Summer-time Table Linens for all Occasions
by Beatrice Barber
St. Supéry Entertaining Maven

From a picnic lunch to a first class three-course meal or a casual BBQ, here are some ideas to help you choose your table linens:

• I like to use a table cloth and cloth napkins for all meals. Paper is an easy option, but is more susceptible to wind, rips easily, disintegrates when wet, is more wasteful and in my opinion does not look or feel as nice as cloth.
• For BBQ lunches I always use the blue checkers, it is casual, traditional and fun. I use pewter tablecloth weights, you can find all kinds of fun ones with themes, such as grapes, wine tools, butterflies, etc.
• For picnic lunches I like to use a plain white table cloth, glass stemware and a bright bouquet of flowers. The whole look just sparkles!
• For the fancier lunch, I use a high quality table cloth with a sateen finish, with matching napkins (see photo). This looks great indoors or outdoors, and a bit dressier.

I have tried a lot of different fabrics and cotton is the winner for me for many reasons:

1. It is much easier to handle as is not slipper for napkin folding
2. If your cotton table cloth is wrinkled, just spray it with a fine water spray. (This does not work with polyester.)
3. Wine spills are easy to combat with immediate treatment from a “wine away spray” and simple laundering.
4. You can launder cotton yourself, while other fabrics might require professional cleaning.

Want to use your nice table cloth with small children? Why not, just place a fun placemat where the child is eating. Bon appetit!