Do you have a china pattern? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do you have a china pattern?

April

Veteran

As in, having both everyday dishes and "good china"?

I do not. Grew up watching my mother and grandmother insist on (me) handwashing "the Royal Doulton" and "the Rosenthal" and decided it wasn't my thing.

But I love pretty dishes and have them around the house as decor. I also recently read a book that's making me question myself.

How about you?

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51 replies

Latest reply was from MsMary

Tanya

Veteran

My mother does this: she has both every day and special occasion China. I don’t, especially since I live in small studio. I have two sets of every day China, which I obviously like, and that is about that. If I had more space, I would probably get a third, more special set.

lyn67

Veteran

I inherited some pieces of my Granny's Rosenthal- and loved the baroque china in my early youth- in fact I bought myself a floral and gold plated china this style from my first money earned myself after college and still use it for events like Christmas and Easter(sometimes- when only 6 person at the table).
But later, I quickly switched to a more modern and practical look and bought me a set of plain white china of square plates and accessories for 12 pers. which I still love and use for every family gathering. I love I can change the table laid desing around them more freely-according to the event and trends as these will work with quasi everything.

Irina

Veteran

20 years ago I bought a coffee set from a consignment store. It must be washed by hand and cups are too small for our everyday use. I also have some random pretty English tea cups from a Goodwill, also bone china and I don’t put them into a dishwasher, so used only occasionally and honestly, keep forgetting about them. Hardly a “good china”
No other “special “ china is in our household.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Oh yes, I grew up and married in the days of registering for good china as wedding gifts, along with silverware and crystal glassware. The pattern is lovely tiny pastel flowers on ivory, not white, ground. I have the china set still, in my least reachable cabinet. Last fall I moved it from the bottom of my hutch cabinet so I’d have more room for wineglasses and serving dishes like bowls and trays, and some melamine pieces used often for outside dining,

I have used my good dishes a couple times a year for holiday dinners or company, but could live without them, and seriously considered donating since no one is buying now. But the thrift stores aren’t taking china sets now either! Right before Covid, I helped arrange two sets a friend had inherited with linens and accessories on “table top” displays for a “festival of trees” silent auction. Those, and many others in the auction, never received a bid.

One of those things which I am certain my daughters will not want. As may be relevant to the recent discussion on downsizing.

ChristelJ

Veteran

When you're the one doing all the handwashing, it can put a damper on
the enjoyment of the good stuff.

We use everyday dishes that still feel special, because they are vintage, but very hardy (lightweight Corelle and also heavy diner dishes.) I'm also about to bring home from my mom a complete set of delicate mid-century modern Danish white china. She kept it all those years but only used it on special occasions. I hope to use it more often. We will see!

The book looks interesting!

Irina

Veteran

My friend has a small antique shop. She offered me to pick some china for myself or our kids. I appreciate the design and delicate pretty patterns but I can’t imagine keeping anything that would not be used daily. Although, I have to admit that I never liked any coffee mugs we use. Maybe when I live a life of a woman of leisure, I will drink my tea from a bone china cup and then wash it by hand. This is how we, women of leisure, do it! LOL

Anonymous

Nope. My mom has some very nice china, which she's trying to consign. No one will take them. I hate to donate them cause they're really pretty, but no point owning dishes I can't microwave (they have silver). No point owning more than a set of 4 either, cause we don't entertain, and have no dishwasher.

quietloud

Like ChristelJ we only have everyday dishes that feel slightly more special because they are vintage. It started when I inherited a few faience bowls from my grandmother, and then I have collected more of the same from thrift shops and antique stores over the years. It's a plain ivory color with a raised floral border. There are a few occasions where I wished I had something a little nicer, but I just don't have the space for several sets, so I'd rather keep the dishes simple and dress up the table in other ways.

I do have a fair bit of silverware and crystal glassware - the glassware is used on a daily basis, and I want to try to use the silver a bit more as well.

April

Veteran

I often look at estate sales online and am nodding along with everyone who says no one is buying fancy dishes or silver anymore.

