Sewing · Pattern
The Gathering Table Linens
Restrained construction on purpose: the cloth, the mitered corners and the stitching are the whole design. Measure the tabletop, add twice your desired drop to each dimension, then add 3 inches both ways for 3/4 inch double-fold hems. A 10 to 12 inch drop reads everyday; 15 inches feels formal.
Step by step
Step 1
Cut the pieces
Classic napkins 21 1/2 in square. Peg-hanging napkins 19 1/2 x 21 1/2 in plus a 5 1/2 in triangular corner patch each. Short runner 17 1/2 x 73 1/2 in, long runner 17 1/2 x 91 1/2 in. Tablecloths follow the formula, pieced symmetrically if the width exceeds the cloth.
Step 2
Square everything
Prewash, press and cut every piece square with the grain. Nothing later fixes a crooked cut.
Step 3
Mark the hems
Mark a 3/8 inch and a 3/4 inch fold line around each piece.
Step 4
Mitre the corners
Form clean mitred corners, trim the excess bulk, turn and press.
Step 5
Topstitch
Stitch close to the inner folded edge, using a slightly longer stitch length for a handmade workroom finish.
Step 6
Add the peg corner
For the peg-hanging napkin, add the reinforced triangular corner exactly as on the Bread Keeper Towel, keeping the opening broad enough for a wooden peg.
Step 7
Wash and settle
Wash once more, dry to suit the cloth, and press only if you want a crisp table.
Keep them Mercantile Natural for the whole year, or add the restrained Finch bird-and-branch corner for the holidays.
The Mercantile Letter
Notes from the workroom
Seasonal shop openings, new patterns, and what's rising on the kitchen counter. Sent quietly, never often.