cloth napkins redux

[Procrastibaker]

There is a long thread here on Chowhound about whether or not folks use cloth napkins. A charming blogpost on using cloth napkins: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives... Maybe the cute ways of keeping track of each person's napkin will gain some converts?

[goodhealthgourmet]

whether or not the napkin thing catches on, his skewering of Hollywood/US pop "culture" was worth the read!

[maplesugar]

We often host meals with extended family, football parties and the like. I've quit using disposable plates & cutlery for big gatherings - I picked up some plastic lunch & dinner plates that look like paper at Pier One Imports a few years back, and have a bunch of good everyday stainless cutlery from Ikea - but I was still using paper napkins.

I read that particular blogpost too... and it got me thinking - I could invest in some cloth napkins finally.... I did some looking and settled on a dozen grey cloth napkins to start and I'm on the lookout for more interesting (read: busy therefore helps hide stains) patterns as well.

I also thought about the personalizing and I think I'll poke a personalized wine charm through the corner rather than write on names with sharpies since I only have a dozen so far and we don't always have the same people over for dinner...

[LolaP]

This made me very nostalgic about my dear departed grandma, who was one of those ladies who always did everything "just so." Whenever my family came for a visit, my grandma would pull out an old box just packed full of napkin rings, some of which had come from her grandparents. Everyone picked a ring that would be theirs for the visit. Then, after the meal, you folded your napkin back up and put it in your ring so you always knew which was yours. A good system! Here at my house, it is just me and my bf and so don't mind the possible napkin swap between meals, so we don't bother keeping track of whose is whose.

[Sooeygun]

Mr. S and I don't worry about possible napkin swaps either. If the napkin is still clean enough after dinner, it stays on the table for later and is grabbed by whoever needs it the next time.

People are surprised when they come to our house for casual meals and get a real napkin.

[corneygirl]

The fabric/yarn store down the street sells blackboard cloth that I keep thinking I'll buy and stitch on to cloth napkins.

http://www.voguefabricsstore.com/stor...