oftly shaded colors of these delightful fabrics seem to dance in the dappled sunlight made by the plane trees of the Place des Lices.

The patterns are quintessential provençal themes -- olives, sunflowers, mimosa, oleander, lavender, geraniums, bleuets, parasol pine -- that seem to have universal appeal and fit into any environment around the world.

The designs are intricate and the colors are delicately shaded, reflecting the good quality of these fine cotton fabrics.

These fabrics wash surprisingly well. Of course, after many washings, their vibrant colors will gradually fade into an muted hue which, hopefully, will represent years of happy memories that they have reflected on your table at home.

You can buy ready-made table cloths in a variety of sizes and shapes (rounds, squares or rectangles) for about FF 150 - FF 190 ($30 - $40) or you can buy most of the same fabric designs by the meter to have made up at home. Fabrics sold from the bolt are about 1.5 meters wide and sell for an average of FF 50 - 60 (US$ 10 - 12) per meter. At these prices, don't think twice about bringing home armloads of these delicate provençal designs to enjoy year round. The only difficulty you'll have will be in selecting only a few from among dozens and dozens of tempting designs!