Add lace edging to a tablecloth :: DIning room craft ideas

Tablecloth with lace edging - home craft ideas - allaboutyou.com

We use an old table-tennis table for eating on in the garden – topped with bigger sheets of MDF when entertaining larger numbers. By dressing the bare wood with these pretty cloths, no one would ever guess what lies beneath. Look for marked or damaged cloths with delicate lace borders, which can be cut off for this project (save the middle section of fabric to make matching napkins) or search for trimmings in charity shops, at markets and on internet auction sites.

You will need

● plain fabric such as an old sheet or tablecloth
● reclaimed edging or lengths of lace
● tape measure
● tailors’ chalk
● scissors
● iron
● pins
● sewing machine and thread
● dye - for natural flower and vegetable dyes, visit wildcolours.co.uk
● a plastic container
● rubber gloves
● weighing scales

Instructions

1 Measure your fabric to suit the size of your table and ensure you have sufficient trimming – you may need to stitch together smaller pieces of crochet or lace. Alternatively, just add edging to the shorter sides of your fabric. Cut the cloth 3cm larger all the way around to allow for your hemming.

2 Turn over a double hem of 1cm on each side, mitre the corners to remove bulk, then press, pin and sew in place with a zig-zag or straight stitch. Be sure to remove the pins as you go.

3 If you intend to colour your cloth and trim, you will need to work out how much dye to use by weighing the total amount of fabric that you have. Follow the packet instructions to mix up the dye, remembering to wear gloves. Rinse your material well afterwards and machine wash on a high temperature separately to ensure it is colourfast.

4 When your fabric is completely dry, iron flat. Pin the trimming in place, with the hemmed edge of the cloth piece layered over the top of the reclaimed lace. Sew through both materials at the point they overlap, using running or zig-zag stitch, and remove the pins as you go. Press the seams to finish.