Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Tablecloth That Needed Some Length

I bought another length of home dec fabric, terracotta colored, to make into a tablecloth.  This one, however, shrank so much during its initial washing that it wasn't long enough for the table!  Plus, a 5" section had unraveled badly.

I was dismayed for several weeks and then I thought: why couldn't I add some more fabric on to it?  I had nothing suitable in my fabric stash and I am only buying dress-lengths of fabric right now, so I turned to my scrap bins.



I pieced together a long enough swath and backed it with muslin, so the raw edge of the original terracotta fabric is encased between the muslin and the patchwork.

Then I made up the difference in the frayed area with more patchwork so I wouldn't have to trim down the whole edge and lose width.



Whew.  I'm quite pleased with the rich, whimsical look.  It cost $15 plus scraps and thread.


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14 comments:

  1. Mary AnnJanuary 29, 2014 at 11:29 AM

    Cute! And way to go on being resourceful.

    My Christmas tablecloth got a hole right in the middle this year. (An unfortunate situation with a too hot candle holder which thankfully wasn't any worse!) I plan to put some cute patches/appliques over it so I can keep using it.

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  2. jenny_oJanuary 29, 2014 at 12:55 PM

    So lovely and colourful - nice for this dreary time of year! That is a BIG table :)

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  3. Jennifer JoJanuary 29, 2014 at 3:43 PM

    So quaint and cheery!

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2014 at 3:56 PM

    Hi, sorry about your table cloth shrinking and unraveling. Here's a tip someone passed on to me….baste the raw edges of you fabric before you wash it…..I know it takes alittle extra time but it will really help with the raveling.

    Coleen

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  5. Sarah BarryJanuary 29, 2014 at 4:25 PM

    I love it. You are so clever,and you have such a distinct style.

    So pretty and fun!

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  6. Rozy LassJanuary 29, 2014 at 6:23 PM

    Fabulous. I love the bright colors and who would know you didn't plan it that way originally. Good job.

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  7. BLD in MTJanuary 29, 2014 at 6:41 PM

    Do you always use a tablecloth at your house? I'm just curious.

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  8. MargoJanuary 29, 2014 at 9:05 PM

    BLD, yes, we always use a tablecloth in the interest of protecting our table. I hope someday we (my husband) can let it get worn.

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  9. LisaJanuary 29, 2014 at 11:03 PM

    Whimsical is a good word for it - it looks very nice.

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  10. HazelJanuary 30, 2014 at 1:26 AM

    It looks fabulous and, as Rozy Lass said, as if you'd planned it all along.

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  11. RebeccaJanuary 30, 2014 at 7:41 AM

    You smarty! It's beautiful.

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  12. ZoëJanuary 30, 2014 at 7:40 PM

    It's perfect. You are forever inspiring me.

    Like Coleen does, I always zigzag or serge around the cut edges of fabric before laundering. Helps tremendously with the problem of unraveling.

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  13. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2014 at 9:39 PM

    So pretty.. I like it even better ,with the patchwork..

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    ReplyDelete

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