Now, that’s a good question, and as you may know, I participate almost every year in our state fair’s table setting competition. So I might have a few answers!
But let’s start out by saying, it’s just so much fun! I don’t always win, but I always meet interesting people, and learn so much!
This year, I won the fabulous prize of a red ribbon for second place in my class, which was Regency Holiday Dinner. Read on for the process, and all the exciting details!
Table setting competition divisions and classes
A while back, I wrote in another post about the divisions and classes in the Oregon State Fair. This year, the adult class choices were Route 66 Brunch, Regency Holiday Dinner, Fairytale Picnic, and Oregon Coast Lunch. Only the Holiday Dinner had to follow the American Standard Table Setting Rules. That’s the one I chose, of course!
I’m not sure which organization developed these rules, but they’re part of our fair handbook every year. They know that the tea/coffee cup isn’t really supposed to be set at the beginning, but they want it anyway.
Also, I emailed about the fact that it didn’t specify what to do about dessert dishes, and they confirmed that they’re to be left off.
I chose Christmas for my holiday, then set about researching the Regency era in England. This is the period of of the author Jane Austen, and the show Bridgerton. I’ve never actually seen the show, but I watched a lot of Bridgerton trailers on YouTube, and I am a huge Jane Austen fan. So there’s that.
Doing the research
My research included things like what kinds of food Regency hostesses served, did they use tassels, what kind of centerpieces were in style, etc. For instance, I learned that they didn’t often use flowers on their tables, but they made an art of fruit presentation. I used scenes from the movies Emma and Pride and Prejudice for a lot of my inspiration.
In the two pictures below, you can see I used several of the period elements:
- Silver candelabra
- Silver chargers
- Tall wine glasses with flared lips
- Greenery as a centerpiece
- Silver pedestal with fruit
- Soup bowls
- Large napkins
- Subtly patterned light colored tablecloth
- (I didn’t have room for all the serving dishes of food on the table, but that would have been fun.)
One line from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (one of my favorite books of all time,) helped me along:
There was now employment for the whole party–for though they could not all talk, they could all eat; and the beautiful pyramids of grapes, nectarines, and peaches soon collected them round the table.
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Besides my Emma inspiration photo above, I found some drawings from the era, and they did indeed, stack their fruit in graduated tiers.
I tried to make an actual pyramid with peaches and nectarines, but the peachy colors of the stone fruit didn’t look good with my Christmas theme. Plus I had a really hard time stacking the fruit! This slightly more relaxed arrangement worked just fine.
I ended up going with reds – apples, pears, and pomegranates. Plus the grapes,, because they draped so nicely over the edge of the platter. A little holly for the Christmas theme, and we’re all set!
Table setting competition preparation
My usual process of preparing for a table setting competition, is to set up my table and experiment with various combinations of everything until I’m happy with it! That usually takes a couple months. This year, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted right from the start.
I was aiming for the traditional green and red, and since I’d seen some beautiful green and gold china, I ordered my two place settings. The pattern is Fitzgerald by Noritake. Isn’t this gorgeous!?
I knew I wanted to use the two silver plated serving trays I got at Goodwill several years ago as chargers. (Which is how I most often use them.) Plus the candelabra. And originally, I thought I might have some smaller taper candles on the table as well. That ended up being too crowded, though.
For the table skirt, Joann had a great selection of fabrics, including a kind of marbled green which matched my plates exactly! Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough to make an entire table skirt, so I had to get creative again. We’ll have the skinny on that later.
In the meantime, here are a few photos so you can see the evolution of the table top.
Evolution of a tablescape
First, I jut put a white tablecloth down and set out my basic pieces to get a feel for it. As I said, I knew almost exactly what I wanted to do, so I didn’t have to mess around as much as usual.
Next, I decided on the tablecloth fabric, and finished laying out the china and crystal. I was still trying to choose which flatware I wanted. You can see the place setting on the left has my Wallace Rose Point silver. The one on the right, has Oneida Wordsworth, which has roses on it too!
