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[msclassylady717]

My mom did the same with covering the tablecloth with plastic.  For the holidays or special occasions; when having friends & famiy gatherings for dinners, our over table opened up to 144 inches .. some of the tablecloths were not cheap.  Some of ours were acquired while traveling.  For the real expensive ones she used the plastic toppers; other inexpensive ones she/we ddn't bother with the pastic toppers.

If people would complain about your table, I wouldn't invite them over ... lol

[bluetail fly]

I think you should enjoy it any way you want.

I 'm a tablecloth fanatic and would never cover any of them with plastic or glass, but that's just me.

[proudlyfromNJ]

I love vintage tablecloths and yes I think the plastic is fine. It looks like a pretty thin piece. Some of those old cloths are fragile, nothing like the ones today to throw in the washer. 

[Mindy D]

Sometimes one must opt for practicality and this is one of those times. 

[alicedee]

Love your tablecloth!   Also think it's fine to use the plastic  cover.  If it were mine, I would probably treat it as a decoration....remove it during meals, and enjoy it as decor the rest of the time.

Vintage linens are expensive and collectible....nothing wrong in protecting your investment.

[Drythe]

@house_cat 

A few years ago I was on a vintage tablecloth tear, EBay and I are good friends!  Yours is very pretty, of course you don’t want it damaged!

That said, in the spirit of honesty, personally I just do not like plastic coverings.  My solution may not appeal to you, that’s OK too isn’t it?

I bought the tablecloths because I like their LOOKs, so I leave different ones on, except when we are eating.  When the table is set, The cloth is replaced with nice, washable, placemats. After clearing the table, the cloth goes back on.  

This might not work for you, or be too much trouble, it works for us.  In the end, You should do what makes you happy!

[Chicagosuburbangirl]

No, it looks fine and is a smart idea.

It's been around since the 50's and you want it to stay nice.

Love the appreciation of vintage items and putting them to use.

[house_cat]

@Drythe 

Thank you for sharing. That table is the hub of my small townhome.  The downstairs includes the kitchen, which is too small for a table, dining "room", living room and powder room.  Everything happens at that table... breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, lesson planning, grading papers, rolling pie dough, paying bills... you name it and it happens there.  Add to that the fact that my son has different hours than we do and he often eats meals in between our meals.  If I had a stop-action video of that room, you'd laugh at the amount of activity.  The table top is rustic, sturdy wood and it's almost always "naked" unless we have guests. If I want to keep a cloth on it throughout the season, there is no other option than to cover it.

[CLHS68]

I find it tacky. Even if it was what my mother would do. These are different times. Use placemats while eating to protect it. Just how messy are you?

[Wiscfan3]

The tablecloth is beautiful and the plastic looks fine. It is actually a very good idea. With people eating there for the past 2 weeks the tablecloth surely would have gotten dirty and you would have been taking time away from your guests to wash it, put it back on, etc. I would just forget about what they said. Those reminders of the past and how things were at Grandma's house can be positive and bring back good memories.