Project: Card Table Tablecloth

This weekend we are hosting a work party. This isn't unusual for us. We love to get people together! But this time the party is at someone else's house, a friend of hubby's. Here's the kicker, I'VE never been there. So I'm having to make preparations based on pictures and his descriptions. As a result there are lots of things being done at the 11th hour.

I've just found out we need to bring 3 of our card tables for different "stations" throughout their enormous home. Small problem, I don't really have proper tablecloths for these little guys. I figured, no problem, I'll just buy some. I can add them to my arsenal.

Do you know how hard it is to find card table tablecloths?! No wonder I haven't gotten any before now. 

Which leads us to where we are now, sewing some up from scratch.

Now the thing about sewing is it's super easy, and can be cost saving if you purchase your fabric at a discount but it's also time consuming.
I went to the local home decorating warehouse for fabric. Luckily, I found a roll of 5.5 yards of fabric for $21, less than it would cost for me to buy a single tablecloth. 

Just like with painting, a successful sewing project is all about the preparation. Measuring and cutting took about 15 minutes. The fabric is 56" wide, so I cut 56" long as well. My tables are 34" x 34". Super simple.

Now for the time consuming part, ironing. Instead of pinning the edges, I find ironing to give a much nicer edge. It took me about an hour and a half to iron all 4 sides of the 3 tablecloths into 1/2" hems. Since my fabric has a lined pattern it went very quickly.

All my prep made sewing up the hems a breeze. It only took 30 minutes to sew everything.

So voila, I have 3 matching card table tablecloths. All for under $25, including the spool of thread I had at home. 

However, that was a THREE hour project. What's the billable hourly rate for something like this?

January 10, 2013