The Decorative Stitch Trick That Turns Simple Napkins Into Heirlooms

Amanda Smith · 2026-09-10

During National Sewing Month, we like to give a little extra love to the machine that brings all our creative ideas to life. This year, we're diving into the often-overlooked library of decorative stitches on our sewing machine and giving some napkins an heirloom-worthy finish. ### Why Decorative Stitches Deserve a Second Look Most of us stick to straight stitches, but your machine likely has dozens of decorative stitches you've never tried. These stitches can turn a plain piece of fabric into something special. And the best part? You don't need any fancy techniques—just a bit of stabilizer and the right settings. We used the Summer Solstice Wovens collection by Pieces to Treasure for Moda Fabrics. The woven texture gives the napkins a delicate, airy feel that perfectly complements the sturdy decorative stitches we used for the border. If you want to make your own set, here's what you'll need: ### Supplies You'll Need - Woven fabric (we used a Summer Solstice Woven Fat Quarter Bundle) - Contrasting thread (we used 50wt Aurifil in Yellow and Midnight) - Totally Stable Iron-on Tear-Away Stabilizer by Sulky - A pen or pencil - Sweet Snips 6" Fabric Scissors ### Step 1: Prepare Your Fabric Decide what size napkin you want. We wanted ours to look like little hankies, so we cut our fabric to roughly 12" x 12" for a finished size of 11" x 11". You can make yours any size—just cut your fabric about 1" larger than your desired finished size so you have room to trim. Next, cut four 1.5" strips of stabilizer that are roughly the same length as your fabric. With the textured side touching the fabric, iron the stabilizer onto the perimeter of your fabric. Then, using a pen or pencil and a ruler, mark the desired finished size of your napkin onto the stabilizer. ### Step 2: Dive into Your Decorative Stitches Choose one of your prepared fabric pieces as your tester. Every decorative stitch is different, and by playing with the width and length settings on your machine, you can control the scale and density of each stitch. As you experiment, write the stitch number and settings you used right next to it on the stabilizer so you don't forget. > "The best way to learn your machine's decorative stitches is to play. There's no wrong answer—just happy accidents that become your signature." ### Step 3: Stitch and Cut Your Napkins Now that you have a collection of stitches to choose from and you know the perfect settings for each, it's time to start on the real deal. If you haven't already, load a bobbin with your colored thread so both sides of the stitch match. We found it easiest to cut away the excess fabric when we tore away the outer stabilizer and left the inner stabilizer. A good podcast or a weekend movie night and a pair of sharp fabric scissors will make quick work of trimming. ### Share Your Creations We can't wait to see all the great stitches your machines have as you make your own decorative stitch napkins. If you decide to make your own, be sure to share them with us on Facebook and Instagram and tag @fatquartershop so we can see and share your work. Happy Sewing!