Lavender Genteel ~ A Romantic Transferware Tablescape

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Although Clarice Cliff, aka Sunshine Girl, is most commonly known for her 'Bizarre' wares of the 1930's, which were direct contrasts to traditional styles of the times, she did lend her name to some beautiful transferware patterns.   Charlotte is one of those patterns she is less known for, but  remains a highly collectible one produced under Royal Staffordshire ceramics.  The Charlotte pattern depicts a Victorian basket filled with an abundance of fresh flowers.  I set my table for two with Charlotte, in lavender.

Lavender, the color, has been a long time favorite of genteel ladies symbolizing femininity, grace and elegance.

You know I just have to begin with some layering...so I started off with a lavender pin striped sheet by Ralph Lauren in the Brittany pattern that I overlay-ed with a sheer window panel with a purple satiny scroll.  (I used these same panels here in my Master Bath redo to frame my mirror and provide a little privacy to our closet entry).  

I added the rectangular needle-worked placemat at an angle on the table to add a little more texture and really play up all the other pieces. 

These stunning stemmed glasses are etched and of the palest shade of lavender.  They came from Aunties Elegant Collectibles, an Ebay shop specializing in hard to find home and garden items.  These gorgeous glasses are vintage...but....

Wendy, the shop owner of Auntie's Elegant Collectibles also had these swirled design rocks glasses from Anthropologie...which are really hard to find now.   I love these glasses and they brought some contemporary flair to the table. 

I got a set of four glasses from Auntie's Elegant Collectibles and obviously for this table needed only two so I set one atop a lavender transferware saucer atop a small glass compote, put a votive candle inside and topped with a beaded bottle cover.  The glass made the perfectly sized centerpiece for this two person table and the lighting was absolutely beautiful creating a shimmering ambiance through the swirled lavender glass and beads.  

I used two of the hand shaped dishes, like you see in my header, as bread plates.  These hand shaped dishes are some of my very, very favorite transferware items.  I have three or four in my collection and one of the lavender ones for sale HERE.  These are really hard to come by and if you read my article about the transfer process you'll understand the precision involved in the pattern placement on such an intricate piece. 

Towards the back of the table I added a small transfer ware bud vase, also in the Charlotte pattern.  I filled a vintage decanter with some lavender silk stems and tied it loosely with a vintage lace place-mat...like the way restaurants wrap a bottle of wine with a dinner napkin.  I draped some glass beaded garland around the neck and finished with a lavender bee barrette. 

In addition to layering various fabrics at my tables I have a perpetual like of doubling up the napkins for the same effect.  I used new napkins...I used vintage napkins...and somewhere in between napkin rings.

 I like this branch motif' flatware.  

How dreamy, how soothing, is the lavender colorway~

"And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom
shall be, ere-while, in arid bundles bound
to lurk amidst the labors of her loom,
and crown her kerchiefs with mickle rare perfume."

William Shenstone The School Mistress 1742

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