Getting the under cloths and napkins ready for Becky's four seasons has been in progress since the beginning, over two years ago. I made the undercloths first...ages ago now it seems. I chose a light gray to coordinate with the gray body of the dishes and a medium loden green because the dishes have a very subtle green tint between the dark bands. They are made to measure for Becky's table with a 10" fall. The 56" width of the fabric meant that I had to put a border around them to make them wide enough. Now, two years later, I see that my border adding skills have improved since I made these, thank goodness, but I'm stuck with them as they are. They are the ones I embroidered on the underside just for fun, responding to the colors.
There are six napkins for each season (two summers), with bands made from grosgrain ribbon, except spring which are made from linen scraps. The black bands for the green napkins just have metal rings sewn on, with ribbons looped through for color which can be changed later if needed. The blue bands on the gray napkins have alder catkins, which look like tiny pinecones, for winter. I was lucky to find the dark ones at this time of year.
Napkins are a pain. They take almost as long to make as a tablecloth, or it least it feels that way....times six. But I'm almost done.