Custom Table Cloth Tutorial

DISCLAIMER: I am by no means a seamstress or even an experienced sewer for that matter. As such, I don't use proper sewing terminology or technique for that matter. Just thought I should make that clear.

BACKGROUND: So we bought a new table before Oliver was born. A real table from a real furniture store kind of table. It was a huge step up from our previous Target or Fred Meyer caliber furnishings. Although it wasn't a high end furnishing, it certainly wasn't easy on the pocketbook either.

As Oliver has gotten older and consequently begun to eat his meals at the table with us like a semi-civilized little human being, our table has taken a bit of a beating. Apparently your furniture is one of the primary casualties of parenthood. Maybe that is why the sales-woman who sold us our sofa looked at me like I was a crazed lunatic when I ordered a cream tweed sofa when I was, oh about 8 months pregnant. After she recovered from her obvious shock at my foolishness she promptly suggested that we purchase the fabric protection plan - which I can say was totally worth the $75.

I digress. We always use a table cloth or place mats, but the damage has continued. The toddler abuse, daily use, and the fact that "they just don't make furniture like they used to" has resulted in a litany of little scratches, dents, and dings on our pretty little table. In lieu of our table being completed obliterated I decided to make a custom fitted table cloth from oil cloth. In all honesty, I completely stole the entire idea from my friend Celina, who is super crafty and creative. I, sadly, am neither of these things.

TUTORIAL:

1. Measure your table and get enough oil cloth or laminated fabric to cover the whole table with at least 3-4 inches of hangover around the whole table cloth. I opted for oil cloth, which is thicker, but also harder to sew with. My seems ended up a little crooked, so don't look too closely...

2. Put your fabric on your table top, right side down {pattern facing down}. Make sure it is even. Trim so that you have an equal amount of fabric hanging over on each side of the table. I had 3 1/2 inches of excess fabric hanging over on each side of the table.


3. Put your fabric on the floor right side down. Fold over and pin the edge. I did a 1/4 inch seam.
4. Sew down your pinned edge. I used the edge of my sewing foot as my guide {this helps to make your stitching even}.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining 3 sides of the fabric folding over your corners nice and neat like this:

6. After all your edges are finished, place the table cloth on the table right side down. Make sure it is even again. Pull your corners together {forming a triangle} and pin, making a mitered corner. You want it to be really snug, so you may want to tighten it after you initially pin the corners.


7. Remove the table cloth from the table. Place the pinned corner flat and sew a straight line down the pinned line, being sure to re-enforce the edges by back-stitching.

8. Trim the excess edge. Turn the table cloth right side out. Place on the table. It should be very snug. If it isn't snug enough, you can flip it back inside out and sew the corner seam a little more to the inside, which I did.


This is what you will end up with. It took me a little over the hour and I was pretty happy with the result. Our table is protected, Oliver can't pull the table cloth off, and clean up is a breeze. Voila!