Grandma's tablecloths

For a while several years ago I collected vintage tablecloths. Only a few have a label still attached. I bought most of them on Ebay. They are not in mint condition although I have treated some of them for stains and some stains did disappear.

This is one of my favorite strawberry tablecloths. I love the design because it covers most of the tablecloth. Someone has identified it as a 1940's Beauty Kraft Tablecloth called "Strawberry Festival".

It is about 45"x 47" and still has a good color.

This is a fairly common strawberry design made by Wilendur. Years ago, I bought a few with stains to make curtains out of because it was a design that was easy to find.

This small Southwest design vintage tablecloth still has a faded Wilendur label attached.

This is another Southwest design tablecloth with pottery, sombreros, cactus, and other designs. This one is larger than the previous one.

Another great vintage strawberry tablecloth. The blue really adds to the design.

I love geraniums and have many different kinds growing in the back yard. I love this Geranium tablecloth. It has a faint label that says, Harmony House, Sears, Robuck and Co.

I have several vintage California map tablecloths with many different designs. They were popular as a travel souvenir in the 40’s and 50’s. I have seen other states as well.

This one is just red and white. On the bottom left it says “Design c. 1940 U.S.H.P.. Not sure what the letters stand for.

This is my favorite vintage California tablecloth. It is really colorful and is signed by Margaret Newport. It still has bright colors.

I use these tablecloths sometimes on my tablescapes as tablecloths or overlays. This is a tablescape that I created with one of my vintage California tablecloths. You can read more about this tablescape here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/blog/2024/5/22/a-california-dreaming-summer-tablescape

This is another tablescape that I created with a vintage Los Angeles tablecloth. You can read more information about this tablescape here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/blog/2024/5/15/a-la-la-land-tablescape

I have several vintage Christmas themed tablecloths and I enjoy using them during the Christmas season.

I’m glad that I bought my vintage tablecloths before the prices went up so much. I enjoy having them.

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A Trip to Dinkey Creek and Monterey

Last month Hubby and I took a trip up to Central California and then the Central Coast. I wanted to go back to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of my favorite spots. He wanted to see a hydroelectric plant in the Sierra National Forest. Yes, two very different objectives but we had a good time. We stayed in Fresno in the Central Valley because it was really the closest spot to the Sierra National Forest for easy hotels. As a child, Hubby’s family camped with his cousins at Dinkey Creek and he wanted to go back there again. He also wanted to see the Big Creek Edison Hydroelectric Power Plant because his dad worked for Edison his whole life but on the other side of the Sierras.

It was a pretty drive up Highway 168 out of Fresno and then we followed Dinkey Creek Road through Ponderosa Pine and other trees.

We drove past interesting rock mounds, pretty green meadows, and some logging areas.

Because of drought and bark beetle infestations logging is being done all through this area to clear out all the dead trees.

Hubby enjoyed visiting the Dinkey Creek General Store where he bought candy as a child and Dinkey Creek was beautiful and well worth the drive.

We stopped at the Jefferey Pine Log Round, a 532 year old tree that fell in 1987. It is amazing to think how long this tree lived. I looked at the rings and was in awe.

We stopped for lunch at Shaver Lake, an artificial lake built by Southern California Edison in 1927.

We then headed up a winding road to Big Creek and the Power Station.

The Power Plant was impressive as were the penstocks that deliver water to the plant from high on the mountain.

Big Creek was a bit prettier to look at!

This photo shows the penstocks coming down the side of the mountain on the left to the Power Plant at the bottom.

I must admit it was nice to head west toward the ocean after we left Big Creek.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium never disappoints, the exhibits and displays are always first rate. I loved watching the jellyfish, fish, and my favorites, the sea otters. I could sit there for hours just watching them move.

We stayed in the most amazing room at the Spindrift Inn, right on the ocean. The view of Monterey Bay was amazing!

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Monterey, do it!

Silverplate Heirlooms, Their Identification and Care

I have a collection of silverplate items that I received as wedding presents, and others that were handed down to me from family members. I have seldom used them although I am thinking about using them more often. What is the point of having them if I don’t use them! Luckily most have a manufacturer’s mark on the bottom and that helps identify and date them. With the help of a book I have on American Silver Manufacturers, and various Internet searches, I have been able to locate information about the manufacturers of these items and sometimes identify when they were made. This small tray belonged to my mother-in-law’s family, it is engraved with the initial S which gives me a clue as to which family it belonged to.

On the bottom of the tray is the name of the manufacturer, Meriden S.P. Co. (Meriden Silver Plate Company), International S. Co. (international Silver Company) and the number 2327 as well as a trademark of the company. The research I did indicated that Meriden became a part of the International Silver Company in 1898 so this tray was made after 1898. Further research revealed that this half circle trademark was first used in 1921 so the tray’s production now moves forward to after 1920. This narrows even further who the tray might have belonged to if I didn’t know before.

This cute little bon bon dish belonged to my mother. It may have been a wedding gift to her in 1938. I love the details along the rim.

The bottom of the dish is marked Community Plate with a number. Research determined that Community Plate was made by Oneida Silversmiths starting in 1902. I was fortunate to find a dish online with the same design and the pattern was called Grosvenor. This pattern was introduced in 1921 so I suspect it was a wedding gift to my mother because my grandmother was married in 1909.

This silverplate compote belonged to either my mother or my grandmother. (All the silverplate shown needs further polishing and some of it has damage from heavy use.)

This mark was difficult to photograph because it is on a curve. The mark says Wallace, E.P.W.M. with the letter V and number 8510. The manufacturer was Wallace. I wasn’t able to date the compote.

