Pi(e) on the Table
- fabman556
- Sep 29, 2017
- 4 min read
Halloween Decor and a Real-life Use for Geometry!
If you're like me, all through junior high and high school I always wondered when I was going to use some of the stuff I was learning. In this project, there is a real-life use for some geometry. We'll get to that shortly.
Last weekend Mrs. DTFM and I dragged out all our seasonal Halloween and Harvest decor items (last year we did not bring out any of these things because we couldn't bear to unpack any more boxes so soon after the move). Due to a significant household purge prior to the move (April 2016), there is considerably less of these seasonal items. It was an adventure to unpack these boxes and see what I didn't discard.
We have a small Halloween tree (black PVC) that we found on clearance at Kohl's several years ago. It's decorated with candy corn lights and various orange, green and purple ornaments. Mrs. DTFM brought out several pieces of Halloween fabric from the stash so we could choose one to wrap around the base of the tree. One of these options was a yarn-dye fabric in orange and black with a spider web pattern...just perfect for a tablecloth. Hmmmmmmmmm.
Making a Round Tablecloth
It's really easy to make a round tablecloth. The standard is 60" diameter, and this fabric was only 44" so there was some piecing to be done. In order not to have a seam across the middle of your tabletop, you'll want to offset the seams. I cut one length of the fabric to 61" long (allowing for a 1/2" turn-under on each end). With that piece on the cutting table, I placed another length along side the selvage (woven edge) of the first piece, attempting to line up the pattern as one would do when hanging wallpaper, so the pattern would match.
Pattern matching was a no-go; the pattern simply did not line up that way.
No matter; when I added the extra fabric width to the main piece, it was split and added to each side, locating that seam below the tabletop in the area we call the "drop." That's the part of the tablecloth that hangs down off the side of the table. The unmatched pattern will hardly be visible.
Joining the Pieces
I cut the second fabric length to 61" as well.
Then I split the second piece down the middle, lengthwise, to create two pieces that were 61" long and about 22" wide.
Each of these pieces was then sewn to the main piece, one on either side, creating a large piece measuring 61" by 88" in size.
Tip: when adding the narrow pieces to either side of the main piece, sew the selvage edges together; this eliminates an exposed cut edge and the need for a seam finish to keep the cut edges from fraying.
The Pi(e) is coming. Be patient.
Cutting the Circle
With all the pieces joined and the seams pressed open, I folded the large piece in quarters, lining up the seams.
Using a yardstick and a chalk pencil, I marked a distance of 30.5" (half of the 61" diameter of the tablecloth, known as the radius) from the center of the folded fabric toward the cut edges.
The fabric was then cut through all thicknesses along the curved line formed by the chalk marks.
Tip: The chalk marks can actually be connected with the chalk pencil before cutting, or you can just connect the marks with your scissors as you cut along the curve.
Hem Finshes
After cutting, the result is a 61" round piece of fabric with a raw edge. There are many ways to finish the raw edge. I chose to straight-stitch around the perimeter .5" from the edge, creating a roll line.
Next I rolled the raw edge to the underside and top stitched in place, leaving a raw edge exposed. The only place this raw edge might fray would be at the center of the length and width of the tablecloth where the fabric grain is straight, and a seasonal table cloth will not get enough wear for me to worry about that. I could even apply a little Fray-Chek at the potential trouble spots.
There are other ways to finish the edge of the tablecloth:
Stitch around the raw edge with a serger or overlock machine and call it a day. This serged edge can also be turned under and topstitched for a more professional look.
If you want a more festive or decorative look, turn the raw edge to the right side of the tablecloth and stitch some trim on top...covering the raw edge. If you're adding trim to a round tablecloth, you'll need to know how much to buy. This is where the Pi(e) comes in!
There are two formulas that have stuck in my head from junior high geometry.
3.14 (pi) x the radius of the circle squared. The result is the area of a circle.
I have never in my adult life needed to find out the area of any circle.
3.14 (pi) x the diameter of the circle. The result is the circumference of the circle, or the amount of trim you need for your round tablecloth.
The formula in this case: 60" (the tablecloth diameter) x 3.14 (pi) = 188.4". Divide that number by 36" (inches in a yard) to determine amount of trim you'll need: 5.23 yards. I always round up a bit, so I'd likely buy 5.5 yards.
There was enough unused fabric around the edge of the large folded piece of fabric that I could have made 4 matching napkins. Just cut the napkins to size (12", 14" or 16" are most common) including a hem allowance, turn the raw edges under twice with a miter at the corners, and topstitch in place.
Now the tablecloth is finished.
All this talk of Pi(e) has made me hungry. Time to go find some pie.
Until next time, keep those sewing machines humming!
DTFM
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