What do you do when you see very traditional orange- yellow and blue Gujarati embroidered fabric ? You see India and think India and you want to make everything around it look like India !   A slightly kitschy India–

Taking from a tablescape I had created earlier (see it here)- I thought I would use the same fabric and utensils again to make an all Indian table. Then,  in our garden, there were the rhododendrons in their final stages of flowering and the azaleas almost gone. So far I had not had the chance to put them on my table.  Which is just as well, because it is only when I know they won’t last much longer that I feel less guilty about cutting them. Now was my guilt-free time ! Here they are in a bed beside the patio-the azaleas almost gone- and it has been raining–

I didn’t realize how pretty rhododendrons looked at close quarters-

 I decided to use two silver candle stands as flower vases. Here is one of them-you can see where I will put in water-

 I cut the rhododendron stalks really short and put a few azaleas around. Periwinkle stalks tend to curve gracefully. So I cut a few- some were with a flower or two, held them all together with elastic bands and put them into the cavity where the candle would have been-

 Then I brought out some copper utensils and bowls . I arranged them, turned over-as we do in India after they are scrubbed and washed.

The azaleas were falling off from their stalks onto the table–I told you they were almost gone– so I let them- and scattered a few more for good measure -and some leaves as well.

The hot pink of the azaleas I chose consciously-as I wanted that slightly kitschy look !

 Then on either side I placed larger bowls and kadhais (kadhai is an Indian cooking utensil-Indians can’t do without them !)-one facing up, the other down, lined them with large leaves -Indian style and put in some flowers in the centre– pale pink rhododendrons in one and blue periwinkles in another. Things don’t have to be symmetrical ..

 I used green, blue and yellow napkins-in no particular order- I just wanted the colours to contrast with that of the fabric on the table. The napkins are from Fabindia. They have them in innumerable colours. They do tend to fade after a few washes as all coloured cottons do–but still look good. I have just discovered that they have an online shop as well and prices are cheap compared to anything similar in Europe–fabulous! (click here to see some of their beautiful products)

 And just because I wanted to use these beautiful mugs from ‘The Shop’- I made tomato rasam to serve !  The shop in Delhi called ‘The Shop’ has some fabulous things-I am in love with their prints-and they sell their fabric products online-see here. Once or twice a year they have sales (including their seconds which are also very good)- and always aiming to buy things cheap-I have bought quite a few things, including these mugs, during that time.

 The kulhar-style glasses are Khurja pottery- the footpaths of Sarojini Nagar Market in Delhi  are full of it.

Here you have a full view of the slightly kitschy India– the vibrant colours of the fabric with a bit of bling, the silver, the copper and the hot pink of some of the flowers-

 The curving Periwinkle stalks and a fallen azalea-

 A rhododendron flower lying on the table-in the background-the green garden— a bit of the outdoors– indoors-

 So that was my India on my table ! Yeh hai mera India !

Thank you so much for coming by– and because I won’t see you until next week– hope you have a wonderful week /week end ahead !   Find time to do what you always wanted to do and let people who matter to you know that you love them !

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Linking this article to:

Between Naps on the Porch  ,No Minimalist Here ,The Dedicated House                                               Take a look for many other fabulous tablescapes.