Wedding China

I've been looking forward to seeing all the links at Cuisine Kathleen this week, because she challenged us to show our wedding china.  I decided to show you ALL the wedding china chosen or inherited by my grandmothers, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law -- and, of course, MY wedding china! 

My very first tablescape post four years ago featured my Grandma Rachel's wedding china, Heinrich H&C's Admiral pattern, which I have inherited.  Grandma married in 1927 and was given 24 placesettings of this pretty pattern by her family and friends.  I treasure her handwritten list of all the pieces she owned and keep it in a locked box along with our marriage certificate and birth certificates.  Here's a closeup of the pattern from my recent Touch of Pink post.  I have found this pattern to be very versatile, using it with greens and golds, as well as pink.

My maternal grandmother did not have wedding china, to my knowledge.  She and my grandfather eloped!  I do remember her colorful everyday Fiestaware and wish I had inherited some of it.  I have fond memories of hearty breakfasts served on those dishes at her kitchen table.

My mother, who married in 1951 (and who with my dad will celebrate their 63rd anniversary this month!) has two pretty wedding china patterns, both from Castleton.  I've had fun playing with her dishes when I visit, going so far as to bring table linens with me on the plane!  I think both of her patterns look very fresh and modern.  Here is her Ma Lin pattern:

 And here is her Mayfair pattern:

My mother-in-law chose Haviland's Rosalinde as her wedding china, and now our daughter has inherited it.  We have enjoyed setting modern tables with this beautiful traditional pattern.

I married in 1972, and I chose a "good" china pattern, Lenox Windsong, along with crystal (Lenox Moonspun) and silver (Lunt Belvedere).  I still love this pattern and set my Easter table with it this year.  Below is an earlier table set with my wedding china, crystal, and silver.

I also chose an everyday pattern, Royal Doulton Fireglow.  I still own these dishes, but we no longer use them every day.  I do enjoy pulling them out occasionally, though!

As I mentioned earlier, our daughter inherited her grandmother's Rosalinde, but she chose an everyday pattern when she married in 2000.  I really love her Villeroy and Boch Switch 3 pattern.

Our daughter-in-law, who married our son in 2010, inherited a large collection of Johnson Brothers' Friendly Village from her grandmother.  When I went to help out after our granddaughter's birth, I enjoyed setting a Christmas table with this delightful pattern.

And there you have it -- four generations of wedding china!  It will be fun to see the china patterns my young granddaughters choose when they grow up!

Mama's Ma Lin

Every time I go to Little Rock to visit my parents, I look forward to playing with Mama's dishes.  I have blogged about at least two different tables set with Mama's beautiful Castleton Ma Lin china, but this time I wanted to try yet another color scheme.  Here's a photo of the pattern from Replacements.com. 

Replacements.com

I have set a spring table highlighting the yellow in the pattern . . .

and a fall table highlighting the "cinnamon" color, as Castleton described it:

This time, though, I wanted to try a spring table to bring out the pretty greens in the pattern.  I knew Mama didn't have any green table linens, so I stuffed some in my roll-aboard suitcase.  (The section designed to hold a carefully folded man's suit is perfect for placemats and napkins, if you ever need to know!)

Here's how the placesetting looked with green linens:

The placesetting included Mama's sterling, Reed and Barton's French Renaissance.  I love the shape of the salad fork's tines -- perfect for cutting through lettuce ribs or a firm pie crust.  I also included the iced tea spoon, since I'm using her iced tea glasses.

 Mama's crystal is Fostoria's Navarre, a beautiful etched pattern with the prettiest stem design.

Mama already had the perfect centerpiece on her table to go along with the blue in the Ma Lin design -- blue candles in her pair of double-light candlesticks and an arrangement of silk hydrangeas.

Here's a closer look at one of the candlesticks.  If anyone can identify the pattern, I would love to know it!  (Oops, you can see my striped shirt in the mirror as I take the photo!)

Here's one more look at the placesetting:

And one view of the table.  By the way, the mirror over the table used to hang in my grandfather's jewelry store in a small Arkansas town.  He used it to see who had entered the store as he sat at his workbench, repairing watches.

Thank you for visiting!  I will be linking to Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Celebrating Mothers

Mother's Day offers the opportunity to reflect on all the mothers who have touched our lives, especially those in our own families.  I have been blessed with a wonderful mother, loving grandmothers,and a sweet mother-in-law, all of whom have taught me by their example.  This week, the Let's Dish party at Cuisine Kathleen centers around mothers -- and dishes, of course! 

