Make a clear plastic tablecloth protector quickly and easily instead of letting your good kitchen linens get ruined. Here are tips and instructions and a list of materials to get you started.
Tablecloths are expensive and once there's a spot on them that won't come out you might as well trash them. Even if you made the cloth yourself and did so inexpensively you don't want to see it ruined. If you make a transparent tablecloth protector you can still see the beauty of the tablecloth but keep it looking good for years to come. Transparent tablecloth protectors are simple to make even if you're just learning how to sew. And if you don't know how or don't want to sew you can still make a nice tablecloth protector.
Sewing departments or stores have a type of clear plastic material that is available by the cut yardage. It comes on a roll and is cut to the length you specify. The plastic is easily sewn on home machines or simply cut it to size - it doesn't unravel. The material has a much different feel and look to it as plastics found in the automotive or household sections of a store. This plastic is extremely pliable, drapes naturally and feels soft.
The best way to make the tablecloth protector is to lay the tablecloth onto the table then cover it with the clear plastic. Trim the plastic to an inch and a half below the fabric. You can also lay the plastic onto a table for cutting and draw the measurements of the tablecloth onto the plastic with chalk. Add an extra inch and a half on each side before cutting.
Fold the plastic over a half-inch then once again, a half inch. Place under presser foot with medium pressure. Stitch around the perimeter staying just next to the fold on the underneath of the plastic. As you approach a corner fold the rest of the side you're working on then fold over it with the next side. When you reach the place where you began back-tack to hold in place. Don't pull the plastic while sewing or stretch it to turn corners.
Since the plastic doesn't unravel it isn't entirely necessary to hem the tablecloth protector. Some plastics have a raised design, like a floral pattern, that make them difficult to hem accurately. You can simply cut it to about a half inch or an inch longer than the real tablecloth. Perfect cuts are important whether you hem or not. Since the tablecloth shows through the plastic inaccuracies in cutting will be extremely apparent.
If you want the plastic to become an actual part of the tablecloth you can use fusible web to attach them together. Apply the web and iron the tablecloth side, never the plastic side. The fusible web allows the plastic to adhere permanently to the cloth underneath. The plastic can also be stitched onto the tablecloth. The problem with attaching the plastic to the cloth is that if a small pinhole or tear gets into the plastic there's no easy way to replace it. With fusible web the entire cloth will be ruined. With stitching you'll have to remove stitches and make another plastic cover. For this reason it's best to keep them as two separate pieces.
