Eco-Friendly Round Up: Cloth Napkins

I tend to zero in on one specific thing during the decorating process. Currently, my focus is cloth napkins. I am fairly certain my fixation stems from the realization that I did not own a full set a mere 48 hours before I hosted my first Thanksgiving back in November. After a discouraging trip to Homegoods one day before the holiday (the entire linen shelf was empty!), I panicked and vowed to never again find myself in the same situation. I take most things pretty lightly in life, but for some bizarre reason, felt strongly about having quality textiles at a important family gathering.

Since then, I've begun to build my collection. Like any good collection, this takes time and patience: I refuse to purchase a large stockpile all at once just for the sake of it. I truly want to love everything in my home. Otherwise, what's the point?

Here are a few I find particularly lovely:

I hope to add more vintage finds to my collection. I recently scooped up the topmost set of brightly-colored Vera napkins (in perfect condition) and am eying the pretty turquoise set from the same shop, lorenzstudio. She offers a variety of well-priced, pretty vintage textiles.

I would happily take any item from Linea Carta. So simple & classic.

I often find Anthropologie's prices a bit steep, but this set of six for $32 seems fair. I love the design and the different colors.

I'm an avid follower of Rachel's beautiful blog, Heart of Light, and love her handmade phrases napkins for sale in her etsy shop of the same name. I remember reading that Rachel and her fiance exclusively use cloth napkins on a daily basis, which I think is a really nice and eco-friendly idea.

Julie Peach's hand-blocked floral motif in a variety of colors would brighten up any table. At $20 for  set of 4, you've got yourself a bargain.

 I had difficulty leaving West Elm without buying the entire spring line of table linens. These in particular caught my eye on my visit a couple of weeks back.

I own a set of these classic blue & white gingham napkins from Sewn Natural and love them. I won them in a give-a-way back in the fall and currently use two as flower and basket "runners" in the kitchen. I ended up using them for Thanksgiving, though I had to supplement with a friend's borrowed plain blue napkins so all of my guests had something for their lap :)

Hope you find something you like. Any other suggestions for where to find beautiful, reasonably priced textiles? I'm always on the prowl. Definitely check out the bigger box stores like Pier 1, Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath & Beyond: they offer wide selections at low prices. I think we all should strive towards moving away from paper at the table. Mother earth definitely needs us, and pretty cloth napkins instantly beautify a setting. Win win.