Unlock Your Sewing Machine's Hidden Decorative Stitches: Free Napkin Tutorial

Sarah Miller · 2026-09-10

### Why Decorative Stitches Deserve a Second Look Your sewing machine is probably capable of way more than straight seams and zigzags. Most of us ignore the decorative stitch menu entirely. But during National Sewing Month, why not give those overlooked stitches a little love? This year, we're using them to turn simple fabric squares into napkins that look like family heirlooms. We grabbed a Summer Solstice Wovens fat quarter bundle from Pieces to Treasure for Moda Fabrics. The woven texture gives the napkins a light, airy feel—perfect for balancing the sturdy decorative borders. The best part? You can use any woven fabric you love. ### What You'll Need - Woven fabric (fat quarters work great) - Contrasting thread (we used 50wt Aurifil in Yellow and Midnight) - Totally Stable Iron-on Tear-Away Stabilizer by Sulky - A pen or pencil - Sharp fabric scissors (we like Sweet Snips 6-inch) ### Step 1: Prepare Your Fabric Decide on your finished napkin size. We wanted ours to look like little hankies, so we cut 12-inch squares for an 11-inch finished napkin. You can go bigger or smaller—just cut your fabric about 1 inch larger than your target size on each side. Cut four 1.5-inch strips of stabilizer, roughly the length of your fabric. Iron them onto the perimeter with the textured side facing the fabric. Then use a pen and ruler to mark your desired finished size on the stabilizer. That's your stitching guide. ### Step 2: Play with Your Decorative Stitches Before you commit to your good fabric, grab one prepared piece as a tester. Every decorative stitch behaves differently. Adjust the width and length settings to control the scale and density. As you experiment, jot down the stitch number and settings right on the stabilizer. Trust me, you'll forget otherwise. > "The best way to learn your machine's decorative stitches is to give yourself permission to play. There are no mistakes—only future design ideas." ### Step 3: Stitch and Trim Your Napkins Now for the real thing. Load a bobbin with your contrasting thread so both sides look neat. Stitch along your marked lines, following the settings you noted. Once you're done, tear away the outer stabilizer and leave the inner part for stability. Then trim the excess fabric close to the stitching. A good podcast or movie makes the trimming fly by. ### Show Off Your Work We'd love to see what you create! Share your decorative stitch napkins on Facebook or Instagram and tag @fatquartershop. Your stitches might inspire someone else to dive into their machine's hidden talents. Happy sewing!