Everything still needs to be polished, and also, the fruit still has tags on it! 🤣
I still thought I might use the single taper candle holders, and I hadn’t really figured out the holiday centerpiece. I did add the table skirt, but there was still something bugging me about the tablecloth, besides the edge not being finished yet. When it’s all square like that, the table can look a lot like a decorated box!
So I decided to turn it diagonally across the table, and that looked better to me. Also the little tassels gave it a little extra something. (Obviously, that weirdo seam in the binding would go in the back!)
Plus, I figured out the holly and evergreen centerpiece. I think it looks a lot more like my inspiration photos now.
And here’s the finished table including the napkins and the menu. You can see over on the far chair, one of the fabrics I tried for the tablecloth. It was actually kind of cool, but very busy, and not quite the right vibe. I bet you’ll be seeing it in another table soon, though!
The secondary theme
Here’re a couple closeups of some of the table elements that added to the theme.
We table setting competition entrants are given our theme, but it’s up to us to come up with something interesting around it. I chose to set this Christmas dinner at one of the locations that plays a part in the Jane Austen novel, Emma.
Enscombe is the name of the country estate of one of Emma’s ostensible suitors, although Mr. Churchill ends up marrying Jane Fairfax instead.
I carried that idea through to the place cards. I can imagine Jane and Frank having a lovely private Christmas dinner at their new home. (We’ll assume Mr. Churchill Sr has gone out to visit friends.)
And here’s a closeup of the flatware.
I decided to go with the stainless for a couple reasons. One, and most important, it looked better. And two, I was a little worried about theft, as the price of silver is pretty high right now. I did have to use the silver butter knives though, because those are the only ones I had. Luckily, the judges didn’t say anything about the whole set not matching!
Washing and packing
Whew! So after all that setting up, I took everything apart and washed every piece of china, flatware, and crystal till it sparkled.
And polished every bit of silver! And polished, and polished, and polished … Several pieces were really badly tarnished. But elbow grease and Wright’s Silver Cream won in the end, as they always do.
Then I packed.
Traveling to the table setting competition
Getting everything to the fairgrounds is its own kind of challenge. To keep the linens wrinkle-free, I wrapped the cloth around my trusty pool noodle and secured it with straight pins.
You can also see it leaning against the door frame at the right behind the table in the picture below.
Since I had made my table skirt out of fabric panels, I eventually hit on the idea of just laying them flat and clipping them onto the plywood table top. See it in the picture below, with the green fabric held on with chip clips?! 🙂
I set everything out by the door so I could do a little inventory before I packed up the car:
Table, plywood topper, table skirt, tablecloth, place settings, flatware, candles, fruit, measuring stick, tape, iron, extension cord, needle and thread, Windex, bottle of water – gotta keep hydrated – etc. etc. Check!
Then I put it all in the car, and drove on down to Salem – a lovely hour or so of listening to my favorite music and podcasts.
Then I took everything out again, found my spot, and got going!
Setting up the table
Here’s my empty spot, just waiting for my table!
Step one was to put up the table, and put the plywood board on. This keeps the setting flat, and also gives me several extra inches. We get 36×36″, and my table is only 34″.
So my clever table skirt plan involved cutting square panels, one for each side. Because there wasn’t enough fabric for each panel, I had to cut them short, then insert some smaller pieces at the corners. It kind of felt like creating a sewing pattern, the way I had to cut them out.
But they all went on easily with just scotch tape. I made a couple gathers on the top edge of each panel to give them some drape and not look as much like a wrapped box!
The tablecloth covered the taped part of the skirt, so it all worked out. (If you looked closely, you could see the fold at the corners, but I think it wasn’t too noticeable.)
Then the decorating
Then on to setting the actual table. The first thing I do is my thread trick, which is really helpful for lining everything up precisely. Put a pin at the middle of each edge and attach some thread. This will give you the middle of the table, and the midline for the place settings.
