Linen, china and silver dress up an old patio set

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By Mitchell Chapman

In late spring, I picked up a fantastic Brown Jordan patio set circa 1970s or ’80s. It was in good condition except for some paint loss on the painted aluminum frame. I bought it at a Habitat for Humanity resale shop for $75. It was a terrific bargain!

My family and I have been dining at this table all summer long. We usually just toss down our everyday plates, utensils and well-used cloth napkins. We’ve had nice long conversations sitting around that table this summer.

To mark the end of the season, I thought it would be nice to refresh the patio set with a floor-length tablecloth. Since sewing is not one of my skills, I asked my friends at Urban Upholstery in Olympia if they would make it for me. I had a fabulous, though discontinued, Clarence House linen fabric I’d been saving for a good project. It was a nice weight and draped beautifully.

I bought it at www.overstockupholsteryfabric.com during one of their 25 percent off sales. I’ve shopped here many times and have always been pleased with my order. It’s one of my go-to sources for upholstery fabrics when I’m on a small budget.

To start the project, I measured up from the patio, over the center of the table and down to the other side of the patio: 97.5 inches. I then measured the width of the table so that the fabric pattern could be centered: 47.5 inches. We used about 6 yards of fabric for this project.

Louise at Urban Upholstery did a marvelous job for me. She was kind enough to provide a sketch of how she created the tablecloth so I could share it here.

She started by rolling out the fabric so that the “full” piece was long enough for the finished dimension of 97.5 inches, plus about 4 inches (2 inches per side) extra for hemming the tablecloth.

She then cut a second piece with the same dimensions, and with patterns matching the full piece. This one, she cut down the middle. The two halves were sewn onto the sides of the full piece where the patterns matched.

Louise then cut the fabric into a circle that was 97.5 inches wide, plus extra for the hem. Last, she created an inch-wide hem. It’s that simple.

Of course, the fabric seams had to be overlocked so it would not fray from use or laundering. This tablecloth will likely be dry-cleaned so that the fabric does not shrink. Machine-washing it would wrinkle it terribly, and it would be difficult to iron out.

Although I did not choose to add anything to the base of the tablecloth, one could add a decorative tape or some fun trim. You could also make the hem a little larger or use a contrasting thread for additional subtle details.

Now for the fun part: Equipped with a lovely fresh custom-made tablecloth, I thought: Why not use one of my beautiful sets of china? I decided to use a set I’d picked up at a Goodwill store. This set is French and would retail for hundreds per place setting if sold today. It was dumb luck that I walked into the store and saw it. I was unfamiliar with the manufacturer, but a quick search on eBay told me it was “quality” and that pieces were selling for substantially more than Goodwill’s pricing.

I used heirloom silver flatware for another touch of elegance.

I had to run around to find napkins and wine glasses that worked with the tablecloth and china. I didn’t have candlesticks I liked for the tablescape, so I found some on eBay. The crystal water glasses were purchased at our Aberdeen Goodwill store for 99 cents each — truly a bargain.

I was perplexed about what to do for a centerpiece. Normally I would use a simple bouquet of roses, but none of the colors I found worked with the tablecloth. Tina in the Aberdeen Safeway floral department was a big help. She led me to some small orchids in terra cotta pots that had blooms matching my tablecloth. They were perfect!

The last detail was to walk around my garden to collect English ivy, bamboo and some moss. I just kind of composed it all around all the candlesticks and potted orchids. I love the way it turned out, and dining there that night by candlelight was magical.

Mitchell Chapman lives in Montesano and enjoys DIY renovations, interior design and home furnishings. He can be reached at GraysHarborHome@outlook.com.