107 - Any Other Bed skirts?
Dear Michael: I want to change the décor in my bedroom. Every matching set of shams, skirts and duvets come with the exact same skirt that is gathered all around the bed. This is not the look I want for my bedroom. Is there any other design used for skirts? Sammy
Dear Sammy: Ready made bed skirts are exactly what you described – gathered fabric sewn to a flat panel. Using very thin fabric, and no lining, ready made skirts also may be the wrong height. With newer designs for mattress and box spring combinations, your bed height may be different than the retail skirt. All of the bed skirts that I've sewn are lined (light weight drapery lining or denim) and float ˝" to 1" off the floor. This perfect height and adding a lining gives the bed a look of comfort and elegance. You can even use a bed sheet that matches your shams as the fabric for this very easy project.
The easiest to sew is a kick pleat bed skirt, which has flat panels, and is not gathered. The ends of each panel are folded back to create pleats midway on each side and at the corners of the foot of the bed. Between each of these pleats is a short insert panel that fills the gap. Using a flat white bed sheet (twin size for Queen skirt or smaller and full sheet for King skirt) as the deck fabric, this is a very simple and inexpensive sewing project.
First, iron the white sheet for the deck and the matching sheet for the skirt panels. Remove the mattress and spread the deck sheet on the box spring with the hemmed bottom of the sheet even with the head of the bed, pin in place. This will give you a finished edge for the skirt. Leaving ˝" for a seam allowance for the sewing on the skirt panels around the remaining sheet (sides and foot), mark and trim the excess. Note that at the head of the bed, the decking fabric is cut square. At the foot of the bed, there is a radius at each corner of the box spring. Chalk this radius into the decking fabric leaving the ˝" seam allowance.
Measure the height from floor to the top of the box spring. Subtract ˝" to 1" from this height for the skirt to float off the floor. This measurement is the finished height of the skirt. For the length of the skirt panels, measure from the head of the box spring to the center of the radius at the foot of the bed. Divide this measurement by 2, since we are making 2 panels for each side. Now add 10" for seam allowance and our 'kick' back on each side. Measure from the center of the radius to the center of the radius for the length of the foot of the bed and add 10".
A typical Queen bed is 60" wide and 81" long. For a skirt that is 10" finished height we would cut the following panels
From the face fabric(matching sheet): From the lining fabric:
▪ 4 panels – 12" high X 50 ˝" long ▪ 4 lining panels – 10" high X 50 ˝" long
▪ 1 panel – 12" high X 70" long ▪ 1 lining panel – 10" high X 70" long
▪ 4 backing panels – 12" high X 9" long ▪ 4 lining back panels – 10" high X 9" long (these go behind the long panels)
Sew one face panel to one lining panel, right sides together, along the 50 ˝" or 70" side with ˝" seam allowance. With right sides still together, match the top seam allowance and sew the side seams with ˝" seam allowance. Turn right side out and press. For the backing panels, sew the 9" side and then sew the side seams. Turn and press.
The final step is to sew the panels onto the decking fabric. Use one side panel (50 ˝" long) and fold back 4 ˝" at the head of the bed. Pin this to the decking folding the two seam allowances inside. Fold back 4 ˝" at the center of the bed and pin in place. Take the second panel, fold back 4 ˝" and place directly next to the first panel. Fold back 4 ˝" or the appropriate amount to meet the center radius at the foot of the bed. Using the same 4 ˝" fold back, fit the 70" panel at the foot of the bed reaching from the center radius to the center radius of each corner. Continue on the last side with the other two panels. Insert and center one backing panel behind the two longer panels in the seam allowance for the decking. Sew the decking to all the panels with a ˝" seam allowance and you are finished! A lined bed skirt that perfectly fits your box spring height completes the look of your bed like a professional designer!
Mike Rocheford can be contacted via the Web site,
http://www.upholsterystudio.com – click on Ask the Upholsterer
