I am making 3 table cloths for a friend to use at craft shows. They are floor length and weighted, she is gonna store stuff underneath. If I just sew giant rectangles wont the corners hang longer than the rest of the cloth and drag on the ground? What do I do? Round the corners? I was thinking about mitering the sides so that the cloth would be fitted to the table but I dont think she wants that since she needs to be able to lift up the back to get to stuff. The dimensions of the tables are H=26 in W= 30 in and L= 72.

Shelly

Maybe this will help? I haven't done it yet, but I had it saved in my bookmarks.

http://www.sewing.org/enthusiast/html/ehd_tablecloths.html

I have one of the "trade show" tablecloths, and this is how it's made:

Top that covers the table is a rectangle.
Sewn to that is a huge rectangle like a sashing. It's open in the center back, so you can reach in. At each corner, there is a pleat of fabric so that it hangs nicely.
So basically, two pattern pieces, each a rectangle, one the size of the table top, the other the length of the table perimeter, plus a little for pleats, plus enough to finish the 2 ends, and as wide as the height from the table to the floor, plus hem allowance.

Find out if the's adding "heels" to her tables, a lot of people do this for craft shows, they add PVC pipe lengths to the table legs to increase the height of the table for display.

Nope, she's not adding heels. I like the idea of making an opening in the back and using the 2 pattern pieces. That would make my seams look better than if I just peiced a bunch together to make a big flat rectangle. I am not sure how to do the corners though. Does yours have pleats all the way around or just at the corners? And then I could make a little tie or something for the back opening. Or maybe make it overlap so that it always looks closed...

Thanks ya'll for all the great ideas!
Shelly

Mine just has pleats at the corners, so it looks pretty fitted. There's no closure at the back, the ends are just overlapped about an inch, and I never had a problem with it hanging open.