New crockery.

[KatyCooks]

I inherited no crockery and no nice cutlery from anyone unfortunately. But I did rescue a serving spoon that my mum always used before my brother threw it out. I suspect it may have been electroplated silver at some point in its life as it has some kind of hallmark on it, but certainly not now! I use it all the time - it's like having my mum at the meal.

 

[Jusa]

Funny you should say that, I’m a one for writing instructions on things, the last dishwasher cartridge says LAST ONE. TELL ME BEFORE USING! the washing machine detergent has the same thing written on it and on Tuesday after enduring another no loo roll disaster it too joined their ranks and the last roll at the bottom of the bag now says

View attachment 77198

Thing is I can’t keep track of it because the boys come home and silently shop for free on my reserves of toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and any other toiletries they’ve run out of!

Oh, my, I can relate more than you realize. I knew you were my sister from another mister! My kids have said a few times one thing they don't miss is my notes...LOL! But ironically, my son (who had a brain tumor when he was a teenager and now has memory issues) actually leaves post-it notes for himself around his house so he doesn't forget to turn off lights, lock the door behind himself, etc.

 

[Kathleen]

@KatyCooks I understand the feeling of having your mother at the meal. I was fortunate as no one wanted the old plates and such. Like I said, my every day stuff came from the grocery store. "Buy $10 of groceries and get a piece for free. Extra pieces for sale at 5-10 cents a piece." My mother would calculate out exactly what she was buying and send my sister and I through the lines separately to get our freebie pieces. If there is a pattern that you remember/admired, do check out eBay and thrift stores. You will likely be able to pick something up to bring back other memories for little money - especially if the pattern was popular.

 

[KatyCooks]

@KatyCooks I understand the feeling of having your mother at the meal. I was fortunate as no one wanted the old plates and such. Like I said, my every day stuff came from the grocery store. "Buy $10 of groceries and get a piece for free. Extra pieces for sale at 5-10 cents a piece." My mother would calculate out exactly what she was buying and send my sister and I through the lines separately to get our freebie pieces. If there is a pattern that you remember/admired, do check out eBay and thrift stores. You will likely be able to pick something up to bring back other memories for little money - especially if the pattern was popular.

Oh we had no matching anything Kathleen! Somehow, plates and bowls seemed to appear from time to time when something broke. The cutlery collection was astonishing too - some stainless steel, some bone-handled (I think) and a lot with some other kind of material pretending to be bone.

When I got married I made a point of getting a (cheap) but matching set of crockery and cutlery and I was very proud of myself over it!

 

[In A Pickle]

I grew up with willow pattern, my dad still uses it, probably why I would like it again now. You can get a bit nostalgic as you get older.

 

[Shining Wizard]

My mother got an entire 12-person setting from our local supermarket. Corelle.
Guaranteed to never break - well that’s a bit of a stretch.
So, like mentioned above, she would do our weekly shop and receive coupons to redeem for the Corelle. I still have all of it and it’s just plain white, nothing fancy at all.
But plain white crockery does make the food stand out.
Willow pattern I believe has been around for about 124 million years.

 

[In A Pickle]

My mother got an entire 12-person setting from our local supermarket. Corelle.
Guaranteed to never break - well that’s a bit of a stretch.
So, like mentioned above, she would do our weekly shop and receive coupons to redeem for the Corelle. I still have all of it and it’s just plain white, nothing fancy at all.
But plain white crockery does make the food stand out.
Willow pattern I believe has been around for about 124 million years.

Give or take a year or two.

 

[Katie H]

Willow pattern I believe has been around for about 124 million years.

Yep, pretty much. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is the longest continuously produced china pattern in the world. The first known production of the pattern was in 1779...maybe a little less than 124 million years but, just the same, a loooong time ago.

 

[Kathleen]

Oh we had no matching anything Kathleen! Somehow, plates and bowls seemed to appear from time to time when something broke. The cutlery collection was astonishing too - some stainless steel, some bone-handled (I think) and a lot with some other kind of material pretending to be bone.

When I got married I made a point of getting a (cheap) but matching set of crockery and cutlery and I was very proud of myself over it!

We had some matching pieces! Now I wonder what happened to our set of 8 Flintstone's jelly jars that we used for glasses!

 

[caseydog]

We had some matching pieces! Now I wonder what happened to our set of 8 Flintstone's jelly jars that we used for glasses!

I'd love to see Welch's come out with cartoon jelly jars again.

CD

 

[Kathleen]

I'd love to see Welche's com out with cartoon jelly jars again.

CD

I could not remember whether it was Welches or Smuckers, but I would love to see those make a comeback too.

 

[taxlady]

Go for it taxy! I like that one best too. Seems the pattern is a little more spread out.

I just checked the price. 160 CAD for a single plate, and that's if I buy it in Denmark. I did write something about "if I have any spare money" Unless I get some sort of windfall, I won't be buying that.

 

[Badjak]

That's 100 Euro for a single plate!
Ouch

 

[dragnlaw]

Yes, I saw a set once, quite lovely. Green vines around the edges, very delicate looking. Was all gung-ho to purchase 'til I saw the price. About the same as taxy's.

 

[KatyCooks]

I just checked the price. 160 CAD for a single plate, and that's if I buy it in Denmark. I did write something about "if I have any spare money" Unless I get some sort of windfall, I won't be buying that.

Wow. That is severely expensive! I think I would be too scared to use crockery that expensive.

I just checked the current Wedgewood range that I mentioned in an earlier post and they are expensive, but nothing like yours Taxy! A dinner plate in the "Vera Wang Lace Platinum" range which is the one I would buy if I could afford it, is a mere £43 (CDN$79.42 / US$56.58) for a dinner plate. Fortunately, most of it is out of stock, so I couldn't buy it even if I wanted to!

 

[Kathleen]

The thing is, if you select a particular pattern, and have some patience, you will find it regardless of how expensive it was when it first sold. Many younger folks today do not want their parent's china. Thrift stores, auctions, etc. snap them up and offer them on other sites like eBay. That side plate by Vera Wang platinum listed for 34 pounds a plate can be found on ebay for $27 (or best offer) for a set of 8 used without the offered additional 15% off. They look to be in great shape. So if I loved that pattern, I would seek it out starting with the basic five pieces in a place setting. Some plates are selling for under $10 per plate. I'll bet a deal could be made if buying more than one. Just a thought.

 

[KatyCooks]

So, just watching Antiques Roadshow and what should come up but some crockery! Now I am not generally a fan of Clarice Cliffe, nor indeed of overly floral crockery, but this set just made me smile! So pretty!

 

[Jusa]

When my mother passed away in 2015, I brought home her Noritake china. It's still in boxes because it was too sad for me to unpack. Here I am 10 years later and I think I can handle it now. I think I will do that this winter.

 

[KatyCooks]

When my mother passed away in 2015, I brought home her Noritake china. It's still in boxes because it was too sad for me to unpack. Here I am 10 years later and I think I can handle it now. I think I will do that this winter.

Well, I imagine that will be a very emotional, but hopefully pretty rewarding thing to do Jusa. Hopefully it will evoke some lovely memories for you. x

 

[freshiova]

I totally understand your dilemma—buying crockery can be surprisingly tricky once you start thinking about practicality as well as style. I love that you’ve considered replaceability, microwave/dishwasher safety, and oven tolerance—that’s really smart, especially if you want a set to last.

I also get what you mean about wide-rimmed plates. There’s something about a generous central surface that makes portions look lost or encourages overfilling. Plates with a slightly raised or narrower central area really do help with portion presentation for everyday meals—it’s a subtle but effective detail.