Hiding storage with table skirt?
 

I need advice ...recently moved and now my quilting room is half the size without a wall closet or any closet! I have one of those long heavy plastic display tables against one wall for paper crafting and storage underneath. I hate to see the storage stuff.
I was thinking of making a table skirt with a top ruffle that I would Velcro around the table edges.
So here is my plan...is it crazy or is there another way?
Since two sides of the table are against the wall, the remaining exposed edges measure 109 inches. These are the edges I want to cover to the floor. I will want to cut 218 inches of fabric and cut another 218 inches of fabric for the ruffle. place wrong side of ruffle fabric to wrong side of skirt , sew then flip the fabric over the seam and press. Take 1 inch elastic and while stretching elastic sew elastic to the top of table skirt . After elastic in place then sew on Velcro .
Does this sound like it will work? Thanks!

I would think doing it that way might be difficult to have the upper edge be neat. I would make it like an apron or skirt waistband so the piece you're attaching the Velcro to is smooth. I would also make the under curtain less than double. If you want the valance, it can be double. Plus, I'd use two pieces on the curtain for accessibility - three if you're turning the corner. it does sound like a good idea.

I am thinking of doing the same but I want to protect my fabric from any sunlight. But be sure to think where you need an opening and be sure that it will still give you access to what you are storing under the table. Will enjoy seeing you post pictures as it will inspire me.

I agree with Irishrose about the ruffle making the top difficult to keep neat. Here is what I would do. A single fullness of fabric for the table (i.e. the 109 inches but I'd probably give myself a couple of inches for 'fudge factor' as well as making side hems). If you want the ruffle for the 'pretty factor', go ahead and double that width for your fullness. Make the ruffle separately as you initially mention. I would sew the velcro strip to the flat skirt (making top/bottom hems beforehand). Then sew the ruffle onto the skirt with wrong side of ruffle to right side of skirt. Kind of like a 'top dressing' for the skirt. Both pieces then stick to the table together. I would put the large ruffled side towards the floor, thus having less fullness at the top edge for things to get lost in.

For me, I probably would not do any ruffle just so there was not some place for little things (pins; bobbins; etc.) to hide on me! You might want to do the 3 pieces of fabric as suggested for ease of access to your bins under the table. Maybe even an overlapping slit in the front for the same reason. Just remember to add in those extra inches for side hems on each piece of fabric.

I think I would skip the tablecloth part and just put velcro spots at intervals around the edge of the table.

Then I would make a "waistband" to attach the ruffle/covering to the table and put velcro on that.
I would make the "skirt" only 1.25 to 1.5 time the length of the band and make it in three sections so that I would have easier access to my stuff under the table.

I would use a heavier fabric that would only need to have a little fullness to look nice - and it would hang well.

In my world, the tablecloth would keep slipping.


If the edges of the table are big enough, I would consider attaching the velcro to the INSIDE of the table and fasten the skirt from the inside/under the table. That way you would not be catching things on the skirt as you move stuff on and off the table.

If you really mean RUFFLES, you need to Double or triple the measurement for the RUFFLES. If you mean a border, you can sew it like a burrito pillow case, just don't sew up the sides:).

I did mine about 3 years ago.
sandy

that sounds wonderful. My husband put up a nine foot solid wood door for my cutting table and i wanted storage beneath that. he made two large open "boxes" on wheels for my bed linens and i made some fabrics to hang from the cutting table. he put them on with three yard sticks. Looks fine and the fabric meets in the center to allow access.

I did this with my cutting/pressing table. Except I used tension rods right under the lip of the surface of the table against the legs. This allowed me to quickly just seam a hem and a rod pocket.
I covered one side and the 2 ends separately so that I could easily move the fabric out of the way to claim what I needed from under the table.
I used a nice grade of muslin that nearly matched the painted trim on my table and the paint on my walls so that the drapes would blend into the background, not become a design element of their own.

Jan in VA

Bearing ray, thank-you so much for the drawing, as I am a visual person this helps to give me guidance.
i appreciate your time and guidance.

To all , thank-you so much for your responses and for your time to respond. You are all great!
Sandygirl, thank-you for the pic as it gives me a better idea of what it would look like.
I will post a pic of my room and the skirt when It's all done. I plan to go to Joannes's on Friday so my stretch goal is to have this skirt done this weekend otherwise by next weekend.

Sandygirl, I love the colors in your skirt, great idea.

Thanks ladies.

