This tablecloth was one of the first pieces I bought when I discovered vintage linens.  I love the rich, deep red in this cloth.  It hasn’t faded at all and the white remains crisp and bright.  The simple color scheme makes this a cloth that looks lovely year round.

Printed with white fruit shaded by small brown hash marks and black outlines, I love its simplicity.  It features grapes, pears, peaches, cherries and apples.  Measuring 44 inches by 49 inches, it is  a perfect size for the center of my table.

As you can see, perfection is not my main objective where these linens are concerned.  I simply pull them out of my cupboard and spread them on the table without ironing.  There’s no point in having them if we don’t use them, and if I make using them a complicated process then I’ll never get them out.  So we enjoy them with a few wrinkles, and their beauty is undiminished by it.   Spreading a tablecloth on my table is like a breath of fresh air in my day, reminding me to pause and enjoy simple beauties.  Gracious living doesn’t have to be complicated.  Little things make all the difference.

What little thing can you do today, to offer gracious living to your family?

Hopeful Homemaker

This tablecloth is another with a center field made up of aqua flowers.  Peppered throughout the center and around the edges are little bundles of pink hydrangeas.

Printed on linen, this cloth has a nice weight.  It measures 51 by 66 inches.

Yellow ribbons wind around the outer edge of the center field, and also twist their way around the edges of the cloth.  My photos don’t do justice to the beauty of this cloth; the yellow is a lovely sunny yellow, and the entire piece is actually very colorful.

There is a small amount of fading in a few places, but it’s hard to notice unless you’re looking for it.  The cheerfulness of this quilt makes it fun to use.

I’m calling this one Aqua Dream because I happen to think the aqua designs on it are totally dreamy.  And there is a lot of aqua on this one!

If I could keep only one of my vintage tablecloths, I’m pretty sure this would be the one.  When I pull it out of the cabinet to use on my table I smile with delight.  It makes me happy, plain and simple.

I love the center design of just aqua and white, with a thin pink design between the inner field of flowers and the design around the edges.

And then there are the flowers.  The splash of brightly colored flowers that look like they’re painted in watercolors. Breathtaking.

It’s cotton, the perfect crisp-but-soft weight that all summer sheets should be.  To be honest, I’ve wished it was a sheet once or twice, because if it was, it would be on my bed.  All summer long.

This tablecloth has no tags or manufacturer’s markings on it.   It measures 55 by 75 inches, a fairly large cloth.  It has no stains or marks on it, and is in fabulous condition.

Like I said, it’s my favorite.

The cloth has a blue background, with two creamy white borders.  It measures 36 by 36 inches and is in perfect condition.

This tablecloth is the only one I own that came to me in its original box.

Prior to finding this treasure, I had only seen the Leacock crest which you can see on the bottom left, on the edge of the box.  I’d never seen the company logo which is printed on the top of the box, but I quite like it.  Established 1760.  How cool is that?  I had no idea it was a company that pre-dated the American Revolution.

The four napkins are still there, making this a complete set.

One of my all-time favorite tablecloths, I’m grateful to have this in my collection.

The pattern is called Chelsea Rose, and is a design of flowers and ribbons woven together to create an intricate garland around the cloth.

There are a couple of faded spots along a fold line, but they are difficult to see and don’t detract from the overall beauty of the piece.

This piece measures 52 by 52 inches, a size I quite like.  I also like the wide cream colored borders around the outer edge.  This is a lovely pattern, one I have not seen much.

Named “Somerset”, it features a farmhouse on each corner, partially hidden from view by the trees.

Printed on spun rayon/cotton cloth, it measures 32 by 37 inches.  It’s small size makes it a nice piece for the center of a table.  This five piece set has survived intact, with all four napkins in pristine condition.

As always, I love the beautiful blue in this cloth.

I love the grays in this tablecloth.  So subtle and elegant, they’re proof that everything comes back in style again.  The light gray print of a frilly border on this pattern is particularly beautiful.

This 1946 tablecloth, printed by Leacock Prints, is another cloth from the Kate Greenaway collection.  I purchased it new, with tag still attached, but have since removed the tag in order to launder it.  I can’t stand pet hair.  Like the Cornwall piece, this tablecloth is also missing its napkins.  I wonder if the ladies who purchased these in the 40′s had a hard time actually using these commemorative tablecloths.  Most of my tablecloths with tags attached are Kate Greenaway cloths.

This lovely cloth features a simple border of roses and lily of the valley in a scalloped garland around the edges, with a repeat in the center detail.  The leaves are printed in a soft olive green that complement the flowers and the gray beautifully.

The lily of the valley on this piece was what initially caught my eye.  So pretty.

I love the understated elegance of this tablecloth.

Hopeful Homemaker

Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) is one of my favorite childrens book illustrators.   Her depictions of nature and childhood have endured through many years.  In 1946, Leaspun Prints (Leacock) produced a series of tablecloths featuring her work to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her birth.  They are beautiful tributes to a brilliant artist.  Over the years I’ve collected a few of the prints from this collection.

This cloth is the Cornwall Patter from the Greenaway series by Leacock.

It features lovely floral wreaths and a dancing blue ribbon weaving around the double bordered cloth.

I purchased this cloth in mint condition with the tag still attached.  As indicated on the tag, it is printed on a cotton/rayon blend and is approximately 52 inches square.  I only have the tablecloth; the set of 6 napkins were no longer with it.  I find the tag itself very charming, as it is it’s own little tribute to Kate Greenaway.

I must add that my favorite of all Greenaway’s illustrations are her paintings of children.

There was at least one tablecloth printed that featured children.  It is the only picture I’ve ever seen of a cloth like it.  It has been sold for years, but gratefully the pictures are still available in this archive.  Check it out!

On a solid white background, this cloth features four large flower bouquets in the corners and smaller bouquets at the center of each side.  A ribbon, decorated with coordinating flowers, dances around the entire cloth, pulling it all together.

Measuring 47 by 53 inches, this cloth has no tag or markings of any kind.  It has a few faint stains, none of which detract from the beauty of the piece.  I love the rich green leaves and the happy flowers.

Printed on a bright spring green background, it features huge flowers.

Two corners are huge daisies, two have large poppies.  The largest flowers are approximately 9 inches across.

The tablecloth measures 52 by 64 inches and has some stains.  I don’t know the maker.  It’s so bright and cheerful that it never fails to put a smile on my face.  What makes it even better is the fact that I have two of them!

A perfect match.  They weren’t purchased as a pair; I just happened upon two of them in quick succession.

Shortly after purchasing the two green cloths, imagine my delight to stumble upon the same pattern with a blue background!  (If you learn anything about me on this blog, you’ll know that I have a weakness for the color blue.)

Honestly, the blue is my favorite of the three.  Vibrant and pretty, with just a couple of faint stains, I really love this tablecloth.  While the pattern is exactly the same, the blue background makes the daisies seem much more white.  Against the green the yellow detail in them stands out more.

While I use them in my kitchen often, I picture all three used together on closely grouped tables for a backyard luncheon.  Someday soon, I hope.

Until then, they brighten my kitchen and put a smile on my face.

Hopeful Homemaker