The thread pulls right out from under everything when you’re done.
Here I am, putting on the flatware. If I’d known there were going to be pictures, I’d have brushed my hair!
And here’s all the tableware set up. Only the candles, napkins, fruit plate, and menu to go.
Very intent on putting that platter in just the right spot! On a thread, of course.
Arranging the fruit was interesting. I got some pomegranates at the last minute, and those helped give the arrangement some extra height, which was good.
A few pieces of holly, and it was ready! I just crossed my fingers that nobody bumped into the table and spilled all that fruit! I bumped gently and it held, but I didn’t want to take chances.
Measuring is so important
Now to measure. Flatware has to be 1″ from the edge of the charger. I’ve had this special “measuring stick” for years. It’s exactly 1″ wide, so very convenient.
Because it’s so long, it’s really easy to line everything up. I just lay it along the edge of the table, and gently push the flatware down against it. The charger is usually already in place, but if not, it can be lined up too.
Al done, but oops – have to steam those wrinkles on the front of the tablecloth a bit!
There we go – REALLY all done. You can see the iron peeking out over the black front drape.
And see how my table skirt isn’t touching the floor? I got marked down for that one year.
Meeting People
But my favorite part is meeting my fellow tablescapers. There were quite a few of us during the time I was there, and we all got chatting, as we do.
The two ladies right next to me (the Mels!) were doing a Regency Thanksgiving table, which won the coveted People’s Choice award! They also won a third place ribbon from the judges. (The People’s Choice ribbon doesn’t show up until after the fair closes so it’s not on the table at this point. But it was big and yellow!)
We had so much fun admiring each other’s setups, wondering about the judging, and discussing tablescaping in general. Mel #1 (Melissa, standing) has won several table setting competitions previously, and Mel #2 (Melody, sitting) is going to be hosting our own Tessa Rose the Traveling Teacup very soon!
Melody runs a delicious-sounding business called Two Mums Takeaway Tea Boxes – is that too cool?! I wish I lived closer so I could get some each month!
Table setting competition media coverage
Plus, there was a reporter there from our major newspaper, the Portland Oregonian! Samantha was really nice, and talked to all of us about where we came from, how we got started in tablescaping, what were we actually doing, and etc. She took lots of photos, and video, it turns out.
She published an article and posted a video about the state fair table setting competition. That was pretty exciting – I’ve never been in the media before! (Oh wait – that’s not true. I was in a newspaper article about the Dickens Carolers once. I guess I gravitate to older eras!)
Click the picture below to watch the table setting competition video. (But don’t get sidetracked in YouTube – be sure to come back for the rest of the post!) 😊
Thank you Samantha! See more of her work at The Oregonian.
Judging – the thing that makes it a competition
As I’ve mentioned in another post, the judging is – ultimately – pretty subjective, and you never quite know what angle they’re going to take. For instance, because this was a historical category, were the judges going to want us to be super historically accurate? Would they mark us down if our menus listed something that wasn’t available at the time?
Part of my research was to find authentic Regency era dishes. I’m not sure I’d necessarily want to eat many of them, but I’d be all in for the flaming pudding!
(I was so thinking of the fruit as a decoration, that I almost forgot to put it on the menu!)
You can see on my score card that they didn’t like the way I listed the fish. We wouldn’t say “Soles” these days, but that’s actually the way it was listed in several period menus I found. However in this case, trying to be too historically accurate kind of backfired.
But judging is a difficult job, and word was that our judges were hard at it for over three hours on all of our tables.
Other Table Setting Competition Entries
And here for your table setting competition pleasure, are a few of the other entries, starting with this festive red one.
The subtheme for this table was a Regency Wedding.
Here’s the winner of the Oregon Beach class and division.
The winner of the Route 66 Brunch class.
And the winner of the Fairytale Picnic class and division.
And last but certainly not least, the winner of the Regency Holiday class and of the division! Too bad I didn’t get to talk to her – our minds obviously went the same way with the theme.
