Handmade Holiday Napkins

• 12-inch-square linen napkin
• Embroidery floss: red
• Embroidery needle
• Red fine-tip permanent marking pen

Finished Embroidery Designs: 3-inch square to 4-1/2-inch square

1. Choose an embroidery pattern and decide where on the napkin you want to position it. Consider placing designs in one corner, all four corners, or centered along a napkin edge.
2. Tape chosen embroidery pattern to a light box or sunny window. Position a napkin right side up over the pattern; tape in place. Trace the pattern onto napkin with a red fine-tip marking pen.

1. Embroider the outline of the design with a backstitch. To backstitch, pull needle up at A (see diagram). Insert it back into fabric at B, and bring it up at C. Continue in same manner. Use two strands of embroidery floss for all stitches.
2. If desired, add a border of running stitches just inside the hem. To make a running stitch, pull needle up at A (see diagram) and insert back into fabric at B. Continue in same manner, loading several stitches on needle at a time. Leave about a stitch width between each stitch.
3. Add French knots to the snowman and "Believe" designs. To make a French knot, bring the needle up at A. Wrap the floss around the needle twice without twisting it. Insert the needle into the fabric at B, 1/16 inch away from A. Gently push the wraps down the needle to meet the fabric, then pull the needle and floss through the fabric slowly and smoothly.
4. Press the napkin from the wrong side when the embroidery is complete.