Height of mattress from floor to top (?)
 

As some of you know I have started back on my UFO California King Size Quilt top. Now I have a question about how much overhang I should have on the sides. About 10 years ago we had to buy a new mattress set & wound up getting one of those that are a lot taller from the floor than our old mattress set. This one that we have now is 24" from the floor to the top of the mattress. I want a pretty good overhang since I don't have a bed skirt & was wondering what would be a good length for the overhang. Last night I was thinking about 16" & that would put the quilt 8" from the floor. On the other hand, if we ever go back to the box springs & mattress that is not so tall would my quilt then drag on the floor (which I surely don't want)? Right now, I don't have a bedspread that totally covers over the box springs & I don't like that at all so I'm now thinking (as I write this) that I should made a bed skirt & make my quilt overhang about 14". That way it would hang completely over the mattress & about 2" over the box springs.

Has anyone ever made a bed skirt? As I get older I don't like a lot of detail work & time on things like that. I want a very simple one & have found a few DIY sites that I'm leaning toward.

This quilt project has my head swimming....I think I'm over-thinking everything about it. :):rolleyes::D

Oh your hurting head!
Sometimes our overthinking is for the good though, as we are trying to prevent disappointment.

Another factor to remember in your sizing ... shrinkage.
Be sure to allow enough excess in your quilt, so you will still have the overhang you want.

Separate to that, I would want my quilt more than the 2" extra you mentioned. That would mean I would have to have the quilt sitting "just so", to be sure the coverage was there. I don't like fiddling, so would allow for more than the 2". Though some quilts have a design/borders that you soon know what has to sit along the edge of the bed for it to all line up. Remember, that's me ... not necessarily you!

To check what size you want it, and see how the overhang would be on the corners,
I would take a quilt and pull it over one corner to the drape length I wanted.
Measure and then calculate the finished size you need.

Bed Skirts can be very simple to quite deluxe.
Simple gathers or box pleats all round.
Or even just one box pleat on each side and end and at the corners.
I have seen them done with fabric just draped down, and no extra fullness in anyway.
I think if I were doing that, I would use a heavier fabric.

As for me ... nope, can't be bothered with bedskirts anymore.
I just have my quilt/bedspread hang over as low as I can.

Good Luck!

I can't help with quilt size, but you could probably buy a simple bed skirt for less than it would cost to make one.

Unless you love making bedskirts I would buy one.
I just made a King Log Cabin for us. The overhang is about 12 inches on each side and we have plenty of room so that we don't pull the covers off each other.
I don't believe you are overthinking though. A King is a really large one and you want it right.

PS. Sorry I didn't realize you have a Cal King. Mine is a regular King. Big enough for Paul, me, and the cats :D

I've made bed skirts. They take a lot of fabric and time, but you get what you want. I used fabric from the quilts I use on the beds. I've done both gathered and pleated. They seem like a pain at the time, but I'm always glad I did them.

my dil has a water bed - but also wanted a bed skirt.

i made it in three sections.

basically i attached the ruffled skirt to a 12 inch header that tucked under the mattress. she says it is working well.

I don't use bedskirts anymore. I have a houseful of male dachshunds and a bedskirt is just a target for them.

..... Spoil Sport!
Just think of all the fun you have taken away from them. :(
Poor Pupperoos!!! :)

I have made several, made one to go with a biscuit quilt, kind of an odd color that wouldn't go with anything else. Then I made an off white, now I need a lighter off white. It was a pain, fabric didn't hang long enough so I had to add 3-4" . I made it too full with a fairly tight ruffle. For the part that covers the top of box springs I use an extra sheet cut just like the top of springs and I attached the ruffle to that. When I make another it won't be as full. Even tho people never notice or see it I still want a ruffled one that looks nice since I do look at it.

When I made a new quilt for my bed, I used the bed skirt I already had on the bed as a pattern of sorts. Measured what I needed for length from edge of hanging down skirt to floor and for length needed from head to foot and across the bottom. Cut, hemmed and then attached it to the old bed skirt with velcro. You can buy long lengths of it, who knew!! I sewed it to the edge of the skirt I just made and for the last time took the bed skirt off the bed, sewed the other side of the velcro to it just at the top of the part that lays flat on the box springs, put it back on the bed with a large smile because I would not have to remove the thing again. (I live alone and no one to help me maneuver a king size mattress) Now to wash the bed skirt, I just pull it off the velcro, wash and attach back. I even left the old skirt part of the bedskirt on even though it is not seen.
Whenever I need a new skirt, just make it, attach velcro and put in place. I even remove the velcro to use on the new skirt.
Murphy (old lady genius....:))