Linen Cocktail Napkins

I have linen napkins from rough linen.com, and they are very good quality. I have some other linen cocktail napkins from Restoration Hardware, but I am not sure if they still sell them.

PS If you buy linen napkins, you will want to iron them if you want them to look nice

Well, smell you, OP.

And if any of you bitches could give me advice on how to boil water, I'd also really appreciate that.

[quote]If you buy linen napkins, you will want to iron them if you want them to look nice

Yes, I recently purchased a mangle and it's a breeze to iron napkins, pillowcases, tablecloths, and tea towels.

quote[And if any of you bitches could give me advice on how to boil water, I'd also really appreciate that.]

That was not posted by me!

I buy things like that on eBay. I’ve bought airline and ocean liner linens for less than buying new and they are of very high quality.

Try Sferra. I buy my linens from them and they're pretty nice.

I love linens, both old and new. Check out Le Jacquard Francais and Alexandre Turpault for modern and fresh designs. Antique malls are filled with linens, lots of crappy stuff, but you can usually find a few dealers that have good stuff and cheap, hardly anyone wants it. Press linens while they're damp, if they have embroidery or monogram, press from the back side with the decorative side facing a pressing cloth. I have great antique French linens that I use everyday. I like the texture of unpressed linen when mixed with weathered silver and white ironstone.

[quote] I love linens, both old and new. Check out Le Jacquard Francais and Alexandre Turpault for modern and fresh designs. Antique malls are filled with linens, lots of crappy stuff, but you can usually find a few dealers that have good stuff and cheap, hardly anyone wants it. Press linens while they're damp, if they have embroidery or monogram, press from the back side with the decorative side facing a pressing cloth. I have great antique French linens that I use everyday. I like the texture of unpressed linen when mixed with weathered silver and white ironstone.

Thank you for this!

In this same vein, could any of you gurls give me some recommendations about sanitary napkins?

This will last for 2 dinners, max, and you will be back to the Caspari. Between sourcing, removing stains (spoiler: you can't in most cases, e.g. red wine, olive oil), washing, ironing, folding, storing, re-ironing because even folded and correctly stored linen lives to re-wrinkle randomly, you are actually creating a bigger energy (both carbon and your own) footprint, not to mention time-suck. So if environmental waste is truly your concern, paper is actually the better option.

[quote]Yes, I recently purchased a mangle and it's a breeze to iron napkins, pillowcases, tablecloths, and tea towels.

Really, I just purchased a little Asian child for the same purpose.

Fuck off Hawley, you racist cretin.

This is a very gay and very first world issue.

Odd, but the only people I have ever known to own a mangle were gay men.

Hmmmm.

I would try eBay. It's an opportunity to get something unique and not very expensive.

I appreciate your concern, R12, but I have a mangle and it's easy to iron linen. As for stains, at the end of a party I simply put the napkins in a bucket with a little Heritage Park Fine Laundry Detergent sometimes LeBlanc Linen Wash and by morning all stains are removed—including red wine. After washing them, I run them through the mangle while still damp and then lay them flat on acid-free tissue paper for storage. Easy peasy. Much nicer than paper.

LeBlanc is the best! I'll have to check out Heritage Park.

Anyone who can't get stains out of white linen SHOULD be using paper napkins.

I completely agree, R20. Rubes.

Do be careful, r5, they can be treacherous.

We grow our own flax and have some women who make our linen in traditional ways. The thought of using commercial table napkins is rather disgusting.

My husband brought a wonderful set of 48 mink napkins in his trousseau, 24 Blackglama and 24 tawny rose.

The skin side is great for cleaning and polishing one's teeth at table.

Rubes. Jealous rubes.

R18 = MARY!

R26 = JEALOUS!

What are cocktail napkins?

I only use linen t.p.

Do you soak the linen T.P. in Tide or something finer?

Are any of you queens using linen hand towels in your bathrooms? The actress Capucine had them in her bathroom. Pain in the ass for my large hairy hands. I appreciate fine linen but there's a limit.

I have linen hand towels in my guest bath. The only think that gives me pause is that I fear that when guests see perfectly pressed and crisp hand towels they don't feel comfortable using them and resort to drying their hands with toilet paper or on their pants or something. The solution is to wash and dry your hands on a towel before guests arrive, so that your guests don't feel as though the towels are just for show. This is a similar strategy to cutting a piece of cheese so guests don't avoid being the first one to cut into a wedge of brie or something.

[quote] The actress Capucine had them in her bathroom.

How do you know that Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre had linen towels in her bathroom? And just how big and hairy are your hands?

I have pressed linen guests towels that I layer over embroidered terry towels, that way guests can feel comfortable drying their hands on the terry towels. I also have paper towels on a tray. Always liquid hand soap, never bar.

[quote] Always liquid hand soap, never bar.

Ah, glad you brought this up. Can anyone recommend a really nice liquid hand soap? Nothing from the supermarket, please.

R34, where do you get your embroidered terry towels? And your paper towels?

Here you go...

Caspari makes beautiful paper towels. Most of my linen guest towels are old. Between The Sheets has beautiful embroidered terry, they have stores in southern California or buy online.

R37, thank you! I love that it's saponified in a cauldron.

Buy vintage linen napkins at flea markets and church charity shops. Easy peasy

[Quote]How do you know that Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre had linen towels in her bathroom?

Because I was obliged to use them and she felt compelled to rearrange them immediately. Loved her. Loathed the linen towels.

This thread is overflowing with tenderness-to-the-touch and refined tastefulness.

I hope you bitches are happy now that your sensitivities have triggered me.

Gentlemen, are use mixing or matching cocktail linens?

I knit and use my own. You should, too.

I have cotton waffle towels in the bathroom, but I do have linen hand towels in the kitchen.

[quote]I’ve bought airline and ocean liner linens for less than buying new and they are of very high quality.

I call these "cum rags," and now I know where they end up!

Bless.

R46, I love you!

I tried once but they were immediately ruined with oil. Do the rich folk just throw them out like paper after every meal?

Try Society Limonata for your fine textiles

My abuela had one of these...like big queen OP.

R12

That's what laundries, especially French Hand are there for.........