Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to turn one wide piece of cotton into a simple, no-seam tablecloth that dresses up your whole dining table.
Here we go.
First, let's talk about this fabric.
This is the Cream Aunt Grace Calicos Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard from Marcus Fabrics.
It is cotton.
It is 108/110 inches wide.
That width is the whole story here, y'all.
The designer is Judie Rothermel.
It comes from the Aunt Grace Calicos collection.
The color is a soft, warm cream.
The tags tell us flowers are part of the look.
Small calico florals on cream.
That is a classic table look, folks.
Pretty under plain dishes.
Pretty under fancy dishes, too.
And because it is a wideback, you get that big, smooth surface in one piece.
No piecing strips together to cover a table.
Just like that.
Why This Fabric Suits a Tablecloth
A tablecloth is mostly one big, flat rectangle.
It needs width more than anything else.
Regular quilting cotton is often too narrow.
You end up seaming panels and fighting a center seam.
This wideback solves that problem fast.
My tablecloth here finishes about 66 by 96 inches.
That gives a nice drop on a table about 36 by 72 inches.
About 15 inches of drop on the long sides.
About 12 inches of drop on the ends.
Measure your own table before you cut.
Tables vary, and so do tastes.
Want a longer drop? Add a few inches.
Want it to just skim the edge? Take a few off.
Completely up to you.
My preference is this one fabric, top to edge.
Then the cream calico does all the decorating.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Materials List
- Cream Aunt Grace Calicos Cotton Wideback — 2 yards; the 108/110-inch width gives you the full tablecloth in one piece, with room to square up and hem
- Thread — a good all-purpose or quilting thread in cream or a soft neutral that blends with the fabric
- Your usual tools — rotary cutter, large mat or a cleared table for layout, long ruler, pins, and an iron
- Optional — a corner template or a small square ruler for neat mitered hems
Here are the numbers I use.
Start with a cut about 68 by 98 inches.
That comes right out of your 2-yard piece.
Your 2 yards give you 72 inches in one direction.
And 108/110 inches in the other.
Fold each edge under 1/2 inch, then 1/2 inch again.
That is a 1-inch hem on every side.
Finished, you land at about 66 by 96 inches.
Check those numbers against your table first.
Then cut once, with confidence.
Brief Steps
- Wash and press your fabric if that is your habit for table linens. Press well either way — folds turn into crooked cuts.
- Lay the fabric flat on the biggest surface you have. Smooth it from the center out, and let any extra hang evenly.
- Square up one long edge first. Use your long ruler and take your time getting that first edge straight.
- Measure and cut your rectangle, about 68 by 98 inches for the size above. Double-check both measurements before the second cut.
- Press each edge under 1/2 inch, all the way around. Then fold under another 1/2 inch and press again.
- At the corners, open the folds, trim a little bulk at a 45-degree angle, then refold for a flat mitered corner. Pin it well.
- Stitch close to the inside fold, all the way around. Aim for about 8 to 10 stitches per inch, and pivot carefully at each corner.
- Give the whole cloth one final press. Then put it on the table and stand back and admire it.
Practical Tips From My Table
Make friends with your iron on this one.
A pressed hem stitches straight almost by itself.
An unpressed hem fights you every inch.
Slow down at the corners.
Slow down or the needle rides right over that thick fold.
I have rushed a corner before.
Oh my goodness, wavy as a flag.
We just picked it out and stitched it again.
No harm done.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
You're your own worst critic.
Take your time. It's not a race.
One more tip, folks.
Check the drop with the cloth on the table before the final stitching, if you can.
Pins in, walk around it, sit down in a chair.
That is how it will actually live.
Super duper simple, and super duper pretty.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty. Thank you for spending a little time with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Cream Aunt Grace Calicos Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
