does anyone actually use fine china/crystal/sterling?

[sanfranciscoellen]

this makes me so sad for that stupid, stupid ebay seller...147 pieces of lunt regency that sold for one penny....

lunt ebay auction

 

[ljmorgan]

I love this thread! I have white porcelain dinnerware for everyday/special occasions, and a beautiful set of china that was my great grandmother''s, including some serving pieces. I collect silverplate tea sets... I don''t use them, I just love to admire them! My grandmother is giving me a baroque silverplate flatware set that I LOVE... very similiar to Wallace''s Grande Baroque pattern, which is my ultimate dream sterling set. I just LOVE all things china, crystal, and silver... and I''m from southern Virginia

By the way, my grandmother tells me of all of the sterling tea sets she owned, that got lost or damaged in all of their military moves... it HURTS me to hear that!

 

[KimberlyH]

We own a ton of old china (including pieces shipped from Italy in the very early 1900''s) through inheritance but they are either displayed in the dining room or put out of my clumsy reach. Their history is too special for us to use them. And if I ever broke a piece I would be devestated.

We use plain white dishes that my husband''s aunt purchased in the 1960''s, I abosolutely love them.

 

[diamondfan]

I have not really ever used the stuff I chose back in the day, 16 years ago, because I hate it. I just recently decided to get all new china crystal and silver so I can enjoy using my things and be happy to set my table. I love what I got, and would have chosen something similar back then, but my dh and I could not agree. I compromised and hated it, while if I had chosen what I liked, he would not have paid any attention once it was in the house and we were using it...I have Portmeirion that I used for every day, I like it, it has held up well with three kids...no complaints there.

 

[dtnyc]

Date: 7/14/2006 12:46:07 PM
Author: Gypsy

Here''s Fairfax:

I love this pattern. If my mother hadn''t bought me 12 place settings of Joan of Arc by International when I was a child I would have registered for that pattern.

My mom bought my sterling when I was a kid- but didn''t get the serving pieces. She has picked up some vintage serving pieces along the way, so I registered for some serving pieces as well as 8 extra teaspoons and salad forks (good to have for dessert, after dinner coffee, etc.) Got all of the spoons, 3 of the forks and some of the serving pieces.

 

[dtnyc]

Date: 7/14/2006 1:54:15 PM
Author: Blenheim
After much searching, I just found a pattern that I LOVE -- Jasper Conran Chinoiserie Fine Bone China. I haven''t run it by FI yet, and there''s definitely a chance that he won''t like it, but here it is:

Blenheim- I love that pattern too. It''s by Wedgewood isn''t it? It''s Jasper Conran for Wedgewood I believe. Good to have the Wwood backing.

also- random.
My parents house is off of a Blenheim Road...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We just used our new china for thanksgiving. It was so exciting!

 

[Efe]

I have the Wedgewood Wild Strawberry pattern and I just love it. I use it quite often. My everyday is Rock Pool from Highland Stoneware. Had it shipped from Scotland years ago.

 

[diamondfan]

Tacori, how fun! I had some of my order come in in time and it was so fun setting the table with it...

 

[Ann]

Just used my super cheapo china at Thanksgiving. I bought 2, 40piece sets of white w/gold rim at Bed Bath and Beyond, just to have around.

I also have:

8 place settings Royal Doulton and service pieces, bought in Scotland years ago, very ornate, golds and blues

6 place settings of a plain white Noritake w/platinum rim, husbands favorite, not mine

26 place settings of Spode Christmas Tree and tons of serving pieces. It goes into use the day after Thanksgiving.

DH''s mom gave me 2 almost complete sets of sterling flatware, 1 set is the European size and very old, love it.

Also have 13 sterling goblets, several large sterling trays, candlesticks, sugar and creamers, tea service and coffee service.

Do I use it? Sometimes. I am using the silver sugar and creamer for everyday, along with a very delicate sugar shell. Nice

 

[poptart]

I would love to have some fine China and if I did I would use it at least once a week. My family is big on using the good China. Royal Doulton would be AWESOME!

*M*

 

[diamondfan]

I have to say I love love love my new things. I did not even ASK my husband''s opinion this time. I felt like an adult, chosing what I like, versus giving in knowing I did not like it. At 24 I just wanted to please everyone, and even had my in laws in the china dept weighing in, and given that my mother in law has taste that is NOT me at all, that was a BIG NO NO. But, hey, live and learn, and now I love my stuff and feel it represents us better, and my hubby loved it when it was all set on the table.

 

[dtnyc]

diamondfan- that''s great that you now have something you love- I can''t imagine taking your in-laws into the china dept! I picked out a couple things I liked, but had a "first choice" and DH liked it, so that''s what we got. All that matters is that you love it and as long as your DH can bear to eat off of it you are fine. I know my MIL is not wild about what we ended up getting, she quite frankly has rather pedestrian taste. Her sister actually remarked to me last holiday season- that I have "contemporary taste" meanwhile our china is 2 Kate Spade patterns- hardly super-modern.

Different strokes for different folks- you are the one using it and washing it- you need to love it!

