Not a sewer, but some examples of navy-striped vintage fabrics on etsy. Must do separate posts for each.

'nother:

These are dish towels

How will the skirt be attached to the sink?

onward and upward:

And lastlyâ¦although there are more. I looked up navy-stripe vintage linen

HI, thanks, Tibb, I have looked at all of those. Many are too thick, but mostly the stripes aren't what I wanted (or, in one case, there is not enough fabric). Hence my thought about using towels.

thanks!

You could use a tension rod and yes, a seamstress could sew two or more together (depending on how much fullness you want) then sew a casing to slip the rod through....very easy to do.

Isn't it usually done with velcro? It will go all the way around the sink... wait, are you thinking just in the center, like the old base has?

This skirt would cover the front and sides of the sink

It could be done with the towels you show but it looks like the navy stripe is on the ends. Have you thought of linen fabric and have navy trim as stripes stitched on?

mtn. I've got a skirt on the half-bath sink. It is attached via Velcro.

For what you will wind up paying to buy enough towels to make a skirt and to have it made, I'd contact Rough Linen and see if she would make something in white linen and add navy bands for you. She does custom work.

This place does custom embroidery on linen.

http://www.linengb.com/?gclid=CL-D7sOf8r0CFcyhOgod3UgAbA

You could also have navy trim stitched on where you want the stripes on linen. The towels you show have it on the edges so you could end up with wide stripes.

I'm not sure that will work as it looks like the stripes run vertically...this one might work as the stripes run horizontally so will make a border along the hem or by the sink or a little of both. I wouldn't think you'd want it to look like the skirt is multiple dish towels hanging, which I think a vertical stripe will do....

[Traditional Tablecloths[(https://www.houzz.com/products/traditional-tablecloths-prbr1-br~t_982~s_2107)

The photo only shows a portion of the towel. Are you sure the stripes are on the correct side of the towel? And, are there stripes on the opposite side, which would leave you with stripes at the top and bottom.

If you don't plan to gather the fabric, the seams will be obvious. And you have to hope that the stripes are uniform in place on the towels, otherwise they won't match up.

If this doesn't pan out, possibly there are tablecloths similarly banded that could be cut for this purpose.

If you are having a base made could you organize it so that just the middle section needs a skirt? A skirt all the way around that behemoth will look like Mother Ginger from the Nutcracker. (Literally, as in that is the exact shape of her skirt.)

Yes, Velcro if you want to attach it all around the sink. Another option might be to buy plain white linen and have gros grain ribbon, in the widths of your choosing, sewn on.

Thanks, everyone, as usual, you come up with things I'd not thought of!

Joanie, I like that idea, especially as I really prefer wide pleats over gathers. And then I can put the ribbon wherever I please. Maybe I would even do one vertical stripe and one horiztonal along the bottom, with them crossing just in the corner?

KSWL, Now, now, I know you do not like skirted sinks at all, full stop, so I am considering the source! I do not want an exposed base, too much going on on that run already. Neither do I want something that could pass as Mother Hubbard's tutu. I am trying for a restrained look, reminiscent of roller towels.

Graywings, Yes, I called about the towel and the stripe is on the 36" side only. You are right about seams, I am not sure if I mind that or not! I have looked at runners and tablecloths, but the stripes on tablecloths have been in the wrong place.

Annie, I was thing vertical, but you make a good point. I like what you posted.

Eandhl, ooh, that is a cool idea. I fell in love just at page 1 of the website. Maybe too rarified for a kitchen sink skirt that I plan to make washable (prewash before fabrication). IIRC, aren't you the one who also made me fall in love with $85/pc white plates, LOL. I need to be careful around you!

Lascatx, I am flexible on price. But I always have to laugh at myself. Often I choose "humble" or "utilitarian" looks, but when I go to execute them, I end up having to spend a fortune. Like when my DH suggested a potting bench to hold our antique vessel sink in the mudroom, and the GC drew up plans for an $18k built in, I kid you not. For a 6 foot wide space...

Thanks, Tibb. We will also be skirting matching vintage wall hung sinks in the MBA. Are yours washable?

