The Arranger’s Guild February meeting was held on February 18, 2020. The theme was creating a table or tray design.
Our instructor was our very own Director, Linda Hensler, along with Kathleen Terlizzo and our President Sue Bara who provided some examples of each design.
Linda explained the difference between the two categories: functional table design and Exhibition design.
Functional table consists of a card table size with a skirted table cloth to the floor and you can either put a table cloth on top or place mats. However, when setting the table no flatware is used. You can set up the table for two, but it is better if you set it side by side seating so the height of your flower arrangement is not restricted and it is placed over to the side.
Exhibition design consists of having a dish standing up for display with a napkin in a cup or a glass.
Kathleen started us off by demonstrating on how to design a table setting for two. She used a black skirt with blue table cloth, blue cobblers with a yellow and blue print plates and yellow bowls. For napkin she used white with a blue embroidered flower print. She used a tall flower arrangement using 2 blue hydrangeas with Xanadu greens.
Sue demonstrated a table and a tray design. You have to name your design. Sue named her table arrangement as “Spring Time”. Sue used a solid pink table cloth with two fancy tea cups, multi-pastel napkin and a teapot with pink daisies. For her tray design she used a clear tray with a black placemat, white plate with red napkin on the side, wine glass and a marbled vase with red carnations. When you use a tray you do not put the napkin on the plate or in a glass as a tray should show ready to eat.
Now it was time for the class to make their designs. There was no shortage of imagination as you can see by the pictures. You had Victorian, oriental, palm trees, coastal, and two unique one of its kind using red, white and black settings one using red carnations and the other red roses and white carnations!
Margaret Chodosh who sometimes judges with Penny Decker attended our class and she critiqued our creations along with the class input to look for Elements of Design consisting of light, lines, form, color, pattern, texture, size and space, as well as Principles of Design which would have balance, harmony, expression, and proportion to name a few.
It was also Linda Hensler’s birthday surprise and she was celebrated with a cake and some gifts!
Article by: Nancy Iandoli
Photos by: Nancy Iandoli