My tablescape this week is a pairing of honey golden tones and lavender shades. I made the tablecloth from 8 yards of acetate heavy taffeta which is lavender on one side and mauve on the opposite side created by the weaving method. I can also see this fabric used as side panels for drapery on a guest room window. I like the taffeta sheen for drapes that make them look like ballgowns. When planning a tablescape, I cruise the fashion side of the fabric store for washable fabrics until one just takes my eye. I cruise on the fashion side because drycleaning table linens made from decor fabrics is not my cup of tea. I also find I get many more hue choices by using fabrics intended for clothing. I then create a table around it and find china in my collection that work with it. I like the initial presentation of the tablecloth to puddle on the floor with a ballgown appearance. At $4 a yard, this taffeta produces a dramatic look for $32 plus tax. But for the dinner, I find that men particularly don't like dealing with the fabric near their knees. It is easy to fold the fabric and pin it up in swags. This also makes getting the dining chairs pulled in and out easier during the course of the meal and any extended converstation afterwards with people lingering around the table.
For the first presentation service plates, I am using an antique set of fish plates.
These French Limoges plates are hand painted and signed by Puvis. Each of the 12 plates has a different fish.
They also serve as appetizer plates at the beginning of the meal. I don't serve anything on them where a utensil would scratch the hand painting. For the most part, I feel I am the current caretaker of these antique pieces until they are moved on to another caretaker, as I purchased them from someone who cherished them before me for the past 100 years. I want them out to be enjoyed but protected from damage.
For the salad course, I am using rim soup plates which I often use to do double duty. These are Anna Weatherley made in Hungary in the Morning Glory collection.
After I made the tablecloth, I discovered that I had placemats in the exact shade of lavender. I wanted this scape to be simple and easy to put together. The centerpiece is five 10-stem bunches of Rumba spray roses from the grocery store in a clear Pottery Barn chunky glass vase called Bosphorus. This is an easy look for $25 worth of roses. I also had some lavender mercury glass votive holders from Target that I used. Nothing complicated here.
For the stemware, the only purple-toned glass I have are two stems, one is a wine glass I got at Marshall's a few years ago, and the other one is cone shaped Royal Scot from London called Society Amethyst sold in the US by Home, James! of East Hampton, NY. Even though they are too dark purple for this lighter lavender arrangement, I am using them anyway. I don't have amber colored crystal.
I am also using chargers in the color Honey by Anna Weatherley made in Hungary. Then I am mixing several different plates from my stash.
I don't know why it is in that collection since it doesn't have a Morning Glory on it. This golden flower looks good with the charger. Some butternut squash and Granny Smith apple pureed soup would be good or even a rich cream base clam chowder if you didn't want to serve salad. Of course, this rim soup can also be used for dessert. As I have mentioned before, I like to get three uses out of this one piece of china so I don't have to purchase so many pieces.
The golden napkins I have had for 25 years and they seem to work here. Sterling is Tiffany St. James which was only made for 14 years starting in 1898. I can't imagine why they stopped making it as I think it was one of their greatest patterns. The piece on the far left is a "spork" a combination of spoon and fork. These are very rare to find, so I was absolutely thrilled when I found them with some other pieces of this pattern. The bread and butter plates are Coalport Hazelton yellow. My sister gave me the crystal knife rests for Christmas last year. The tablecloth brings out the lavender in the Dragonfly and the flower stem and bud.
Next, the dinner plates.
These are Anna Weatherley in the Seascape Waterlily collection. The waterlily flower and bud is very faint lavenderish blue as well as part of the fly which I am trying to bring out with the tablecloth.
There is just a tiny touch of honey color on the plates.
Then, for dessert plates, I am using green majolica leaf and vine plates from Portugal.
In keeping with the purple theme, how about a slice of Boysenberry pie.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best to you,
Summer
Photos: Swede
