Even though we are near the end of summer and to be honest we haven't had much of one, there is still the August bank holiday to look forward to. If we are blessed with a bit of sun over the few days off from work, it might be nice to have a family BBQ or a garden party to celebrate. An ideal fabric to decorate your garden or outside area with for this would be Gingham. Here at Calico Laine we have a large range of gingham in different check sizes and colours so there is bound to be something that will suit your decor or style. Our most popular gingham is our polycotton Gingham. Made from 35%cotton and 65% polyester it is a perfect fabric for making quick and easy tablecloths for garden furniture or trestle tables. It can be cut and hemmed easily as well as washing well at 40 degrees. This means that you will not need to worry too much about spillage from drinks or stains from food as it should all come out in the wash. This polycotton gingham comes in a width of 115cm (45") and two check sizes. The most popular of the two is our 1/4 gingham which is a medium sized check and would make great tablecloths. The other size is our 1/8 gingham which is a very small check and is most suitable for girl's summer dresses. My personal favourite from our range is the Daisy Print Gingham which is a cotton rich gingham, 60% cotton and 40% polyester. This gingham has a print across it of white daisies and would look great in the garden, especially my favourite, the Apple Green Daisy Gingham. It is also slightly thicker than our polycotton gingham which means that it would be more suitable for seat covers for occasional use, tablecloths and even kitchen curtains. You could also use a mix of this printed gingham with our plain Cotton Rich Ginghams to co- ordinate as all of the colours come in both a plain and printed version. At £4.99 per metre these are an excellent quality gingham at a reasonable price. Great value for money. If you have any pictures of you using gingham during the summer feel free to post a picture on our Facebook wall. Alternatively you can leave a comment below on your ideas of how to use this fabric. Until next time, Laura Calico Laine