Weddingbee Blog

In my last post I explained my idea for our DIY table toppers. Basically, they involve a fabric square—potentially with a border—and doilies in the center. Once we came up with the idea, I had no self-control and immediately began searching for supplies. (Are you really surprised?) I’ll share more later on my doily hunt, but here is the story of finding a fabric.

Being the amazing mother-of-the-bride that she is, Mama Dalmatian was extremely helpful. I went home for a visit, and when I walked into my room I was greeted by an assortment of fabric samples she thought I might like. Amazing Mama move #1.

Here are some of the fabrics she picked out:

I really liked a lot of them (especially the gingham!), but none of them seemed to be exactly what I wanted for the table squares. Picky bride move #1. In my mind, I had imagined a vintage, colorful, floral print. My mom was happy to go to some fabric stores to see if we could find something I liked better. Amazing Mama move #2.

First, we went to the store where my mom works, where they sell high-end wallpapers and fabrics. We didn’t find anything that was quite right, which may have been a blessing in disguise because, while the fabrics were gorgeous, the prices would have been a stretch. Next, we drove to Vogue Fabrics, where they had four huge rooms filled with different options. Yet, we still walked out empty handed. Picky bride move #2. At this point, I began to get a little frustrated and felt like what I was looking for did not exist. My mom told me not to worry, there was something out there that was meant to be and we would keep looking until I was happy. Amazing Mama move #3.

So we continued on to JoAnn, which of course was in the opposite direction of where we were. Here, I found a fabric I really liked! It definitely fit the bill for a vintage floral print.

Unfortunately, this is not the end of the story. When we got home, we placed a few doilies on the fabric sample and found that they didn’t stand out at all, and the print was so small that it had no impact from further away. I decided it wasn’t going to work. Picky bride move #3. Did my mom get impatient and annoyed at this point? No, she took me to another fabric store the next day! Amazing Mama move #4.

We went to a store called Quilter’s Heaven, and it really was a quilter’s heaven! They had an excellent selection of really cool fabrics. There were a few that caught my eye, and one that I just could not resist. So we bought the entire spool of an Amy Butler fabric from the Love Collection. It is called Tumble Roses in Pink, and it is the perfect fabric for our table squares!

I texted a picture to Mr. Dalmatian to make sure he approved. Actually, I accidentally texted it to my friend from high school and then to Mr. Dalmatian (silly iPhone), but they both texted back that they loved it! It is the bright colors we wanted, and not only will the doilies stand out, I think the entire reception space will really pop with this print on the tables!

I didn’t have an ivory tablecloth so I used a beige one, and our dining room table is rectangular and not circular like our reception tables, but here is a very rough mock-up of the tables:

Note: I just used random vases since we aren’t sure what our centerpieces will be yet.

Have you been a picky bride?

Did you have to search high and low for the perfect DIY supplies?

*All photos personal