These candlesticks have a great deal of wear where the silverplate is gone. My mother inherited them from her mother. I am glad to have them because my grandmother died when I was eight and I have no memories of her. I love having something that belonged to her. I have thought about having them replated. I had a large silver tray replated and it looks absolutely wonderful so I may have these done as well. I had to send the tray across the country but I am really pleased with the result. (There are those who would say that replating these candlesticks would decrease their value but they aren’t worth that much as is anyway.)

The candlesticks are marked Forbes S. P. Co. (Forbes Silver Company) with a hallmark and the number 807. The Forbes Company was formed in 1894. The hallmark is a bird although it is difficult to see. Forbes later became part of the International Silver Company. My grandmother was married in 1909 so these candlesticks may have been a wedding present.

This epergne belonged to my grandmother. When I was a child I remember a shallow white frosted bowl that sat on it. The bowl had a scalloped rim and small delicate hand painted flowers. At some point it must have broken. I have been looking for a replacement for over 50 years! I will know it when I see it. A few years ago I had this epergne repaired because it was broken in a few places. The repairman did a great job and didn’t want to do too much to it except stabilize it. I love the bamboo design arms and all the detail work on it.

The epergne is marked Aurora S. P. Mfg Co. Warranted Triple Plate with the number 747. The Aurora Silver Plate Company was organized in 1869 and was succeeded by Mulholland Bros. in 1919 so this epergne was made between those years. I suspect it may have been a wedding present to my grandmother in 1909. Triple plate meant that the piece was a higher quality than regular silverplate because it was plated three times so it had more silver.

I use a few different products to polish my silver and silverplate. I’m sure others will say that my methods are wrong but they work for me. I start with Goddard’s Silver Dip. It is very strong and abrasive so I don’t leave it on the piece very long. I then use Hagerty’s Silversmith Polish and Spray Polish. I just bought a Hagerty’s Horsehair Silver Brush and I love the way it gets into corners and depressions in the metal. The spray is easy to use but do it outside or with open windows because you don’t want to breath those fumes. I end with Weiman’s Silver Wipes. Sometimes I go back and forth between them all depending on how bad the tarnish is. I never get all the tarnish removed. It takes too long!

The value of silver and silverplate has decreased. It depends on the current price of silver and also the demand for these items. As with many antiques, there isn’t the interest now that there was in these items in past decades. Younger generations have different life styles than our parents and grandparents.

I really enjoy owning these cherished silverplate heirlooms.

A Lighthouse Love Tablescape

Hubby loves lighthouses probably because he has spent his life’s work in navigation and GPS. We live about 10 miles from a lighthouse and we spent a vacation a few years ago visiting a few on the Outer Banks. I saw some lighthouse plates then but I didn’t buy them. When I saw this set, I bought them and started thinking about a lighthouse tablescape. I found the tablecloth on Amazon. Although it is mostly hidden, it has anchors, a chain design, and stripes.

I went back and forth a bit trying to decide what colors to use with these lighthouse plates. I started with a blue tablecloth and was working with green and brown accents from the colors on the plates. You can see how that all went out the window!

These lighthouse salad plates were made by American Atelier at Home. There are four different designs, this one is “Cape Neddick”. This actual lighthouse is in Cape Neddick, Maine near York. I bought the plates on Ebay. I love the colors and the designs around the rim of the plate.

The next plate is part of our every day dishes. It is a scarlet salad plate made by Fiesta. I bought them at Macys when we remodeled the kitchen and it became a red and white kitchen.

I bought these heavy beige melamine dinner plates at HomeGoods a few years ago and some turquoise ones in the same pattern. They were made by Il Mulino New York.

I bought these chargers on Ebay, a few at a time when I could find them. They are called Color Spectrum by Mikasa and the color is Royal Blue. I love these chargers, I bought them in several colors. They are good quality and heavy.

The bottom charger is my Antique Beaded Charger that I bought at Williams Sonoma several years ago. I use this charger constantly on my table settings. If you look back through my blog at my tablescapes, you will see it often.

Can’t remember what company made the red goblet. I bought them on Ebay and I have had them for a long time. If anyone recognizes the pattern, please let me know! I bought the blue goblets on Ebay, you can still find them for sale there. They were made by Libbey in the 1970’s and the pattern is Tulip in Dusky Blue.

The red flatware is Ginkgo LePrix in Milano Red. I have had it for several years but you can still buy it online. I also bought this pattern in a few other colors as well.

I bought the anchor place card holders at Bed, Bath and Beyond a few years ago. They were silver but Hubby painted some black and some white so I can use them more often.

I bought the nautical napkin rings on Ebay a few years ago. The red and beige and white striped napkins came from HomeGoods.

Not sure where I bought the lighthouse tea light candle holders but it was probably HomeGoods. I have had them for a while.

I think I bought these anchor tea light candle holders at HomeGoods.

This centerpiece lighthouse was actually a lamp that Hubby found at a garage sale. He knew I was looking for lighthouses. He took off all the lamp parts and there it was! It is sitting on one of my Pottery Barn Rhodes Drink Dispensers stands to give a it bit more height.

This lighthouse is Cape Hatteras on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks. It is one of the ones we visited a few years ago. The other lighthouses on the plates are West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine and Split Rock Lighthouse near Silver Bay, Minnesota (upper left plate in this photo). This table setting makes me want to visit more lighthouses!

To see 200+ other tablescapes that I have created including 20 other Ocean themed tablescapes please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Tablescape Ideas group! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape Ideas. Don’t miss my Tablescaping How-To section at the top of this blog post (or here) for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week so please check back!