Yes I found the expensive shell shaped plates & the linen site. I enjoy spending your money on such nice things!

Love that sink!

Stencil?

Very easy.

Buy the plain linen fabric and using a ruler or straight edge, mark off your stripes and stencil your own navy blue stripes on the fabric exactly where you want them.

Use craft paint and a Fabric Medium mixed together so that the stenciled stripes will be soft, not stiff like plain craft paint on fabric.

Heat-set the fabric if the directions on the Fabric Medium calls for it.
This will allow you to wash the fabric anytime you want without the new, stenciled design washing away.

I've done the stencil on fabric for lamp shades and to make a velcro cover for a short file cabinet so that I could use the file cabinet as a bedside table.
The cover for the file cabinet has been washed countless times and none of the craft paint w/fabric medium has flaked or worn off.

I made sure to wash the fabric first, ironed it, painted with craft paint and fabric medium, then heat set the fabric in the dryer.
The trick with stenciling fabric; less is more. Make sure to dab off the excess paint from the stencil brush before applying brush and paint to fabric.

Oh, I LOVE the stencil idea.

No suggestions on fabric, but when you have the skirt made, have two (or even three) made so you can have one on reserve for when the current one needs to be cleaned.
And too, eventually it will become too worn, and it will need to be replaced.

Some Robert Allen fabrics:
"Naturals"

The stripe is Meadow Place, colorway Cornflower

Ad just for the heck of it, because it appeals to me, Timbre, colorway Navy close up

showing repeat:

You are funny, Eandhl!

Amity, I might try that if I weren't looking for a stripe. But I think id mess up a stripe. I am very picky!

Ellendi, great point!

Suero - too fancy for what I'm thinking of, albeit yummy choices!

OOOh, I think I have found what I want! It's exactly the look I am thinking of, and it's inexpensive so I can experiment with it.

It's a 40x71 fouta. I think I would do the stripes horizontally.

{{!gwi}}

small problem -- out of stock!

I'm replicating the look below in one of our bathrooms and am using a shortened linen shower curtain hanging on a curtain rod with curtain rings. My contractor built the base for the quartz countertop, and it has one shelf. Just another idea.

If you use dish towels hung on rings, it seems they too would easily slide from side to side.

Inexpensive alternative French grain sack fabric. Yes, 54 inches wide, linen blend. Not exactly what you are looking for, but I can be persuaded at times for easy and done when I hit a wall. Just a thought. Trying to save your brain cells.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.calicocorners.com/product/designer+fabrics+for+the+home/more+fabric+collections/french+chic/primative+stripe+navy-natural.do

Voila, CC was where I stopped first. This fabric is too heavy and rough. I like the hunt, I guess!

Jujubean, that looks great! I love it. Chopping off a shower curtain! Great idea!

And the premade curtain is a less expensive option than custom. Here we spend an inordinate sum of money on builds/remodels, yet it drives me bananas that I would have to pay hundreds of dollars on a piece of fabric if I custom ordered it. My seamstess will probably charge me $10 to hem the relatively low cost curtain.

Here's a similar idea I had saved, but the grommets offer a more contemporary look, which isn't what you're after.

Yes, my skirt will attach to the porcelain I am thinking?...

Not navy. Could it work?

Here is a link that might be useful: toweling

Is this it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Linen towelling

Here is a link to cotton towelling. Just for other options.

Here is a link that might be useful: cotton towelling

Original poster: did you ever find fabric to match the vision in your head?

I have another idea - I do a lot of sewing and use the decorative stitches on my Viking sewing machine to decorate the linen and cotton kitchen dish towels that I make and give as gifts. It might be that the blue stripes you want could be stitched on white linen or cotton fabric. You could tell me how far apart you want the stripes to be, we could discuss color of the stripes, and I could stitch you a sample.

OMG! And now I find Ulster Linen on the link above? I have one linen drying towel left that is now close to 40 years old. I found the toweling at the Vermont Country Store years and years ago. There are actually holes in the towel from so many years of use.

You can email me through GW - I've been a member for many years.

Teresa