Bree's Bubbles & Bows Tablecloth

My friend asked me to make a tablecloth for my god-daughter's new play table. I'm pleased with the results. I love this polka dot fabric I found at Jo-ann's. The tablecloth is super simple but the crisp edges and cute details really make it special.
On to the tutorial!

This is a pretty straightforward tablecloth.

1. First, figure out how much fabric to cut. Measure the table top you plan to use it on. The one I made is for a table that is 18" x 24". Next decide how far down you want the cloth to hang, mine is 10". Multiply that by 2 and add it to each dimension of your tabletop, plus 1 more inch for a half inch seam allowance to arrive at the measure of cloth you need to cut. Just so we're clear: 18" x 24" tabletop measures, 10" hang x 2 = 20" +1" seam allowance = 21", (18" + 21") x (24" + 21") = 39" x 45" for your cloth measure. Go ahead and cut your fabric.
2. Next press the edges where the cloth will drape off the table. Make sure you press wrong sides together so the folds go in the direction they will when the finished piece is on the table. I found it easiest to fold my cloth in halves and quarters to work from the center to find these edges but do whatever is easiest for you. Press from all four sides; when you finish you should have a rectangle in the center that measures the same as your tabletop, and a square in each corner. 
3. Fold and press in place your hem. Next, fold in the corners and press. That means just create an edge using the points of each corner square as your guide. These will become your new corner points ; you now have an eight sided piece of fabric with an inner rectangle pressed to the measures of your table top. Trim away the extra fabric to leave a seam allowance. Sew the hem in place all the way around. 
4. Now you'll need to cut ribbon for the corner ties. Eight pieces 6" or longer if desired. Mark the spots where you will place the ties. Since my drape is 10" I placed my ties halfway down at 5" on the right side of the fabric. Whatever lengths you are using, make sure to measure your tie points from the tabletop corner crease. Mark your spots along the creases you used to find your corner points on the outside of the triangles.  
5. Glue or sew your ribbons onto the marked spots, parallel to the tabletop creases, making sure to fold over the attached end so that the raw end of the ribbon is not showing. 
6. Optionally decorate the top with applique. 







1. Draw and cut out a stencil for your desired applique. Cut fabric and lightweight fusible interfacing using the stencil as your guide and making sure your interfacing is cut so that the glue side matches the right side of your fabric (you want to be able to fuse to the wrong side of the fabric). 
2. Wrong side of fabric and glue side of interfacing together, iron the two pieces together to create applique piece. 
3. Attach applique in place. You can machine stitch this but I preferred the look of hang stitching. Pin applique in place and setup an embroidery hoop around it. Using 2-3 strands of a contrasting embroidery thread, zig-zag stitch around all of the edges.