Goodbye table setting competition!
And so we bid a fond farewell to the table setting competition for another year. I already can’t wait to see what next year will be!
If you have any questions, etc, about the table setting competition, I’d love to hear from you in the Comments. Thanks so much for sharing this fun competition with me – you make it even MORE fun!
Pin the table setting competition post for later!
Shop the table setting competition post
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Oh my word, Barbara, I had no idea they even did competitions like this but it is so cool that they do! I LOVE your tablescape and how you put so much thought and research into your final choices. I know everyone says “the devil is in the details” but details are not easy. So, for me, “love is in the details” and it definitely shows in your beautiful tablescape. The presentation is really elegant and I can tell how much you enjoyed putting it all together. It’s next level fabulous! Big hugs and congratulations, CoCo
Hi – isn’t it such a fun thing to have at the fair?! 🙂 You’re so sweet – yes there’s a lot of love that goes into these. Thank you so much for all the encouragement CoCo, I’m so happy you stopped by! 💛
Hi Barbara, I thought I’d left you a comment here, but guess I somehow didn’t. I’m so amazed at your creativity and your amazing tablesettings. This sounds tons of fun to do competitions. So much inspiration in your tablescapes! Thanks so much for coming by and leaving such sweet comments. I can’t reply thru the blogger reply because you’re “no-reply”, but I so appreciate you taking the time to comment. Hope you’re having a wonderful early September!
Oh you’re so nice Debra – thank you! Hmmm I’ll look into my Blogger profile and see what’s up with that. I’d love to be able to hear from folks. I’m so glad you like the tablescapes, and the competitions. They really are fun! Thanks so much for stopping over – I love seeing you. Take care till next time! 😊
I had no idea that there were such competitions, but HUGE CONGRATS for your win! What fun all of this must have been, and , yes, I am sure that you did meet a lot of interesting people.
Thanks so much Pattie – it really is so fun! I had no idea either, but I’m sure glad I found it – it’s been a huge part of most of my summers ever since! 😁 You’ll get to meet one of the interesting people I met this year – she’ll be hosting our Traveling Teacup soon! ☕ Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you’re having a lovely week so far!
This was a great post! All the skinny on the behind-the-scenes action! I love that! I’m a little more than surprised that you didn’t take 1st in your chosen theme. Subjective, like you said. I’d have voted for you! Not that the other lady’s entry isn’t nice. I just like yours better and yours was much more elegant which serves the era. I would be excited to participate in a competition like this, although I’d have a terrible time doing anything on the required table size!😂😂😂 I like to put WAY too much stuff on a table, especially in the center! I always do a lot of research for my tablescapes and parties so that there’s at least some degree of authenticity attached, so that would be in my favor. The Missouri State Fair is about an hour away from our home. I should investigate as to whether or not they have a competition like this. Doubtful, but still…doesn’t hurt to ask!
Beautiful entry, and a fun, fun post! Thanks for taking us through the process! Have a great weekend!
Oh wouldn’t that be fun if we were both working on a competition entry?! I’d love to run ideas past you – what with your beautiful taste and all! I just quickly looked up the Missouri state fair and didn’t see any tablescape competition, but maybe your county fair has one. There are others around the internet too, off and on. Your tables are certainly First Place-Worthy! 💛 I know – 36×36 is pretty small, but at least that keeps me from buying FOUR placesettings instead of only two! 🤣 And don’t you love the research? I always find out so much interesting stuff. Anyway, I’m glad you liked the table and the post – it’s always so fun when you visit. Hope you have a lovely weekend too!
Unfortunately, we don’t have a county fair.😐 It would be fun, though! Take care, and thanks again for sharing your table and the behind-the-scenes look at what goes on!
💗!
Congratulations Barbara!! Your table is stunning. I love your attention to details and your attempt to showcase your work with accuracy. I think that the judges made a mistake. Nice job!
