Monday, September 21, 2009

Buying a tablecloth

Have you ever needed to buy a tablecloth, but you were unsure what size to get, not to mention if it's the correct size for the correct occasion? Well, so it's not something most people worry about as such, but I think it's a handy thing to know in home keeping. So here's a rough guide to help you find your perfect tablecloth. After all, after freshly laundered crisp bedlinen, a crisp tablecloth can really make any day feel extra special!


Breakfast or lunch tablecloths ought to hang over the edge of the table by 15-20 cm (6 - 8 inches)
A dinner cloth on the other hand ought to hang over by 20 - 30 cm (8 - 11 inches), and the more formal the occasion, the longer (I seriously did not know that until now), but you need to avoid the cloth draping on the chair seat, so it's recommended that you steer clear of an over 30cm overhang if possible unless it's a floor lenght round tablecloth - and those cloths are reserved for very formal occasions such as a wedding. Most linens shrink after laundering, especially in the length more than the width, so do take this into consideration when buying table linen, therefor allow for a 5 - 8 cm (2 - 3 inches) shrinkage. Here's a chart to help you next time you buy a tablecloth, it's really useful to refer to (click on it to enlarge):

Chart taken from the Anna's Linens website

I'm so glad that lace edged and Broderie Anglaise cloths are all making a comeback. I found some lovely vintage tablecloths on EBay recently, and most you can get cheaper than polyester tablecloths cost in the shops. Oilcloth tablecloths are great for big families, or doing crafts at the dining room table, but linen and cotton will make a lunch or dinner feel a bit smarter. I love crisp white cloths with a bit of detailing, but I also like cloths with big bold blue patterns on them... so much to choose from. Here are some of my favourites from the web...


What's your favourite?

Have a great week!
x

4 comments:

Lorilee said...

I can't pick a favorite because it would depend on the occasion and look I was going for!
Blessings,
Lorilee

Anonymous said...

I think you are right, a table cloth makes a big difference to a table, especially if there is also a big vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit or something on there too! My mum's and nan's houses always have lots of table cloths on show, it makes me sad that I do not have a proper dining room. We are saving like mad, so hopefully some day soon I will have an excuse to get a proper dining table and an assortment of table cloths!

Have a great week :-)

Rose XXX

Mary Poppins said...

Ohooo what a perfect little post and have to say dear friend is one I am very passionate about. I am always checking the length of tablecloths as I like things to look neat and symmetrical, though knew nothing of different lengths for different occasions. I love it and so useful to know.

Thank you for sharing

X

Unknown said...

....wow this is so cool...The Printed Lace (ecru with white/linen)...thats my Graduation Collection Design which I sold to an Exporter who sold it All over Europe...I am jumping...to see it being featured here..
(visit my webpage u will see more of Lace www.ypdesign.in )
Yogesh

A note on perfection

Many of the posts featured on this blog are about doing household chores the correct, or so to say perfect way. My intention is not to make readers feel that the way they are running their households are wrong. So if making the bed, or ironing shirts in a certain way doesn't fit your lifestyle, do not feel guilty about it. But by learning the correct way of doing things it might just come in handy for those times when special guests are staying, or when you need to iron that shirt perfectly for a job interview. So enjoy the learning, but skip the guilt and LOVE your homes. x

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