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My obsession

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Fri December 31st, 2010, 8:06 pm

[quote=""rockygirl""]I was recently at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential House and Library. In the gift shop, they had replicas of some of the china of the First Ladies, mostly tea cups and saucers. Some of it was just gorgeous. I found myself wondering why I didn't collect cups and saucers, then I came to my senses and realized that as much as I loved them, I have NO ROOM for them.[/quote]

Oh blast -- if I had known you were going to be here in Hyde Park, I would have invited you for a visit. I do understand what you mean by the not having room, but I had always craved to have a really lovely tea service, and asked myself, what are you waiting for?

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Fri December 31st, 2010, 8:13 pm

[quote=""Michy""]I have to admit that Old Country Roses has never been a favorite of mine, but I used to see a variation of the pattern in department stores that I thought was really pretty. IIRC it had a wide band of some sort of green pattern (with shamrocks?) around the edges.[/quote]

Michy, is this it?

Image


if it is, it's RA's Peppermint Damask plate. It's a gorgeous design, it's a pity that they only did a teacup/saucer/plate set up.

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Michy
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Post by Michy » Fri December 31st, 2010, 8:43 pm

I looked on Replacements.com and found it; they call it simply "Old Country Roses -- green border." It's green rosebuds, though, not shamrocks. I love green, so I like it. :)

Replacements.com is a great resource for finding china, crystal, etc. etc. I found many, many pieces of my very old Noritake through them. It appears that Royal Albert has many variations on the Old Country Roses pattern; probably enough to fill the cupboards and curios of several houses!

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Sat January 1st, 2011, 3:11 am

[quote=""Michy""]

Replacements.com is a great resource for finding china, crystal, etc. etc. I found many, many pieces of my very old Noritake through them. It appears that Royal Albert has many variations on the Old Country Roses pattern; probably enough to fill the cupboards and curios of several houses![/quote]

I've been buying from them for years -- it was a real lifesaver when I started to complete my 'good' china, the everyday stuff and the flatware that I use. OCR has been in nearly constant production since the 1960's, so there are simply heaps of things out there -- I have to exercise extreme will power when buying there.

It does all sound terribly obsessive to have everything on the table match, but oddly, it makes me feel good to see a table set properly and tidily. I think it comes out of the terribly ramshackle way I grew up.

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Michy
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Post by Michy » Sat January 1st, 2011, 3:28 am

They were a lifesaver for me, too, back in the mid-90s when I first got my set of old Noritake. I wanted to complete it, and it was impossible to find the pieces anywhere (still is). Not only did I complete the basic set I started with, but over several years I expanded it dramatically. When I unpacked the dishes last year I counted over 100 pieces! :eek: Replacements still has several pieces I don't have, but I kind of think I've got enough already. I've never even used it, but someday......

I bought my everyday dishes from them, also. A couple of years ago I decided it was time for something new and I decided to get what I really wanted -- a set of Noritake that was out of production (and so not available in stores anymore) but still readily available through Replacements. It's actually not supposed to be "everyday" china, and I didn't realize until after I bought it that it has gold on it and so can't go in the microwave (which really cramps my style! :p ) but I love using it, anyway. It gives me that "feel good" feeling that you're talking about.

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Sat January 1st, 2011, 3:37 am

[quote=""Michy""] It's actually not supposed to be "everyday" china, and I didn't realize until after I bought it that it has gold on it and so can't go in the microwave (which really cramps my style! :p ) but I love using it, anyway. It gives me that "feel good" feeling that you're talking about.[/quote]

I use the Good China almost every day now for dinner and certainly on Fridays and Saturdays (a religious thing). Ouch on your everyday -- when I decided to pitch out the old Corelle that I had been using for years and years, and replace it with something nicer, I made certain that it was dishwasher safe at first.

This is a breakfast set that I have, which I don't get to use very often. Very effective on the cold, rainy mornings when I want something cheery on the table.
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Michy
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Post by Michy » Sat January 1st, 2011, 3:43 am

Thank goodness my "everyday" Noritake is dishwasher safe -- although, to be honest, I wasn't certain after I got it, and emailed the Noritake company to be sure. I think if it hadn't been I probably would have sat down and cried! :D

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LoveHistory
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Post by LoveHistory » Sat January 1st, 2011, 4:53 pm

One of these days I have to get out my grandmother's china and try to track down the rest of the set. I think the pattern is called Silver Leaf but I can't remember the company. Last time I went looking online I couldn't find so much as one cup.

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Sat January 1st, 2011, 5:29 pm

[quote=""LoveHistory""]One of these days I have to get out my grandmother's china and try to track down the rest of the set. I think the pattern is called Silver Leaf but I can't remember the company. Last time I went looking online I couldn't find so much as one cup.[/quote]

Replacements.com is very good at tracking down what a pattern is called and who made it. They'll do that service for free. All you need to do is send them a photo of the design and of the backstamp on the china.

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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Sun October 9th, 2011, 6:59 am

I broke down today and indulged in a new piece of porcelain. It hasn't gotten to the stage where it is overrunning the house, but given that it is breakable, I don't dare display it until I have somewhere safe out of the reach of rampaging felines. This is one of their new pieces from 2011, Pretty Ladies Petite Gillian:

Image

I also indulged in the last piece of English Chintz that I am collecting that I wanted to add, a small tray that will do nicely for lemon slices. The Royal Doulton company is having quite a sale going on at the moment, so if you are a collector, now is probably the time to strike.

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