When my mother's mother died, all the grandchildren were invited to choose one item from her estate before the rest was sold. My little bro wanted her entire china service, pictured below.

I chose her falling-apart copy of Jane Eyre.

What does Angie say - horses for courses.

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rachylou

Veteran

Oh I love dishes. I love to buy dishes, lol. I do have both good and everyday stuff, but the good china is from my grandmothers. Can’t remember the pattern names. Crystal glasses and silverware also from my father’s mother. I’m really bad and tell myself to stop doing it, but I put the silverware in the dishwasher.

On a tangent, I bought myself good stainless steel flatware when I got my first place, but now I think it’s too heavy and my favourite thing to use is el cheapo forks and spoons from Daiso. I’m very mad that they don’t make knives in their lightest weight line, lol.

I do use the good stuff on an everyday basis - the plates that is. I freaked out my one neighbour back when, because I fed Lilypup the dog off them…

rachylou

Veteran

Also: I broke all my mother’s wedding china. She made me cook dinner and wash dishes because I’m the girl. You reap what you sow

Peri

Veteran

I do. Like for cjh, it was still the thing you did when I got married in 1983. I didn't consider not doing it and I was excited to pick out my pattern and get so much of it as wedding gifts. I guess young 20s me had a lot of faith in her ability to learn to cook fancy meals and host dinner parties. Extremely unwarranted btw, as it never happened. In 40 years of marriage I have used that china less than 40 times.

I did balk at silver and chose stainless that I thought looked fancy enough and matching enough to do double duty. That was a brilliant decision as it has been used daily for the 40 years. I think I was on the edge of the time where this whole registering for fancy tableware was ready to be questioned. Wanted the china, didn't want the silver.

And yes, we couldn't sell and could barely give away my mother's china. Maybe, as most things go in waves, it will all come back in vogue again and someone will want mine, but I didn't have enough room to also store my mother's against that vague maybe. If no one wants mine, I won't cry at all as I barely want it now either!

Peri

Veteran

Oh April...as you started this discussion maybe wanting some, it might be heartening to hear people are searching for someone to give it away to! Definitely worth trolling resale and estate auctions for and one thing I've seen I think is pretty are collections of different patterns that look good together but aren't all a matching set.

MsMary

Veteran

Oh, my goodness! We are Very Old so we have SO MUCH CHINA! I have my mom's Rosenthal, my own Fitz & Floyd from my 1980s first wedding, a set of antique eastern European transferware I got in a thrift store in the 80s, my husband's Noritake from his first wedding in the 70s, and also various sets of casual dishes including a big set of white Fiestaware and a set of black dishes from Joanna Gaines via Target. Believe it or not, we use it all regularly and I put it all in the dishwasher and always have. My feeling is I'd rather use it and risk breaking/damaging it than have it sit in the cupboard and collect dust.

We also have my sterling silver flatware, my mom's sterling, my husband's silver plate, plus more drinking vessels than you can shake a stick at!

We recently had a dinner party for 18 at home and were able to set the table with fine china, drinkware, and sterling silver flatware from our own collection without having to resort to rentals! That was very fun!!

Ginger

Veteran

Y'all might be surprised but china is slowly coming back. Some of us young 'uns (us? do I still count?) are rediscovering the love for beautiful and useable things.

The facebook group "Beautiful Table Settings" has well over 150,000 members. Lots of interest still in these things, but only use them if you want to of course.

I have a full set of china from my grandmother - a spare set she gave me 20 years ago, and she's still living - and am slowly collecting a set of white ironstone for myself. Plus some other partial sets that I use for table settings. I also have three full sets of antique silverplate that I got through a gold and silver exchange. I tend to use those and just handwash quickly instead of using my heavy stainless. Older flatware tends to be very light easy to hold compared to modern versions. I REALLY want a set of sterling but I'm going to have to stumble across it at a bargain price! I love crystal rose bowls, too.