Thanks so much Edmee – I’m so glad you like it, whichever way the judges ruled! 😊 Hope your Friday is great so far, and that you have a lovely weekend!
Wow Barbara – this is absolutely gorgeous and congrats on the ribbon!! I love the dishes you chose – that green is just stunning and I had to go back and look at them several times. I can’t believe that they docked you because of the soles – guess they thought it was an error instead of being historically correct. But you did a fantastic job and its a first place in my eyes!
Too bad you’re not a judge, Kim! I like the way you think! 🤣 Thanks so much for the vote of confidence, my friend, and HAPPY FRIDAY!
I loved, loved this post. Congrats on your ribbon; your table was truly stunning. Well done. Thank you for sharing other tables too. It’s so much fun for all of us tables capers. I will look into if California has anything like this. On a tangent of period tables, do you watch the Gilded Age? It’s on break right now between season 1 & 2, but it’s set in NY in the late 1800s with the battle b/w the old $$ and nouveau riche and they touch on the how the proper table is set and the slight differences that can call out your status. I think you would enjoy it. Anyway, thanks so much for a super fun post. XO- MaryJo
Hi MaryJo! Thanks so much – that’s nice to hear from another tablescaper! 💛 Orange County CA has one of the most famous tablescape competitions, if you live near there. They were featured in the documentary “Set” that came out a while back. SO fun! Thanks for the Gilded Age recommendation – it sounds great! I don’t watch much TV so I usually miss anything good. I usually rely on my friends to tell me about stuff! 🤣 I’ll definitely have to watch for it and check it out – I love that kind of thing! Thanks for stopping by. I was just at your blog reading your post about silver. Really fascinating! Take care, and see you out there!
What an interesting competition. I love seeing all of the different categories too. Your table was amazing. What a transformation for a card table. Wish they had something like that here.
Hi Andrea! Wow – you’d think they’d have one in TX. BUt you can follow along with me! 🙂 So glad you liked the table, and thanks for stopping by. Hope you guys are cooling off a little down there. See you soon! 💛
How much fun Barbara! Congrats on your ribbon, your table is truly stunning!!
Thanks so much Jenna – it’s always so fun! 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous, my friend. Hugs to you.
Thanks so much Renae! Didn’t your silver pedestal fruit plate do a fabulous job?! Thanks so much for letting me borrow it. We’ll have to have lunch soon so I can return it. 🙂 Take care out there!
It was a fun surprise to see you in The Oregonian, and on the cover of the insert! That was a beautiful setting, and I can’t believe they dinged you for Soles.
Hi! I was so surprised about the article and the video! I don’t actually take the paper or look at news online, so I didn’t know until a couple friends sent me links. So glad you liked the table, and yes, there are always lots of gentle murmers of dissent in the tablescape camp over the judges’ scoring! 🤣 Hope you’re doing well over there – thanks so much for stopping over!
We went to the Fair with our pre-teen granddaughters on Labor Day Week-end, specifically so I could see your tablescape. It.was.awesome! The girls wondered how all that fruit stayed in place and imagined the excitement if it all came tumbling down and the fruit rolled all over the aisles. Thanks for sharing your experience and we look forward to next year.
Hi Holly! Oh that’s so sweet of you! Haha – I imagined the excitement of tumbling fruit too! So glad it didn’t actually happen! 🤣 It makes me so happy that you went and that you all liked the table! Thank you so much for sharing all this with me! 💛
This was such a great article and I really enjoyed reading it. I had no idea there were table setting competitions but I will be looking for them now. Thought your table was fabulous and enjoyed a peek at the others as well. I’ll now have to start researching different historical eras for ideas for table settings. I did know about the measuring for the position of the silverware but it’s still quite fun. Great job.
Thanks so much Lynne! I know – once you get started on researching stuff, it gives you so much inspiration for all kinds of tables – you’ll love it! 🙂 If you end up doing a competition at your fair or somewhere, let me know. I’d love to compare strategies! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by, and Happy Thursday!