Do you like tablecloths? While I think there are beautiful tablecloths and beautiful tables set with tablecloths, it seems I’m a table runner sort of girl!
And it only took, oh, about fifteen years to realize it.
Here’s the story!
Once upon a time………….
I was going through my table runner drawer, when it struck me that I unknowingly have a table runner collection! This bit of information made me smile because I do like table runners. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a few and I have a little collection that I love.
It occurred to me at the same time that I have never really loved tablecloths. I only have two that I can think of right off.
Here’s a couple of reasons I’ve never loved tablecloths and they’ve never worked well for me.
I sorta think they’re a pain. It always seemed hard to find the right size. If the size was right, then invariably, I didn’t like the color or fabric. {picky, picky} It seemed like they were expensive. {I haven’t shopped for a tablecloth for years.} Making a tablecloth wasn’t, and isn’t, my cup of tea. {I’d rather make tea, use a table runner and have a tea party.}
I detest shaking a tablecloth. And I’m sloppy, so my tablecloths always needed washed quickly.
I have one tablecloth that I really like. It isn’t even a real tablecloth. It is a piece of material that I bought soon after we were married. I was having a party of some kind and I wanted a tablecloth. The table we were using, right then, really looked better covered. I found a white material at Alco and it worked and I’ve had it for a long, long time and still like it. I brought it home and used it. Didn’t hem it or do anything to it. That’s my kind of style.
{Hop over to this post and scroll halfway through the pictures for a peek at the tablecloth.}
Later, we got a different table in our small dining room at our old house. It had one board that matched it and three boards that went with it, but didn’t match exactly. It looked much better than the table that we had been using. I started using table runners on it and didn’t look back! It didn’t bother me that the table wasn’t “perfect”. I liked the look of a table runner on it and liked the runners so much better than a tablecloth! 🙂 I did still use my one favorite piece-of-material tablecloth some.
Right now, I often have a table runner on my coffee table in our living room. I also use them across the foot of a bed, just to add to the texture and decor of a room.
So, that’s my tale of tablecloths and discoveries.
And as for me and my house we will use table runners.
{Mostly!} {Heehee!}
Do you use tablecloths or table runners or neither one?!
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I love your collection of table runners! Isn’t it fun how collections sort of just creep up on you?
I don’t use either one right now. but I used to. When we used mOm and Dad’s old table that was oak but had maple boards I always covered all or some of it. I started out using tablecloths that covered it all. But since the ends were rounded and sometimes I wanted to stretch the table really long that meant I had to make the tablecloth. And though I am ‘one who sews’ and I sew a lot of things somehow tablecloths is NOT on my favorite list. I did the ‘throw a piece of fabric on it’ trick but if I wanted to cover the whole table I at least had to cut the ends rounded to match the table. So I switched to just covering the boards with cloths and leaving the old oak ends exposed. I liked that a lot. And I would use a mixture of vintage tablecloths to make it fit.
Now that I have Mom and Dad’s old harvest table i rarely use anything on it. But lately i’ve been thinking that if I don’t get the thing repainted I’m going to have to start using tablecloths again cause all the crafting, designing, creating, painting and schoolwork/artwork that’s been done on it is starting to really show. And as much as I like things that aren’t perfect this one is getting to a point of not being very appealing. And my husband is tired of all the chaos on it 😉
Jill Flory recently posted…White Ruffled Curtains
I remember the tablecloths in the middle with the oak on the ends. That was pretty and it’s fun to do something a bit unique!
You will have fun re-doing your table when you find the time! And, yes, it is fun to discover collections or things that make my home “home”!