April

Veteran

My high school best friend lives in a tiny house (not one of those charming Tiny House ones) with extremely limited storage, yet she keeps an entire set of "Christmas dishes". Not fine china, dishes w/a Christmas themed pattern that she registered for at her wedding. She risks life and limb every year - twice! - to climb a pull-down ladder into her unfinished attic (no floor, balancing on rafters and loose plywood) fetch the dishes, cart them all down and wash them, then do the whole thing in reverse at some point.

MsM, I hear you. Mr. A and I had each been married previously and also combined our own multiple households' (it's complicated, for a long time he worked in NYC and lived there M-F) worth of dinnerware, glassware, silverware. Only recently did I relegate his first-wedding-registry stainless to (someplace, where is it?) and my own first-marriage Ikea flatware to the poolhouse, replacing both with something of our own.

My son, OTOH, was gifted a couple of forks by his gf for Valentines Day bc before that he had exactly one fork. Which may have been stolen from a diner, who knows.

Rachy, high five - we had the same mother. 'Cept I never broke anything that I recall, besides her heart when I insisted on being my own person.

Kathie

Veteran

We have three sets of formal dishes at this point- our wedding china, my parents' wedding china, and a set from my husband's great-grandparents (which I think they got for an anniversary). And every day dishes. We have places to store it, and don't mind being the ones who hold on to a few sentimental items. We also have furniture from both of my grandmothers, which I cherish and use regularly. My grandmother would have a fit about exactly "how" my kids sit on her sofa, but they're careful, know the pieces are antiques, and I like the memories.

Indigoprint

Veteran

I have my Grandmother's dishes, silver and glassware. I used to use it for special occassions throughout the year but stopped when I got a set of multi color Fiestaware. I now use my Fiesta and other harmoniously mismatched serving pieces that I have collected over the years. I always thought I would go back to my Grandmothers china after the kids got " big" but have not...

Style Fan

Veteran

When I married for the first time in 1990, I did not want special occasion china. My mother loved china and collected several patterns. She couldn't understand why I didn't like china. My husband and I wanted one set of dishes. We picked out Denby Stoneware with a blue rim. I love pottery and natural, earthy things. The stoneware worked with our house. The blue was Mr. SF #1's choice. I still love those dishes and use them.
If I could change something, it would be the blue. That is all. The dishes look good with the pottery bowls and platters. I can work around the blue. Plus, the blue reminds me of Mr. SF #1.
When my mother died, my brother took one set of her dishes, and I donated the rest.
The dishes can go in the dishwasher. They have never chipped. I have 14 sets. I never entertain 14 people.

MsMary

Veteran

Haha, April! I forgot about the Christmas dishes! Hubby and I each have a set of Christmas dinner plates from the 80s, plus we have several sets of Christmas dessert/salad plates, and the piece de resistance: A set of Anchor Hocking 12 Days of Christmas glass tumblers! https://poshmark.com/listing/1.....rce=gdm_ho We get 'em out every year and use them for the whole month of December!

MsMaven

Veteran

I didn't register for china or silver when I married in 1965. It bothered my mother, and at some point she started buying china for us, a few pieces at a time, from a pattern we picked out. We were still in school for the first 5 years of married life. I used it for holidays over the years, but now seldom do because we travel on holidays. Yes the silver edge on the pieces would wear off in the dishwasher. Lately I've been thinking about using it more--and putting it in the dishwasher.

My daughter-in-law has collected china over the years and has enough. I gave my mother's silver and china to my niece. She also has portrait photos of my mom and dad from the 1920s hanging in her dining room, so I get to see all this once a year on Thanksgiving.

I was never enthusiastic about formal dining. My mom was and I remember how much time and energy it took for her to put on one of her luncheons or dinners--complete with flowers she picked from our back yard. She was the ultimate 1950's housewife, changing into a dress and an apron every day before my dad came home from work. Wish I had a photo of one of her table settings.

She tried to make us ladies, but my sisters and I are still tomboys at heart.

Runcarla

Veteran

In 1982 my MIL collected $ from DH’s paternal relatives (a long sibline) and we got 8 place settings of Royal Doultan ‘Sarabande’, as well as a collection of serving platters and a tea set. I used it for special occasions for about 5-6 years, but by the time the kids were born (year 7 and 9) it was in regular rotation. I think the fruit nappies were the most used dishes since I used them for baby food!

