The Tablecloth That Became Two Dresses

I love to repurpose old clothes, and sometimes even find inspiration in a random piece of fabric. And why not dresses from a tablecloth?

When I buy something new, often I can already see how I will rework or update it later on to keep it in my closet longer. When I was younger this was something I did on a regular basis to reinvent something that had been hanging in my closet, unworn, for years.

The Birthday Party

Exactly a year ago today, I was invited by a friend to a birthday party in New York. Knowing my friend well, I expected nothing less than a glamorous evening with a lot of classy sparkle. And I was right! When we were first led into our private dining room at the restaurant, we all gasped at the beauty that was the table. The colors were her favorites, with everything pulled together with elegance and femininity.

But amidst it all, it was the tablecloth that struck me as truly unique – I had never been to a party with a sequin tablecloth before. As I observed this amazing group of women sharing their stories and laughter, I started to think about a way to keep this night alive past the evening’s celebration.

It happens that I spend Thanksgiving at the home of this friend, so an idea came to me – the fabric could be a great basis for a Thanksgiving dress – the color was somewhere in between bronze and blush, just perfect for the season. So somewhere between the champagne and the birthday cake, I slipped in my request to take the tablecloth home with me. My friend loved the idea and immediately offered me the tablecloth.

When I realized how much fabric there was, I decided to make a dress for my daughter, Ottilia, as well. This could be fun!

Sewing Without a Pattern

I hadn’t sewn without a pattern for years, but having more than enough fabric, and not even knowing where I would buy a pattern these days, I jumped right in. I had never sewn on sequin fabric, but figured there was no better time to learn than the present.

But when the design is simple, to me it means that the tailoring and stitching have to be impeccable.

I worried that the sequin fabric (which was standard tablecloth quality) could end up looking shoddy when used for a dress, so I kept draping the fabric in about 100 different ways until I landed on my final idea. This was only the second time since high school that I had sewn with a serger, so I was pretty excited to see how much more finished the seams would be, especially since I knew that detail would make the dresses shine.

I almost destroyed the machine with all of the sequins! But in the end, it was worth it.

The Tablecloth Dresses Debuted at Thanksgiving Dinner

And when we arrived at Thanksgiving dinner later that year, not only did my daughter and I stand out and sparkle in our new frocks, but we were a walking topic of conversation. Both dresses were glitzy and fun. And best of all, it reminded our hostess of her stunning birthday party.

Our dresses made a statement and added a special element to our yearly Thanksgiving celebration.

It is still one of my daughter’s favorite dresses, and she wears it any time there is a celebration. As for mine, it is tucked away in the closet. While I love to go out of my way to make a statement, I have decided to reserve the tablecloth dresses for our yearly Thanksgiving tradition to keep it extra special.

Do you want to learn about another mother-daughter piece in our wardrobes?

And Then There Were Two – the Mochila That Multiplied