Instructions

Do you have a collection of flowered hankies, either gifts from grandmas or flea market finds? Lying folded and forgotten in the back of a drawer, the hankies can't show off their lovely patterns and colors. Here's a pretty project that displays those fanciful handkerchiefs as edging on a tablecloth.

Cost: About $5 plus the cost of a purchased tablecloth or the fabric to make a tablecloth. (If you don't have hankies, shop flea markets and antique stores for them.)

Time: About a day

Skill Level: Beginner sewing skills

• Purchased tablecloth or no-iron cotton/poly blend fabric (for the tablecloth center)
• Printed handkerchiefs of approximately the same size (for edging), enough to go around the edge of the tablecloth
• 7/8-inch-wide eyelet edging, enough to go around the edge of the tablecloth
• 32-inch-long pieces of 3/8-inch-wide satin ribbon in a variety of coordinating colors**
• 32-inch-long pieces of 1/8-inch-wide satin ribbon in one coordinating color**
• White sewing thread
• Scissors
• Safety pin

**Measure the perimeter of the fabric that makes up the center of your tablecloth. You will need one 32-inch-long piece of ribbon for each foot it measures.

1. The tablecloth center can be made from either a purchased tablecloth or a no-iron cotton/poly blend fabric pieced to fit your table. Before beginning, wash all fabrics, including the hankies and ribbons, in warm water and let dry; press.

2. Measure your table and cut a piece of fabric large enough to fit the table with an approximately 3-inch drop on all sides. Serge or zigzag-stitch along the cut edge to prevent fraying.

To launder the tablecloth, wash in the gentle cycle of your washing machine, or hand-wash in cool or warm water. Machine-dry and remove when slightly damp. Press the handkerchief edging first, then touch up the center if necessary.