Violets And Cross Stitch Tea, Royal Things

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day... and celebrated the nurturing going on in your life... physical or spiritual!

Of course, I had to have an antique postcard!

I did a small tea in the sunroom this week... we had gorgeous spring weather in the 70s... lovely!

I was re reading one of my Victoria books... The Art Of Taking Rea, and realzed I had some Violet things around, so... voila! A Violets tea!

I did this cross stitch in 1990 and it lives in our bedroom by the bed.  And it has Violets!

I had found this Violets tea caddy recently, and it was a fun bit of research to track down the maker. 

The design was by Crownford Giftware Corp from New York, but it was made in England.  Now there was a Crownford in England that came about from a merging of  Eizabethan/Taylor and Kent and Rosina/Queen's china, but  Crownford Gift Corporation was only in existence from 1964-1973, so I don't think they were related.

Anyway, made in England by an unknown pottery.

And of course, we had to have a Violets teacup. I think maybe I have shared this one before, but it was handy... I love it! But then I love Violet teacups!

The Violets teacup is by Samuel Radford's England, and from the mark was made just at the end of the potteries life... from 1938-1957, when the pottery closed.

Radford's was another of the potteries that shakily survived World War II, only to be unable to survive in a difficult business climate with difficulties finding supplies, a work force, and designs that matched the post war culture.

The other Violets item I found is a 2 piece over-the-cup tea strainer with matching drip catching under bowl.

I f you read my last blog about pattern decals crossing over brands, this is another one... seen on Royal Patrician, Allyn Nelson and many others in the 1980s. We sold a lot of these by Royal Patrician in the 1980 unitl the pottery went of of business in 2009.

When I saw it, I just assumed it was Royal Patrician, so was surprised to find it marked by David Michael China, Staffordshire. And, try as I might, I could find no info on the company at all, so conclude it was another of the small, short lived independent potteries in Staffordshire in the 1980-1990s.

I love the research on these potteries!

For more information on any of the items shown on Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

And May 19th is the 1st wedding anniversary of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex...

who also welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison on May 6th.

Congratulations to the family!