How to make a coverlet for an oversized bed

"This bed is too big. . . "

Frankly, Goldilocks would've never even tried out my bed. She would've taken one look and headed to the next one. Of course, the Papa Bear in our house is 6 feet 7 inches tall. So our bed needs to be pretty big.

We have a king-size bed with an extra-deep mattress and a memory foam topper, and though I was able to locate extra-deep sheets that fit, I was always stymied trying to find a comforter or coverlet that actually covers the bed. I always kept my fingers crossed that no one would go into my bedroom and look at my husband's side of the bed, where the spread covered only about half the side of the mattress. When we have company, we always have people put their coats on our bed (does anyone else do that?) But I hated that exposed side of the bed. It always felt like my slip was showing or something; know what I mean?

To cover the whole mattress, I needed a spread that was 112 inches wide, which I could not find. So what do you do when you can't buy what you need? You make your own! And I'll show you how I made my extra-deep, extra-long coverlet. It was so easy, I wondered what took me so long to think of it.

Well, actually, I know why it took me so long. It's because of my extremely elementary sewing skills. The truth is, I am a horrible seamstress. If someone asks, "Do you sew?" I answer "Not really." I can sew straight seams, and that's about it. But I'll tell you what I can do, and you can do it, too. I can PIN. So if I think of something that I'd like to sew, I design it in my head or draw it out on paper, then I cut out the fabric and pin, pin, pin. I have a very inexpensive sewing machine, and all I do with the machine is sew the straight seams of the things I've pinned together.

Now, back to the bed.

Our mattress is about 78 inches wide, and I wanted the drop on the sides to be about 17 inches on each side, which meant that I needed a coverlet 112 inches wide. I also wanted the bedspread to be about 112 inches long, because I wanted to be able to fold the spread over the pillows, like this:

I admire the look of beds that are made with sumptuous sheets folded back and pillows displayed beautifully, but that has never worked for me. I make my bed every morning, and I prefer to spend as little time as possible making it.

I found wonderful fabric at my local discount fabric store, Not Just Linens. Like all the fabrics there, it was $7.99/yard, and like many of the fabrics, it was 57-58" wide. I bought 8 yards for a total cost of $64. The pattern on the fabric repeats every 22 inches, so I bought enough to make sure I could match the panels of the spread. I could have made the spread with less fabric, but considering my sewing skills, I knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

As for the actual construction of the coverlet, I just cut one piece of fabric 114" long. I used this for the center panel of my bedspread.

Then I cut an identical second piece of fabric so that I had twin panels, each 114" long. I split the second panel right down the middle lengthwise, so that I had one full-width panel and two half-width panels. 

Next I pinned one half-width panel to one side of the (full-width) center panel and one half-width panel to the other. This was the slow part, because I wanted the pattern matched as closely as possible. After it was all pinned together, though, it was a cinch to sew. Two long straight seams later, I had a huge spread. I finished the project by ironing the two seams flat and then sewing a machine hem all the way around the perimeter.

And now I have a bedspread that fits my humongous bed with no sheets or blankets peeking out on the side. No more slip showing! For $64 and a bit of my time.  I made the pillows, too; click here for the how-to for those.

Update:  After I made this coverlet, bedskirt, and pillows, we got a different bed.  Our new bed doesn't require a bedskirt, but I think the coverlet and pillows look great with the new style, too!

**Linking to  DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land**