Hopeful Homemaker

Vintage Tablecloth: Blue scrolls and roses

August 17, 2010 jennifer Happy Finds, Linens

My last fun purchase while thrifting in Colorado is this lovely vintage tablecloth.

I haven’t added to my tablecloth collection for several years. I manage my collections like this: I decide what I’ll use it for, and a place to keep it in. When the space is full, my collection is complete. I started this 10 years ago when I fell in love with a teacup. I built myself a display rack that would hold ten teacups and saucers, and collected until it was full. Done. I like having limits like that.

When we built our house, I found a couple of awesome cupboards at Costco that fit my kitchen perfectly. I store my table linens in them. It’s a perfect arrangement, right next to the table where I use them with glass sliding doors that make for beautiful display and easy access. They’re just about full, so I quit collecting a few years ago.

Until I saw this one.

It’s just me. The bright blue is my blue. Combined with the deep red roses, the white background, and the beautiful blue scroll design, it’s perfect. So I made an exception.

It’s in beautiful condition with only a couple of faint yellow spots. It measures 47 by 50 inches, with no tag or manufacturer’s markings of any kind.

It’s also my new favorite.

Taking these pictures also reminded me that I got busy last spring and never finished posting my collection. Time to work on that again! Look for more gorgeous vintage linens soon. Until then, I think a backyard lunch is in order, complete with the tablecloth.

Have a great day!

Hopeful Homemaker

Warwick China, Adam Pattern

August 16, 2010 jennifer Dishes, Happy Finds

I found these plates at a yard sale in Colorado. Something about the pattern really appealed to me, so I picked them up to get a closer look. I turned one of the plates over and saw this:

1945! My heart started beating a little bit faster. I should have known. I seem to have an innate ability to pick out and love things dating to the 40’s. The other plates read 1945, 1947, and this one had a different stamp on the back, dating to 1940. Seventy years old. So cool.

I approached the woman selling them and when she saw what I held she said, “Oh, I love those.” I asked where she got them, and she said that her friend’s mother had given them to her. I purchased four dinner plates and a butter pat dish from her for $3.00 and walked away giddy.

I’ve since done some research on this china. It was restaurant china, and the Adam pattern was produced in green, blue and black. Warwick China went out of business in 1951.

Typically I’m not drawn to dark greens, but I think these plates are fabulous. I love the simple elegance of the pattern. I think they would be beautiful to use for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas. In my online research, I found only three pieces of this china for sale, and a plate is selling for around $10. It appears that I just fell in love with dishes that are hard to find!

Can I ask a favor? If you ever see some of these plates at thrift stores, yard sales, etc. will you snatch them up for me? I’ll pay you for them. I would love to collect enough of them to serve dinner on, which at my house means 10 plates.

Warwick China, Adam pattern. My new favorite dishes. Do you have a vintage china pattern that you love?

Hopeful Homemaker

9 comments vintage

One Step Report #32

August 15, 2010 jennifer One Step

It’s Sunday night. The house is, at last, quieting as one child after another nods off to sleep. My efforts to anticipate the school schedule and get them to bed earlier were largely a waste of time. They spent the next hour sneaking around.

Some weeks are easier to end than others. I wanted this week to last longer. Because my children attend a school outside our local school district, we sometimes end up on a slightly different schedule, which is exactly what’s about to hit us. We start school on Tuesday, so this week marked the end of our summer. If it weren’t for the big ugly ball of stress I already feel in my stomach, I’d say I’m in denial. I hate sending my children back to school. I miss them, and I miss the freedom of summer. I hate to see it end.

This week’s report: 89 steps.
Highlights:

1. On my baby’s first birthday I gave myself a break from housework and spent as much time as possible playing with her. We made some special memories together.

2. I got a lot of what I call secretarial work done this week: scheduling piano lessons for the new school year, figuring out our new gymnastics schedule, doctor appointments, etc. Not fun, but necessary.

3. I went to a new dentist this week when a piece of my tooth chipped off. My last experience at a dentist’s office wasn’t a good one. I’d try to describe how much courage it took for me to go back, but you probably wouldn’t believe me. So I summoned the courage to go, and only cried twice. What’s more, I actually liked this dentist. He even called me about 8 hours later to make sure that I was feeling well!

4. You could say that this was Playmobil week in our home. In a final celebration of abandoning yourself to imagination, I let the kids play in their bedrooms, the hallway, even the basement (usually they’re restricted to the toy room). Believe me when I say they were all over the place.

5. I had the opportunity to attend a great presentation by LDS Family Services on Strengthening Marriages. It was motivating, informational, and made me so very grateful for my happy, healthy marriage.

6. As a result of some insights I had while attending the above meeting, I had one of the best conversations I’ve had in a long time with my 13 year old son. He is a remarkable young man in many ways. I learn a great deal from him.

7. I enjoyed watching my oldest daughter this week. She is suddenly maturing so quickly, shouldering responsibilities, making plans, and leading out in new ways. Her two year old sister worships her, and it’s been fun this week to watch her bond more with her baby sister as well.

8. I burned dinner. I haven’t done that in many years. I was so frustrated with myself that I felt tempted to cry, but resisted.

9. I had several things I needed to begin researching this week. I’m so thankful for the wealth of information available online!

10. Tonight my husband and I attended an open house for our good friends who are moving away. I am happy for them, but so sad for me. I’m not ready to say good-bye.

With that, I’m off to get some sleep before facing the coming week. It’s going to be a grueling one.
I hope yours is relaxing!

Jennifer