The most pressing was the need to foil my toddler and de-grossify my kitchen table. It's one of those standard round pedestal tables with an oak top. Though it's small, little leaves fold down on the sides, which makes for a couple of nasty gaps in the top that like to collect dried food and other assorted crap. You just can't get in there to keep them clean. Regular tablecloths are not a viable option, because LAUNDRY. So I ordered some oilcloth from an online fabric store and cut rounds to fit my table. Oilcloth is awesome. It's durable, waterproof, and comes in lots of really pretty patterns. I especially like the vintage-looking ones, and got three different florals and one gingham. I learned that pre-made oilcloth tablecloths are really expensive, but it only costs about $6 per yard to buy the material. And you don't even need to hem it. Seems like a no-brainer.
The plan was to put the oilcloth over the table and just wipe 'er clean after each meal. But the toddler thought it was hilarious to yank the tablecloth off the table during meals (probably part of the reason I wasn't using a tablecloth to begin with). An elastic band sewn around the edge fixes that issue by securing it to the table. Because I was so daunted by the sewing machine collecting dust in the closet, I hand-sewed the first one. It took me a total of TEN HOURS to finish. And caused some pretty serious callouses. After getting the machine set up, the second tablecloth took me TWENTY MINUTES. Sheesh.
To complete this project, I cut my oilcloth into a round that measured about 3 inches bigger than my table. To make the cut as circular as possible, I folded the oilcloth square into quarters (inside out, so you're looking at the back of it), and measured out from the center fold with a fabric measuring tape, holding a pencil at the end. I drew the quarter-circle with the pencil while holding the measuring tape taut. Then cut. To sew, I stretched the elastic tight while feeding it through the machine, and kept it held about a half-inch from the outside edge of the circle. It doesn't have to be exact, as that part will be under the table.
My recommendation is NOT to hand sew it. That was terrible. However, to do that, I stretched the elastic and pinned it to the oilcloth in a spot about 2-3 inches away from the current stitch, then pulled it tight with each stitch until I reached the pin, then moved it another 2-3 inches away and repeat. Again, don't do that unless you absolutely have to. Cuz again, it sucked.
The chairs are also recovered using the blue gingham oilcloth. It's a lovely, simple pattern that's complementary to the various florals. That's an easy project that I'm sure anyone can accomplish with a screwdriver and a staple gun, but again the oilcloth makes the chairs wipe-clean-easy, while the previous covers had been nasty and stained. Always a good thing with small children in the house.
So, toddler foiled. My kitchen table is kid-proof and looks lovely! Take that, little boy!
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