Below is just one of many discussions of everyday china choices. Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: China decisions and suggestions

There have been several threads here about white dishes, and some posters have the Apilco. I've saved the links because I'm looking to buy a new set.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg032120266783.html

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg0321202912611.html

and a third....

Here is a link that might be useful: white dishes

Another.

Here is a link that might be useful: White dishes

Ah Kitchen Detective ...................great minds!

Thanks for adding the post about 'China Decisions.' - now I have another post to add to my collection. Maybe some day I'll get around to finally selecting a set.

Maire

This post was edited by maire_cate on Tue, Sep 17, 13 at 20:45

Well, I got married 32 years ago when the norm was to register for fine and everyday china. For years I did drag out my fine china (and silver) for holidays only, but I haven't for maybe 10-15 years...just too much work now. For inexpensive white dishes I highly recommend Ikea 365....you can buy a six piece place setting( dinner plate, salad plate, bowl) for $35 and lots of open stock serving pieces as well as the regular dishes. I've had it for 18 mos and no chipping...and if it does break...it's so inexpensive I don't mind.

I just bought the Crate & Barrel essential white dishes. They are very nice. 4 stars out of 5. I love big mugs, but the mugs are a little too big. The bowls are a little too big.

I gave my everyday china to my daughter. She is setting up household with 2 other girls.

I have 20 place settings of my wedding china and haven't used it in a long time. Neither daughter wants it. My oldest daughter did not register for china. She got really nice white dishes. Nicer than the white dishes I just bought.

My younger daughter will likely do the same when she gets married.

I looked at these in Williams-Sonoma the other day. The glazes were highly variable. For example, one of the orange dinner plates had a one-half inch diameter taupe blob near the center of the plate. Another was a much deeper, redder orange than the others. However, I found the crackle very attractive and had a thought that they would be attractive in kitchens with crackle glazed back splash tiles. The white is creamier than how it appears on my monitor. It might be better to go into the store and choose individual pieces than to order online.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jars Cantine

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Tue, Sep 17, 13 at 21:10

Thanks so much for all of your replies. You are so much help - I never would have found those old threads without you! I am still confused though :)

I should mention that we are both from a small town, which we are moving back to. There is no Macy's, W-S, etc. So to simplify things, I thought I would register only at two stores. I had thought W-S, b/c of its location within an hour of my hometown and the plates seemed nice and were made in France. I am open to a change though.

I see a lot of you are Mikasa fans. I also like that their settings feature more "usable" mugs. I am concerned though if their production has switched from Japan. I have white Pflatzgraff now that has held up great, but has marked horribly and I would like to avoid that with new dishes.

I bought my white dishes at Bloomingdales, Loft by Rosenthal, I like them because they are thin, and they do not mark at all, they are china. When you look at them closely, they have a circular line on them, almost invisible.
I think Macy's carry the line also, and Rosenthal sells them online on their site.

I use them in Florida and at home in Canada also, the mugs are a good medium size, not big and bulky.

I will second Romy718's choice. Wedgwood White is a wonderfully simple pattern, very modern looking, but works well with more ornate patterns, too, if you want to mix and match. Bone china without any metal trim holds up wonderfully well, much better than any of the earthenware (pottery).

I have 3 sets of china and I don't use any of them. My everyday is Williams Sonoma and they are 15 years old with never a scratch or chip. However, the plates are very heavy, the mugs too big, and the salad plates are enormous (I use them as my dinner plate.) If I could do everything over I would get plain white dishware that is not so heavy.

I started one of those 'white dishes' threads back in July and still haven't made a decision on what to purchase. I like the Apilco Tuileries from Williams-Sonoma and am seriously considering purchasing it. Just waiting for a sale or discount promotion. One thing l like about the Tuileries is the shape of the coffee cup which, I think, lends itself to being used to serve a variety of other foods. I could see a small serving of chili or a chocolate mousse in it.