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 12/6/2006 11:20:32 AM
Author: dtnyc

Date: 7/14/2006 1:54:15 PM

Author: Blenheim

After much searching, I just found a pattern that I LOVE -- Jasper Conran Chinoiserie Fine Bone China. I haven''t run it by FI yet, and there''s definitely a chance that he won''t like it, but here it is:

Blenheim- I love that pattern too. It''s by Wedgewood isn''t it? It''s Jasper Conran for Wedgewood I believe. Good to have the Wwood backing.


also- random.

My parents house is off of a Blenheim Road...

It is by Wedgwood.


Update on what we''re registering for, because LadyKemma asked long ago. My grandmother has somewhere between 6 and 8 different patterns of china, and wants to give us 1-2 sets. She''s asked us to pick out what we''d like over Christmas, so I''ll have a much better idea then of what china we''ll have. We already have everyday china. She''s also been planning on giving us her silver (I forget the pattern), although I''ve been lusting over my parents'' repousse. I made a passing comment to my mom, who mentioned that she inherited the repousse from my great-grandmother and isn''t wild about it, but loves my grandmother''s silver. We may do a huge silver swap. So, the only pattern that we''re actually registering for is for crystal stemware: Vera Wang Fidelity for Wedgwood.

It was the only one we found that fulfilled our "requirements" of a traditional cut pattern, a bowl that curves back in near the upper rim, and a delicate stem.

By the way, another reason that my FMIL is wonderful: She mentioned that she had inherited her wedding china, and sometimes regrets not choosing her pattern herself. She really wants to make sure that the china/silver/crystal that FI and I get are what WE really want, and not what our family wants us to get.

 

[diamondfan]

Dt, I do not know what I was thinking. What is so funny is that I registered, she was THERE, and she still went out and got me other stuff that I hated even more. She is a character.

I just got "Elysee" by Bernardaud, from their ancient pattern division. I did the 5 piece plus a charger which is the same color as in the china, with a thin gold rim, but no design. I opted to do rim soups that are clear glass with a gold etched rim, I think they are Arte Italica Vetri or Verdi. For crystal I did an English company, William Yeoward, in Claire which is plainer than some of his things but lovely. For sterling I went with Ricci, an Italian company, a pattern called Impero, again, middle of the road in terms of ornateness versus plain. I can now mix in white and gold accessories and candlesticks, which is nice.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 12/6/2006 2:12:09 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
We just used our new china for thanksgiving. It was so exciting!

Yay! I probably won''t use mine again until we move into a new house in the next few years, lol! I still love it, though, and am glad I registered for it!

 

[ladykemma]

congrats to all the new china lovers.

 

[RoseAngel04]

Just wanted to post bc we''re going to register after the Christmas holiday!

We will be register for all of the above....fine chine, crystal, and sterling!

Talk about exciting! I''ll update you all on what we chose in the upcoming weeks.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks Diamondfan & Monarch. My mom is getting me one of the matching serving pieces for x-mas! hehe. I overhead a convo she was having with my sister. I am so bad with surprises *looks around innocently* Mon- how lonely it will be for a few years! You gotta break those kids out once in awhile!!!

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 7/14/2006 10:44:56 AM
Author: ladykemma

Date: 7/14/2006 10:20:07 AM

Author: KristyDarling

Lucky you, Ladykemma -- I''d love to have a set like the one you described. I adore antiques. If it were mine, though, I''d be too paranoid of damaging it to use it! It''s that line of thinking that led me NOT to register for fine china when I got married. I registered for a plain ole everyday set from C&B. It''s plain white with minimal detailing (the ''Staccato'' style) and is nice enough so that I can use for every day AND for dinner parties. I made sure to choose a style that could work either way.


Maybe someday when I have a gorgeous walnut hutch for my dining room, I''ll entertain the idea of investing in some fine china!

once you start looking for it you see it everywhere. people get rid of it because they never use it.

pay no more than 5 dolllars per piece.


Don''t be afraid to use it. What''s the point of having it? silver loves to be used. it gets prettier every time you use it. NO dishwasher. ruins it. ruins knives, because there is a wooden core in there. ruins the silver - makes a silver chloride yellow crap on outside of the silver. removes antique patina. No dips.


I love the ''blue look'' of antique silver.


i would love to see the repousse that is used everyday. i bet it is gorgeous.

Here you go, Lady Kemma. I got it for Christmas!

 

[Blenheim]

I'm so happy that I finally have iced tea spoons.

 

[Blenheim]

Closeup of fork

 

[Blenheim]

FI and I spent a couple hours polishing silver tonight. Whew.

 

[Blenheim]

Back of fork and serving piece.

Looking at the prongs in the picture above, I think that one got dropped in the dish disposal at one point.

The drawbacks of using silver daily with young kids in the house...

 

[Blenheim]

.

 

[Blenheim]

A couple random serving pieces that my grandmother gave me -- no idea what pattern they are.

 

[Blenheim]

And while we were at my grandmother''s, FI and I picked out china pattern -- Royal Daulton "Real Old Willow". She has EIGHT sets of china and three silver patterns, and she was more than happy to give us it for Christmas. She wants to start getting rid of them.

 

[Blenheim]

I love the touches of gold.

 

[Blenheim]

FI and I had a lot of fun eating off of them for dinner. Now I want to drink some tea!

 

[Blenheim]

Last one.