My very first tablescape posted on my blog, more than two years ago, featured my paternal grandmother's wedding china, which she gave to me before she died.  The pattern is Admiral, by Heinrich H&C.  There are 24 placesettings and many wonderful serving pieces, including TWO gravy boats.  If this photo looks familiar, it's because I'm using in my blog header.

This was a spring tablesetting, but I often use this china for Thanksgiving, as I did last year.  I always think of Grandma Rachel when I use her pretty china.  Sadly, I don't have any dishes from my maternal grandmother.  She had 21 grandchildren, and there just weren't enough to go around!  I do remember her colorful Fiestaware and wish some of that had made its way into my cupboards.

My mother has given me many pretty things over the years, like her crystal punchbowl, but she is still enjoying her own china and crystal and silver, which will one day be passed down to her grandchildren.  Our family is gathering next week to celebrate her 80th birthday!  Since I began blogging, I have had fun playing with HER dishes when I visit.  She has two formal china patterns, both by Castleton.  Here's her Ma Lin pattern, shown for an autumn table, but I've also used it to set a spring table. 

I've also posted two tables set with Mama's other Castleton pattern, Mayfair.  Here's a placesetting from a fall table.  A spring table may be viewed here.  I think both of these patterns are elegant and look very fresh, especially when you consider Mama and Daddy will soon celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary!

My sweet mother-in-law, Jean, passed away four years ago, but she also loved china of all kinds.  After my father-in-law moved into an apartment, he gave me their set of Wedgwood Potpourri, the everyday dishes she chose in later life.  I've posted three tables with this pretty pattern, which lends itself to tables of many styles and colors.  I think this is my favorite version so far:

Jean's formal china, Rosalinde by Haviland, was handed down to my daughter.  Together we set a pretty modern table with it at her house.  Her Gorham Chantilly silver is also from Jean's collection, which was divided between my two children.  It's fun to think that one day my granddaughter -- or maybe a great-granddaughter! -- will be the caretaker of this pretty china!

As you can see, a love for dishes and a reverence for family heirlooms connect four generations of mothers in my family! Thanks, Kathleen, for inviting us to celebrate mothers this week for your Let's Dish party!  Be sure to visit her blog after 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday to see lots of pretty dishes.

Castleton's Ma Lin -- "Cinnamon, Gold, and Sapphire"

Last weekend I was in Little Rock visiting my parents, which gave me a chance to play with my mother's dishes.  I have always loved her Ma Lin, a Castleton pattern.  I did a little research and learned that it was designed by Ching-Chih Yee, one of fifteen contemporary artists commissioned by Castleton China in 1942 to create designs for china.  Interestingly, Salvador Dali was also one of the fifteen!  Wouldn't it be interesting to see HIS designs?

Ma Lin was discontinued in 1958.  Here's a link to a newspaper ad from 1951, the year my parents married, describing the pattern as "reminiscent of the elegance of Cathay" and the colors as "cinnamon, gold, and sapphire."  The five-piece placesetting's advertised price?  Only $15.75!  Replacements.com now lists a placesetting for $95.95.

Here's the dinner plate. All sizes of the plates have the same design.

In a post last spring, I used yellow napkins and flowers with this pattern, but for fall I wanted to highlight the "cinnamon" color.  I actually brought these placemats with me on the plane, since Mama didn't have any this color.  I wonder if there's a law against crossing state lines with table linens?  My sister remarked that I had crossed a new threshold in tablescaping addiction.

I also wanted to try the Ma Lin with Mama's Fostoria Royal-Amber.  I think it works well, repeating the rust or "cinnamon" color in the pattern.  Mama also has amber candlesticks, one of which you can see in the background below.

And, of course, rust-colored flowers were needed!  We looked several places for rust-colored mums and finally found a pot that would do.  I just wrapped the pot in two napkins, securing them with a rubber band.  In the photo below, you can also see two sets of amber salt and pepper shakers from Mama's collection.

Here's another view of the table. . .

And one of the placesetting.

The next photo shows Mama's sterling, Reed and Barton's French Renaissance.

And here's one last view of the table.  The angle of the sun wasn't cooperating with me, so neither of the full table shots are very good, I'm afraid.  In the background are some yellow roses -- a hint for next week's table!

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you will leave a comment before you leave to visit all the wonderful tablescapes at Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch!