Scandinavian Christmas: Day 3

Today for the Scandinavian Christmas series we will be hearing from Astrid. Astrid blogs over at Red Red Completely Red, pins here on Pinterest, has an Etsy shop, and is always making such creative things.  She shares various tips and tutorials on her blog, and also shares creative ideas for projects with kids. This is Astrid's 3rd year joining in the Scandinavian Christmas series and I'm so glad she's back and made the time to share these awesome napkins with us even though she just had a baby!

One of my favourite things about the Scandinavian style at Christmastime is the way modern design and a more traditional look blend together. The simple, stark trees; single strands of greenery, circled into a wreath; white, white, and more white. And then intricate paper cuts, woven straw decorations, and linens passed down from family.

To add a little Scandinavian touch to our Christmas dinner this year, I've been slowly stitching up a set of napkins -- a little cross-stitch, I hope, will add that lovely traditional touch to our otherwise black and white (and IKEA) table.

All the designs, and the font, come from "A Rainbow of Stitches", my favourite reference for cross-stitch patterns. Despite the clear gridded patterns, cross-stitch gets much harder when you attempt it on the bias, so if you plan to embroider corners like I did here, be prepared to embrace a bit of imperfection!

The fabric is a red linen-blend that I imagine becoming softer and softer with each year of use. And, as we're expecting our second baby any day now, I sewed a set of four to start us off!

Another huge thanks to Astrid for sharing these adorable napkins with us.  I love the "God Jul" one!  Come back tomorrow to hear from Pam of Gingerbread Snowflakes as she shares with us how to make a Sami Christmas elf!