napkins from World Market
Do you like my new cloth napkins? I purchased them at Cost Plus World Market. I’ve never owned cloth napkins, but for some reason I’d been thinking about buying them. Maybe it’s from watching a lot of Downton Abbey lately. I don’t entertain a ton, but I love the idea of it and collecting all of the fun stuff that one might need for a dinner party. I own several patterns of plates, a beautiful wood cheese board, several different shapes and sizes of bowls, a good set of china, place mats, but never cloth napkins. I have an aversion to getting them dirty. I told my friend Angela I wasn’t sure I’d actually be able to let people use them because I might faint if they got a wine or chocolate stain on them. Angela assured me that as long as I pretreat them with a stain remover they should wash up fine. She has used cloth napkins for years. I’m not sure I’m 100 percent convinced, but I bought a few extras just in case some get damaged. She also purchased the feather napkins so I know who to call if I need to borrow a few.
Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim over in Australia just recently blogged about this same matter, but her post relates to using pretty tea towels. I do own several pretty tea towels. However, I also have an aversion to using some of them because they’re so nice. I especially have a hard time using ones that are embroidered. My friend Anne embroidered two for me with owls on them that I love. I tend to use them more to line wicker baskets. I recently purchased a few fun ones from Stacie Ann on Etsy. I love all of the fun sayings and play on words. I will most likely use these, but I’m glad I’m not alone in the debate to use or not to use. I know things are meant to be used, but sometimes they just seem too pretty to use for the task at hand. Does anyone else have this dilemma?
Oh Dawn, you make me laugh. The good news is, most people are more gentle with your cloth napkins than they would be with paper. MOST people.
I collect special tea towels, mostly colorful ones that represent States, and vintage wildlife towels, and no, I don’t use them to dry dishes, etc. I like to lay them out on my countertop area or table when setting up a bar to put the clean glasses on. They are pretty and i like to show them off. If they get a little water or ice on them, or a little booze…it’s not the end of the world because I can spot clean that.
I want that ‘Big Books’ Towel!!!!
I’ll save the Big Books towel for you 🙂
NO! haha….I didn’t realize you have it! I’m sure you like Big Books just as much as I do!
Really, I have an aversion to big books. I love books, but when they are too big they scare me off unless I know for sure they are really good. I just like the song and I thought it was funny. I would love for you to have it. I bought several different ones to keep as gifts.
I love the sayings on those napkins. Or tea towels? Meanwhile…I’m embarrassed to admit this, but what is the difference between a tea towel and a cloth napkin?
The ones with the sayings are tea towels which are basically kitchen hand towels to dry your dishes. To be honest I’m not sure where the name tea towel came from (something to google). My guess would be the name originated in England. Cloth napkins are usually smaller than tea towels. As I started answering your question I myself wondered is there really that much of a difference. Maybe your question isn’t that stupid after all.
Dawn I had to smile when you said you couldn’t use your pretty embroidered tea towels. My Grandma had given me a couple she embroidered and I have used until they are worn out and still can’t seem to get rid of them. They remind me of her everytime I use them. I can always remember since I was little using pretty embroidered tea towels to dry our dishes.
I love that story! Your grandma would be glad that you at least used the tea towels.