More Blessed To Give Than To Receive...

 I had the pleasure of spending

a wonderful afternoon

with Jo Jo last week...

baking and sewing.

Jo Jo had wanted to make something

for her new niece...

due any day now!

 What better gift than two

flannel receiving blankets!

Of course,

we took care of the important matters first...

Jo Jo made chocolate chip cookies

while I washed the dishes!

Then we got right to work!

Jo Jo and I got out my flannel stash...

And she picked out enough

for the two blankets...

You need a 30 inch square piece

for the front of the blanket...

and a 40 inch square piece 

for the back and binding.

I just love the color combinations of 

fabric that Jo Jo selected...

And this pattern is so easy and fun...

Just perfect for a beginning seamstress!

This is a self binding receiving blanket pattern...

So simple that you could easily make one

in about 15 or 20 minutes.

I thought I'd demonstrate

 by making some cloth napkins

using the same principle.

 Wanting approximately 12 inch napkins...

I scaled down the blanket.

You need a 10 1/2 inch piece 

of fabric for the front...

and a contrasting 14 1/2 inch piece

 of fabric for the back to make one napkin.

Using some vintage linen...

I cut 6 10 1/2 inch flowered pieces

and 6 14 1/2 inch light denim pieces...

Fold each piece twice

and iron them...

In order to find the center of each side...

Then, starting at the center of each side,

pin the front piece to the back piece...

leaving a 1/4 seam allowance.

 Next, sew each side...

Leaving a small opening on one side for turning...

When finished you'll get these funny

little bunny ears on the end!

 Fold and press the "bunny ears" down...

And draw a line from your stitching

to the fold...

Do this with all four corners...

Sew down your stitch line...

Trim off the extra material...

Turn the napkins right side out...

Make sure to poke out the corners!

Iron out the wrinkles...

Finally, top stitch around

using a zig zag stitch...

it's just that simple!

Since the Lord instructs us 

that it is more blessed to give

than to receive...

I was blessed to give

these to Jo Jo...

For her hope chest.

I have shown you in every way, 

by laboring like this,

that you must support the weak. 

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, 

that He said,  

‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Acts 20:35