Red and White Valentine Table

A few weeks ago I brought Duchess home...  The beautiful Paden City Pottery vintage china I'd had at my mom's for way too long, and I did a post with "her"  (HERE), but my ♥ still wanted to do another one~~

a RED and WHITE one.

Do you start a tablescape knowing exactly what it's going to be?

I don't...I have a general idea,

then inspiration from things around me, other posts, magazines

AND

THE BOUNTY IN MY COLLECTIONS

just guide me along.

The original idea for this post was the color scheme, and it was going to be 

a casual 'scape--red and white, using my red Crate and Barrel placemats and white dishes...

But SERENDIPITY stepped in...

and took me to the large, deep drawers full of vintage linens.

The topper that spoke to me was this:

Exquisite, yes?
Do you know what this stitching is called?  The outline of the design is embroidered on the right side
of the fabric, and the "filler" is embroidered on the back of the fabric,
so only the color, not the stitching, is visible.
It's simply a work of art.

My mother used this same technique on a pillow and bassinet sheet she made for my first baby
 "quite a few" :) years ago.  In Spanish she calls it "shadow" stitch,
which seems quite appropriate.

The topper reminds me of vintage hankies--squares pieced together
with lace insets.
And the lace is BEAUTIFUL too.

While we're still on the subject of the topper, here's a close-up of the center work.
I had to use a pedestal centerpiece, don't you agree? to not cover such
beautiful work.
And as much as I love this piece, I don't remember the occasion when I bought it.
I wish I did, but I seldom pass up beautiful vintage linens.

Oh...forgive me...I got carried away with the cloth, embroidery, vintage, lace, etc.....  

This post is about THE TABLESCAPE, so here it is:

By candlelight
I used a crystal cake plate that my MIL gave me years ago so the embroidery wouldn't be covered,
and miniature roses to continue the delicate scene.
Splashes of red in the heart-shaped crystal vase and hearts,
plus hydrangeas, bridal tulle, and sterling candle sticks.

The "heart" napkin idea was another inspiration.  I've searched everywhere for heart-shaped dishes,
but have only found plastic ones, so to substitute, I placed a  ♥ -shaped napkin* under my  vintage
Heritage plates, and I was satisfied--for this year, that is.
I will continue my search for small, red heart-shaped bowls.

I used the red Crate and Barrel placemats as planned, for contrast with the table.

* I found several tutorials online for the heart-shaped napkin, but I still had to tweak it enough that I don't think
I can point you to any of them.  At some point I'll do a tutorial on what I found to have worked best.
(You might notice that mine's a little "poofy," which is what I wanted.)

We bought this Amish high chair when Sweet Baby Love was born.
Now it's used by Beautiful Boy, so we keep it in the dining room.

So, tell me what you think.  Do you like the lace and tulle and crystal and silver?

Here's the rundown of the components:

Stems:  Water - Sutton Place, Godinger; Sherbet - vintage, gift from my mother

Flatware:  Oneida, King George

Dishes:  Crystal - Heritage by Federal, gift from my mother; Dinner - American Pelier, Bianca Leaf; Charger - Unnamed, manufacturer: Cerages.  Dinner & charger from Home Goods, just recently.

Red Crystal vase:  TJ Maxx a few weeks ago

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

 Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Mop It Up Mondays at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/

Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

Before and After Monday (1st Monday of the mo.) at http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ 

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

Centerpiece Wednesdays at http://www.thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Winter Blues Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Voila! French Inspiration on Thursdays at http://frenchcupboard.blogspot.com/

Gina at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/ for the Valentine Party

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Friday at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Feature Yourself Friday at http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/

Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Weekend Wrap-up Party at http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Sunday Showcase Party at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Wishing you love on Valentine's Day and always,

from my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni