I made my first set of placemats and napkins for a friend who asked me to help him accessorize his kitchen because he liked what I had done to mine (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn,1989). I had no idea my kitchen was remarkable, although I had enjoyed painting the wooden knobs on the white cabinets blue, and had sew up some broad striped blue and white curtains to match. He liked what I had done, so together we went to the big fabric store at Union Square and I asked him to choose a fabric for his napkins. He chose a fabric that happened to come in three colorways, a term I had learned from being an advertising copywriter for Bloomingdale's. I suggested he choose all three, since they all worked so well all together. He agreed and I went home to sew up two of each colorway into 6 coordinated napkins. (This is a rather long story so I will continue next time. Please stay tuned for Part II.)