Friday Fluff: Good China

We used to have a few pieces of Susie Watson pottery , mainly jugs ,that I used to keep on display more like ornaments and used other stuff for everyday crockery.

www.susiewatsondesigns.co.uk/pottery.html

After my Dad passed we were in a position to buy a lot more Susie Watson and use it everyday , for each meal and drink and cake stand and vase ...... and so on !
It makes a nice connection with family memories.

When I was in college, almost 50 years ago, I won a contest from Bride's magazine. The prize was 6 place settings of fine china, crystal and sterling. There were 10 patterns of each to choose from. I had selected Carlyle by Royal Doulton, Alana Crystal by Waterford, and Towle Sterling in the Mandarin Pattern. I did not receive any additional pieces when I married. I always wanted a complete (with all the accessories) set. My late husband had brought home from Germany a Rosenthal Variations coffee set (black and white) and beautiful green etched crystal. Definitely clashing patterns.

My china and crystal were destroyed in a fire in the mid-nineties. I decided to replace it with a pattern that would blend with the Rosenthal coffee set and German crystal, that had been stored and were not damaged and selected Preston by Wedgewood, with Fitz and Floyd Cloisonné Peony Black accent plates, and Chateau Gold Crystal from Oneida. Because of the difference in value, I was able to get 12 place settings with accessories of the china, and a full set of crystal. I used it every Sunday for dinner and brunch, and still love it and use it. I only keep 6 sets out in my china cabinet now, and rotate them every couple of months to 'balance the wear and tear'. I don't know what will happen to these items when I pass. My DD does not want 'my' china and crystal (she lives a city lifestyle with little room for fluff, and she is a potter, and made all her own dinnerware). She does want her dad's choices. One of my favorite pictures of her and her dad show them having a 'tea party' with the coffee set he brought home. As he passed when she was 4, I understand her connection with the set.

It is sad to see all these family heirlooms and traditions going by the wayside. I was raised on dishes that were accumulated from savings stamps, and bank christmas club deposits. Owning fine china (and using it) was always a goal.

I have a set of 12 place setting of Sweet Leilani by Noritake. I love the pattern, but I don't think it has been out of the china cabinet in over 7 years. I bought a set of 8 place settings before I had even met DH. It was on sale at Kaufman's department store for a ridiculously low price back in 1990 (I know it was well under $200 for 8 place settings a couple of serving pieces). I actually used it a lot before I was married. I liked to invite friends for dinner, and we always used the good china, even if we were eating take out LOL. I wasn't worried about handwashing; I didn't have a working dishwasher at the time, and since I lived alone, I washed all my dishes by hand. (The dishwasher was leaking and needed replaced, but I was waiting until I was ready for a kitchen reno because I was going to change out the cabinets and didn't know how everything would fit yet.) I ended up with 4 more place settings and ALL the serving pieces as wedding gifts. I really need to make a point of using this more often. I know my daughters will not want it someday, so I should make sure I get joy out of it, even if it means breaking a few pieces along the way.

I also bought a set of cheap Christmas dishes with the tree/toys in the center. I bought 8 place settings on clearance at the old Hills Department store one winter--plates, salad plates, cups/saucers, serving platter and two serving bowls--all for under $20. Obviously they were not "fine china" LOL. A couple of years later, my mom found matching dessert plates, soup bowls, drinking glasses, and more serving pieces on clearance, and she loaded me up for my birthday. We used the heck out of that set when my girls were younger! But again, I haven't used them hardly at all since moving back to WV in 2012. We used to have our own family Christmas dinners when we lived in VA, but now that we are close enough to drive to my mom's house for Christmas dinner, we haven't really celebrated in our own home.

We have a set of Corelle Winter White that we use for our every day dishes. I had a set of Longaberger that I used for 23 years before I got tired of it. I ended up giving that to my brother who "lost" a similar set in his divorce. He really liked the weight of the Longaberger pottery, and I was happy to pass it on to him. That stuff really held up well--the glazing still looked great after all those years of daily use. However, I had broken a few pieces on our tile kitchen floor, and I hated cleaning up the shattered pottery. This is not a problem with the Corelle.

I selected more than 1 but also wanted to select my own.

I have my grandma's China set but also have a 12pc setting of China that I chose myself. My grandmas and mine go well together.

I bought a complete set of china from a Mikasa outlet right after I graduated college so I didn't register for china for my first wedding. I registered with Replacements.com for a few additional place settings when I married the 2nd time. I wish I hadn't done that as I have more of it than I'll ever use. Planning to move a few of those plates over for every day.

In between, I purchased a set of very nice china from a friend of the family when they were moving back to the UK and didn't want to take it with them. It has a green ivy pattern on it so I use it at Christmas mostly.

Last weekend, DH and I cleaned out my mother's basement and the only thing I found that I wanted to keep was her wedding china. I suppose she must have forgotten all about it because the pattern could not be a more perfect match to my house - the key color I have always had. Plus it has a tiny bit of pink in it and I have a great deal of pink depression glass that it will go with. There were only dinner plates, cups and saucers plus the sugar and creamer. I want to purchase the bread and butter plates from Replacements.

Never had it, never wanted it. 

I do have a couple of cups and saucers, bone china from the UK, that belonged to my nanna. 

I registered for good china and stemware. I loved it then and still love it now! I have it in my china cabinet and use it for all of the holidays. Mikasa La Rose

I don't think many younger people grew up with their parents using their china so they don't appreciate a well set table. Which is fine, most e everything is casual nowadays. No one dresses for dinner (thank God!) we wear much more casual clothes and even speak informally.

My MIL gave us a set I liked when her mom (my grandmother-in-law?) when she died. We haven’t used it at all, although I wouldn’t be afraid to. It’s nice, but not too rare or anything. All white with some edging and beading.

If we had a bigger house where I could put this in some kind of cabinet or buffet sideboard, I would use it.