Apart from the decor of the dining room, the table linen, the china, the glassware and the flatware set the dining mood as well. I have had an assortment of table cloths and placemats for as long as I can remember. I even had a Christmas set with appliqued poinsettias from The House of Ramie which, as far as I know, has closed shop years ago. Had. Many of my placemat sets have one or two or more pieces missing — the result of the countless times we have moved. I’ve started buying placemat sets again, it hasn’t been easy finding ones I really like, but here are some really good finds.
These beige placemats are permanently assigned to the breakfast counter. Hand-made from India, the materials appear to be fine fiber and dried grass. Both sides have tassels. Bought individually for P99.50 per piece at Shopwise. Not exactly cheap but they are made from all-natural materials, the quality is good and they are washable — just soak in soapy water, rinse and hang to dry.
The green version of the same placemates made in India. We use these both indoors and outdoors.
Currently on the dining table, these placemats are of dried grass woven with colored strings. Made in the Philippines, bought at Kultura Filipino at the Mall of Asia, they are priced at P25.75 per piece. They come in several colors and designs too.
Why so many sets of placemats? Because I prefer the placemats to be washed just as often as we eat. Soups and sauces sometimes drip on the placemats accidentally and wiping with a damp cloth doesn’t really get rid of the oil and smell. When my girls were very young, up to the time they were toddlers, we used plastic placemats which were more practical at the time. But now that there are no young children in the house anymore, I think we can afford better-looking and more environment-friendly table linen.
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