At the time i had purchased two 28' rolls (hook, loop) of 3/4" width "velcro" from an online source. I have used the tape for many projects. Ths site, http://www.hookandlooptape.com/index.htm has COLORS!

I purchased the sticky back and reinforced it by stitching along each edge of the tape to the skirting. It sticks pretty well on the tables. Still in use!

You have to make sure that one roll is "loop", the second roll is "hook". Dont assume that the roll is both!! I made that assumption only to find that i did not read the description.

I used my ruffler foot to make the skirting. Not elastic.

Post pics!
sandy

I agree! If and when I re-do my skirting ....i will make a "waistband" top to attach the gathered skirting to the loop & hook tape. It will be much neater.

Sandy

For some fun ides...check out Pinterest!

sandy

I also read an article where a lady needed more space than she had so she took a large round garbage can, added a nice round finished wood top and made a floor length cloth for it and used it in her living room as an end table...there's always a way! Could also use a square top if you wanted. Nice way to store fabric and pretty easy to get to it.

Great ideas on this thread. I made a skirt for my table in a newly arranged space. The most challenging part has been getting it to stay on with the Velcro. I'm in a humid area and it just doesn't stay. I do live the skirt hiding the storage though.

really great advice from irish rose. I have actually used conduit as a rod and it works well.

I made a skirt also, but I have it attached to an old church table and I used heavier upholstry fabric with no gathers, stitched the velcro to the top of the fabric. used Double faced Carpet tape to hold the other velcro to the table. It seems to hold better than the sticky velcro. Also I put the skirt below the top of the table so that I did not keep bumping into it and knocking it off. I only used the about 8" of velcro about every two feet.

SORRY to start off with the wrong, but I'm that sorta gal. Your RUFFLE needs to be at least twice the inches of fabric (ruffle needs to be gathered), you'll need at least 436 inches of fabric for the ruffle. And more if you want more of a ruffle (gather).
Good luck.

Thanks Jan, I really like the idea of a plain skirt and the tension rod. I may do that in my open storage.

Rather than making a two-piece skirt, I would use individual panels (possibly 18" each) to make it easier to get to the stored items. For me, it would be more about ease and convenience than appearance.

The width of the table is 109 inches . As my original email indicated, I planned on using 218 inches for the background drop and 218 inches for the ruffle to end up with a gathered skirt of 109 inches. Thanks for confirming the need to double the fabric.

My head is now full of other ideas....using curtains on spring rods or other type of rods.......that way, I could have panel type sections....deciding factor will be cost. I need to see which is less expensive, curtains and rods or fabric and Velcro.

Sound like a work in progress to me, go for it.

You also can buy curtains at Goodwill//nice drapes and cut the bottoms to size//tension rod for easy removal.

I did mine similar to SAndygirl. I got some dowel rods and just some small screw hooks. Made sleeve like curtains. Had stops for the dowel rods so they wouldn't slip from the hooks. I had an 8' bench I attached the (3 pc) skirt to and worked fine. I did it in 3 sections so I wouldn't have to fight it. Cost all of Maybe $5.00. Did it myself. Simple screw hooks. Of course if the sides of your table is metal then the Velcro would be the answer. I would go with the industrial self adhesive. Sticks to the skirt and the side of the table. Good luck.

i have done some skirts for displays at shows .....got sticky back velcro and put on tables then hemmed the bottom of skirt ....and did a pleat [just tuck and sew tuck and sew ] in the top it was easier that trying to gather and sew elastic.... then sewed fuzzy side of elastic on the skirt so WHEN it goes in washer it doesn't stick to everything

I did something similar. Didn't sew at the time. I bought a solid color plastic cloth & velcro sticky dots (both at the dollar store). Covered some storage crates, lasted till I moved (3yrs.)

That is so neat. I should do that too. I've got all kinds of stuff under my cutting table and it looks cluttered. Oh you ladies are so crafty!!!

I think of all the ideas presented here - if it would work with your table - I like Jan in VA's idea best.

1) the spring loaded rods are comparatively easy to install - and you would not get gunk on your table from the velcro

2) there would be nothing to catch on the top side or top edge of the table i

3) You would only need one layer of fabric with a rod pocket and hem - and if you bought a non-ravel fabric, you could even skip the hem. (A hem would make the fabric hang better, though.)

4) You could make the "curtain" part as gathered or flat as the fabric called for - the sheerer/lighter the fabric, generally the more fullness is required.

5) You could use as many "panels" as you wanted for openings for easy access to your stuff under the table.