professional.

I laid the runner over a red table cloth I had, 

(which also happens to be just red fabric with a rolled hem) 

added a fun center piece, 

and the food table is ready to go!

I mean can you really call this sewing??  

Hmmm...I don't care!  

They turned out great! 

And even better, hubby loved them!  

(Isn't it nice when your husband truly appreciates something you made?)

I have one more easy project tomorrow that I'm happy to say the hubby also appreciates.
See you tomorrow!