Cherry Thieves is a vintage Johnson Brothers china pattern from the late 1960s. It features birds and cherries, on stylized tree branches. A reader, Priya, wrote to me about this pattern, and I’ve been looking into it ever since.(Update: found!) Until I found this pattern, the closest I got was a similar Johnson Brothers pattern […]
Someone asked me about a replacement pattern for Federalist china, produced by Sears in the late 1960s and 1970s. This traditional white dinnerware remains sought-after by its tenacious fans, all these years later. Specifically, the plain white Federalist, though this china was also produced in a few solid colors. I’ve been looking in all my […]
White china soup bowls are versatile to use when serving chili, casseroles and other foods, too. Many cooks and chefs like white because they show off the food to good advantage. And as they say, we eat with our eyes. In the September 2011 issue of Everyday Food, I saw a recipe for Pasta and […]
Lovers of Fiesta china color were getting their fix at the Homer Laughlin tent sale this past weekend. The company holds an annual tent sale at the factory in Newell, West Virginia. Fiesta collectors come from far and near to get pieces in their chosen colors. Table setting with Fiesta offers thousands of possibilities with […]
Colorful Halloween dessert plates by Sakura are one example of the cutest Halloween dinnerware. Designed by Debbie Mumm, they have special, spooky charm. The Haunted House pattern dates from around 2000, before purple and lime green had gained so much popularity as colors for Halloween decorating. My favorite Poultrygeist mug was made more recently, and […]
In one of the prior economic downturns, in the mid-1970s, bold colorful dinnerware was also in fashion. A friend gave me some old home decorating magazines from the 1960s and 1970s, days I remember well. It was fascinating going through them, looking at the designer rooms, tableware displays, and the advertising from those decades. I […]
Vintage and new dinnerware sets show the long-term appeal of apple china patterns! Some patterns go with red, as you’d expect. Others focus on green apples. And there are versions that have both red and green pieces to mix and match in your table setting. One example, the Apple Pie pattern by Franciscan (see thumbnail […]
You don’t have to be using a country theme table setting to enjoy quilt motif dinnerware. But you could! A table setting based on a quilt theme can reach into classic and traditional themes based on Early American styles. Or it can harmonize with modern designs, in sleek shapes and stylish colors. It can be […]
I couldn’t stop playing with the dishes, so I came up with some more Missoni table setting ideas. Missoni for Target dinnerware provides lots and lots of table setting inspiration. I used a salad plate in the Passione pattern, purple family colors, big chunks of raspberry and white in between the center color bands. Continuing […]
You had to have it. Making a Missoni dinnerware table setting, how bold it that! This dinnerware is meant to make a statement. This dinnerware was designed exclusively for Target and was an immediate hit when it was launched on September 13. So popular, that it could be hard to get enough of any one […]
We get lots of gloomy days in Michigan. One way to brighten them, mix and match dinnerware pieces from the cupboards. Playing with dishes is always fun… I started with the smaller plate, Marion by Meyer. This is vintage restaurant ware. In weight it’s close to stoneware. This service-ready china is very practical, and this […]
Finding special vintage dishes is fun! See what I brought home with me in recent weeks, including some extra special items.
My dishie antennae perk up when I see pieces of Mikasa’s Mediterrania line in my shopping travels. The patterns are so retro. Many of them show the best of modern style from the 1970s. The shapes are simple and sleek. The colors and motifs just work for me. I think Blue Bird is probably my […]