Make table skirts for any round table using new or old bed linen. Embellish the skirt with a few rows of ruffles, or make the entire skirt out of ruffles.
Availability of pre-made ruffles: Some yardage stores carry pre-made fabric ruffles or you can make your own. Simply sew the ruffles together in long lengths using a ruffle attachment on your sewing machine.
Cost: If the cloth base of the table skirt is to be entirely covered with ruffles, use an old sheet to make the base circle. If only one or two rows of ruffles are to be used, the covering may be regular yardage, or it might be necessary to sew two or more strips of fabric together to get the necessary width for a particular table. Remember to match prints if pattern requires. Some yardage stores sell pre-made ruffles for as little as $.25 per yard.
Steps:
- Measure the diameter of the tabletop and the distance from the edge of the table to the floor (add this twice). This is the dimension of the width necessary for the cloth to hang to the floor. Add 1" for hem allowance. Very few fabrics are sold wide enough to have a seamless circle of cloth for a table with the exception of bed sheets. New or old sheets work fine or you can sew together any widths necessary in regular yardage to achieve the desired width.
- To make the circle, fold the cloth in half and fold in half again.
- Tie a pen or pencil to a piece of string that is longer than the folded fabric.
- Position one end of the string at the folded corner of fabric, keep the pen or pencil perpendicular to the cloth, and draw an arc.
- Use a few straight pins to secure the fabric layers together and cut along the arc line through all four layers.
- Unfold the circle and sew a narrow hem.
- Do not sew ruffles on the flat part of the tabletop. This area may later be covered with a decorative square or round top cloth.
- Begin to sew ruffle 3/4" from end. Sew to complete circle. Add 3/4" additional amount of ruffle and cut. This additional amount is used for a flat filled seam sewn on the wrong side. Bring ends together, fold twice, and top stitch.
- Sew on all desired rows of ruffles. It is not necessary to draw guidelines on the fabric.
- If only a couple of rows of ruffles are used to finish the skirt the selvage edge of the ruffle will show. To cover, make a seam binding by cutting the same circumference as the original circle. Allow approximately 3/4" for covering seam and 1/2" to turn and sew under on each side for a total of 1-3/4 inches.
- Sew together lower edges of seam binding onto face of circle (not sides together) and stitch together. Bring seam binding over past seam, fold end under and stitch.
Resources Be Your Own Home Decorator: Creating the Look You Love Without Spending a Fortune
by Pauline B. Guntlow (ISBN: 0882669451)
Order this
title.
Storey Publishing
Website:
www.storey.com Guests Pauline Guntlow
Author, Storey Communications, Inc.
105 Schoolhouse Road
Pownal, VT 05261
Phone: 802-823-5810
Toll Free Phone: 800-441-5700
URL:
www.storeybooks.com
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