The Liberty Blue Ironstone china was made in Staffordshire, England as a promotional item for the American Bicentennial, by Benjamin Franklin Federal Savings & Loan Association.
I only own a few pieces of this china, just enough to put together a simple dinner table for two, in honor of George Washington, our first president.
The dinner plate depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and it's slightly smaller than a regular dinner plate, so I added the Lenox Federal Platinum dinner plate beneath it, to act as a charger.
Then, came the Bread & Butter plate, depicting Washington leaving Christ Church.
Ever since I began collecting dishes, it's become a compulsion to turn the plates upside down to see what I can find on the back side.
The darling cobalt, glass-blown vase came from the gift shop at Monticello, originally the residence of fellow Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. I'm sure Jefferson could never imagine his home becoming a museum with a charming little gift shop, but there you have it. It wasn't easy, a mere few days after Valentine's Day, but I managed to find some spray carnations with a touch of red on the leaves. Now, I could have some red, white and blue on the table.
The Reticello lace napkins, were given to me by my godmother on the baptism of my second son. They are only 18" x 18" so I generally prefer using them for luncheons, but I felt Martha Washington might have appreciated them, following Abigail Adams advise to her husband in a letter dated March 31, 1776, to "remember the ladies." The placemats are Sferra in the Clearwater color. Similar shades were often found in colonial homes paired with Prussian blue.
The Jefferson flatware by Reed & Barton for Monticello. I've had this flatware for years and still love the Fiddle & Thread pattern typical of the 18th century, and which Jefferson loved. With all his flaws, I'm a big fan of TJ.
The Laguiole butter knife with the rosewood handle, is made in France, but derived from a Spanish-Arabic knife style typically found among the shepherds in Cataluña, Spain. It's doubtful that it would have appeared in Martha's table, George would probably not have approved, but I love these little spreaders and bring them out to play whenever I can.
George might have been a stickler for proper behavior, and even wrote a book about it. I wonder what he would think of today's manners. I wonder what he would think about my calling him George.
The Cape Fear candlesticks are made of pewter, an alloy very common in Colonial America. Cape Fear is an actual port in North Carolina, but very treacherous to make landings, hence, the name. Both the glasses came from the Dollar Tree.
The table is set. For dinner, a hearty beef roast surrounded by root vegetables, all of which could be found in the colonies.
And for dessert, Cherry Pie. It was delicious, I cannot tell a lie.