When MIL died 15 years ago, her daughters took the sentimental floral china sets and DH took the last one she bought which was Royal Doulton plain white with a silver band around the rim. I would use MIL’s and ours rotating approximately once a year.

Last year MIL’s was looking worn, so we donated it to an artist who uses smashed up china as a basis for her art, and bought a bunch of Crate and Barrel. This summer, my SIL was thrifting in her community and discovered a stash of Sarabande. She picked up 12 dinner plates, 12 salad/desert plates, and 12 cups and saucers for $25 and brought them up last summer when she and my brother came for a visit. I can sit 20 for dinner! I use them regularly enough, but not every day like I did in the years between 1989 and 2021

Did like Peri and got top quality stainless. That didn’t stop my mom from eventually buying me silver plate x 2 sets that I never use.

Frankly, I’m not precious with it, and wash it in the dishwasher.

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phoebe

Haviland Limoges Cashmere, my mother's wedding china, for truly special occasions, which occur only a few times a year so the hand washing does not faze me.

Sal

Veteran

I have a lot of china.

Every day use - mostly a Blue Willow pattern set (not valuable) and some inexpensive duck egg blue plates and bowls

https://www.briscoes.co.nz/pro.....1ARIsAFc7M

In the dresser - my Grandma's Mason ware dinner set for about 16 including platters, soup bowls, cream jugs, tea cups, gravy boats, vege dishes.

https://www.colonialantiques.c.....t-yzn7t-85

Plus lots of cups and saucers - some inherited and some purchased!

Not a minimalist in this area - it all gets used though... we entertain a fair bit.

Echo

Veteran

We never registered for fine china when we got married, although I love dishes. But I also love being able to switch out between different, less expensive sets! My mum has "The Friendly Village" dishes (again, not fine china at all) that she uses every holiday season, but no fine china. I rather like the idea of mismatched "sets" of dishes, but have never bothered to shop for them or seek them out.

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April

Veteran

Sal, I have a lot of vintage china that I don't use for eating but for decor purposes.

I have a whole collection of blue and white transferware, a bunch of Paden City Pottery that my first MIL left behind, a lot of Taylor Smith Taylor custard cups in a gorgeous sky blue, a Belleek teapot and some beautiful Limoges plates from my father's mother, a large assortment of French creamware serving pieces, a set of Hall pottery "Orange Poppy" serving pieces from my mother's mother, the remains of a previous collection of plates that featured images of peaches. And on it goes.

To all who have lots of beautiful dishes that you use, can I ask about storage? Where and how do you store it so it's accessible enough to encourage use?

Indigoprint

Veteran

So fun to see these patterns. Since I am a thrifter I have picked up several pieces..

Sal how lovely--Blue willow. ..Do you know the Doris Gates book?

Sloper

Veteran

My everyday is Franciscan Desert Rose. I fell in love with it seeing an advertisement in Gourmet Magazine waaaay back in the 1970's. I don't collect it though (as in buying old or unusual pieces.) I have about 8 or 10 place settings, which I bought in the early 1990's. A few years later it switched from hand-painted to printed-on pattern, which made me sad. Discontinued now, I think. I still love it and enjoy using it every day! I've mixed a few pieces of pink Fiesta and green milk glass with it.

My mother had "good" Lenox china for company and holidays. I registered for a simple pattern when I got married, but didn't get very much (if any!!!), which in the end is ok - DH and I are not entertainers. I do still love the Lenox "Eclipse" pattern, just to admire from afar.

I don't have storage space for lots of dishes - a good thing probably.

My mother and her sisters all got nice silver - Towle "King Richard" back in the 1950's I think. I've inherited one set, but it have never used it.

My everyday stainless flatware is a simple pattern - I've had it since early 80's. A "moving into first apartment" gift from dear Mom.

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phoebe

April, I store a reasonable amount on the very top shelves in my kitchen as it is extremely fragile and the rest is boxed in the basement

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