Burlap Table Skirt

For my bedroom, I made a ruffly burlap table skirt. I was inspired by the beautiful burlap skirts found in Ballard, and the ruffly skirts I saw in Charleston at GDC Home.

Mom and I had help from our favorite four-legged paperweight:

First we made our ruffle, ours is 5” plus seam allowances.

Measure the width of your strip and make a small 1/2” or less snip to mark the spot.  Pull the thread to create a straight line, and cut on this line to get your straight strip.


Iron pleats in your hem. You can either do them regularly spaced, or make it random for a more casual look.

Then sew the pleats down using a zig-zag stitch.



When you’re finished, you will have a long strip that looks like this. In order to ensure you have enough to go around,  you will have to do some math.  You need enough to go around the circumference of your circle (that’s 2piR for your geometry refresher) * 2-3 depending on your pleats.

Next, sew widths of the burlap together so that it is at least as wide  as your total tablecloth (drop + top round+ drop) (ignore the ruffle height, so you’ll have some flub room).


Fold your big ol’ piece of burlap into quarters.

At the folded corner, pin your tape measure.

Make your first mark at what I’m going to call point A. Point A will equal the radius of your circle + seam allowance+ seam allowance.

After you’ve made marks across at Point A, now on to Point B. Point B is the drop of your skirt – the ruffle + seam allowance + hem.

When you’re done, you will have a piece of burlap with a bunch of pins.

Now play connect the dots. Gee, isn’t this fun?
       
Take your top Round (which you cut out along Points A). and pin the ruffle to it.

Sew using a zig-zag stitch for stability.

You’ll have a blob like this when you’re finished.

Next, take the piece  you cut along Points B, and pin it to the other side of your ruffle. Sew this using a zig-zag stitch.
Now, all you have to do is hem, and put it on display!


Here’s the finished product. I have to give major kudos to Mom and her awesome sewing skills, because my brain just couldn’t figure this out!

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