The Tiny Mediterranean Town Famous For Its Centuries-Old Embroidery Traditions

When I found this incredibly beautiful embroidered linen set, I had never seen anything quite like it and I knew right away it was something very special. The linen fabric itself was an amazing natural undyed beige color and very good quality, but it was the simple yet superbly intricate white hand embroidery that spoke to me ! The geometric designs and the density of the stitch work in graphic arrow-like zig zag patterns, not to mention the hem work on all of the napkins, made it appear both antique but also modern.

I thought maybe it was Italian reticello work or perhaps Greek.....I went through all of my embroidery books but no luck, I then took to pinterest and thats where I discovered the incredible story of Lefkara Lace Linens made in the tiny village of Lefkara, Cyprus. The ancient patterns of these designs date back to the fourteenth century and have been handed down from grandmother to mother to daughter for centuries. These beautiful linens are embroidered on sunny afternoons. Some are so incredibly intricate that they take months to make, and I learned a large tablecloth set like the one I had found was usually created as part of a dowry for a bride to be and could take up to 2 years to complete. And here it was apparently unused and waiting for a new life.

So I decided to make a Spring tablescape for a very special gathering of friends or family and chose some beautiful simple antique scallop edge English plates, some vintage Swedish etched glassware and placed simple narcissus and hyacinths in my collection of old crystal perfume bottles.

I hope it inspires you ! New life to beautiful objects and sustainable too, susanx .Visit us @ standennyc.com

Romantic Valentines Dinner At Home

This year I'm up for any excuse to set the mood and get creative, it may be only planning a table but if it makes Valentines a bit more fun why not, so I thought I would go for a full on classic romantic style valentines table setting , I hope it inspires you to create something of your own of course using vintage !

First I started with an antique white linen rose embroidered tablecloth just gorgeous, with some linen scallop edge napkins, then some burgundy and gold bordered vintage dinner plates and some vintage Japanese desert plates in burgundy gold and white.

The roses I mixed classic red with deep pink and burgundy tea roses which gave the look I wanted, in 2 vases plus a bud vase to give them a more casual eclectic look .

For the glassware some vintage Venetian cranberry and gold glass tumblers and crystal wine glasses, I got out some silverware........why not ? I've used it a lot this year . Then most importantly for the candlelight I mixed white tapers in Venetian glass candlesticks with votives in white porcelain pots.

Lastly I set aside an espresso set and some chocolates for dessert .

How to make a simple Tablescape with Vintage Linens

The addition of a beautiful set of vintage linen hand embroidered napkins and a couple of candles can transform your tablescape into something really special whether it's Sunday lunch with family, or a gathering of friends. For this tablescape I layered a gray linen tablecloth with some vintage ironstone plates then added these vintage lovely hand embroidered linen napkins.

It takes the same amount of time to layer vintage linens on your table as it does to place boring napkins and synthetic placemats , not to mention the sustainability of owning and using a vintage set. Here I layered vintage hand embroidered linen madeira placemats over some linen tea napkins used as coasters, then I added some vintage damask Irish linen napkins, I love the mixture of textures against the simple white porcelain plates.

Vintage napkins are the perfect way to start a vintage collection, they make a beautiful gift to treasure. They add so much to a table and are a lot easier to care for than imagined, they are built to last, or they wouldn't be vintage would they !

More on my tips for linen care to come soon, hand wash or delicate cycle, no harsh chemicals and air dry do not tumble dry are the basics to longevity.