Also, wanted to mention that when my son got married almost 2 years ago, now, he and his wife chose Wedgwood White to use for their everyday AND 'good' china. I was glad to read romy718's good experience with those dishes for the past 17 years.

The Apilco dishes from W&S are beautiful. Great quality. White dishes are so versatile. The perfect set of dishes for a Bridal Registry. .

I have C&B Maison white dishes. I change out the salad plate and various other pieces during holidays as you are planning to do.

Sreedesq - I hope we didn't overwhelm you by posting the old threads but as you can see there has been a good bit of discussion on the subject of white plates.

As for the Mikasa - I was considering the Italian Countryside for everyday plates. The price is reasonable, the plates and bowls stack well and the mugs are perfect. A friend of mine has them and is very happy. Yet I've also read reviews from customers who complained that within a year of use their plates had gray marks on them. Most of the reviews are positive (check Amazon's reviews) but I've decided to look for a better quality set.

sreedesq, I got married in a small town too. We were able to register for dishes at a local furniture store (not a chain).

I inherited my grandmother's china, which DH and I both love, so we didn't register for china - just stoneware dishes and flatware for every day. 26 years later, we're still using them!

My daughter is celebrating her third wedding anniversary tomorrow and in these past 3 years she has only used her china once. Her china is Noritke Plantinum Wave. It was reasonably priced and is dishwasher safe but at this stage of her life, her entertaining style is very casual so she doesn't bother getting out the china. I am wondering if she ever will. I am finding that I rarely use my china anymore either.
I guess only you can answer the question about your entertaining style but if I had another daughter, I would tell her not to bother with fine china

Regarding your white Pflatzgraff dishes if you have gray marks on them you might want to try scrubbing them with Zud cleanser ( powder form) or Bar Keppers Friend cleanser using a light to medium scouring pad. The marks are from your silverware. I have used Zud on white Noritake dishes and on my Mikasa dishes. It removes all the marks and they end up looking brand new.

This is my daughter's china

I use Bar Keeper's Friend to remove scratches from my everyday dishes.

Here is a link that might be useful: remove scratches from dishes

Being pragmatic, I would only pick out a pattern that was easily available to those who might give that as a gift. So, if the local place is where most would shop for "wedding gifts" pick out something wildly accessible and affordable. Then, if necessary, return it all and get what you want.
Cynical, yes. But in reality, it's just making it easy for guests and not wasting money.
I had a friend who had a big enough wedding and did not register for china. She received at least 25 picture frames, all non exchangeable.
People like to be told what to do and it helps if you make it easy for them, keeping it classy, of course. ( No money trees, gift suggestions, or any solicitation for cash in any way).

Picking out a pattern only available at Williams Sonoma would nix 99% of guests here going the extra mile to get what you want. So make it easy for them.

My experience is the opposite of Bumblebeez - maybe it's a regional thing but DS married this year and registered at W-S and Bloomingdale's. W-S is local and Bloomies is probably 40 minutes away. All of the gifts they received from those stores were shipped by those stores. My guess is that the guests checked the register online, placed the order and the store shipped it.

I've attended 3 weddings this year and did the same. It's the easiest way to shop. If you go to the store you should be able to see the china, but the stores don't stock china, crystal or silver - you have to order it anyway and they ship it.

I have been married 7 years and registered for Mikasa Parchment. It is a nice set, very classic looking, and moderate in price. I didn't want anything that if something got broken I'd be out $100+ per piece. We do use them at holidays. I also registered for completer pieces and have a lot of those.

My friend uses Mikasa Italian Countryside for everyday dishes, and they are really good.

We have Corelle for every day, but I'd really like to get something else. I would like all white. Our kitchen cabinets are smaller, so size is an issue.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mikasa Parchment

When I got married, 35 years ago, I didn't want fine china...I needed dishes. So I asked for corelle in plain white and I'm still using it. I have acres of it now as I've added to it over the years. What's nice too is they replace any pieces that are damaged for free.

Before we got married, I bought my own "good" china. Real china...in that it was made in China...at EJ Korvetts, 50% off as they were going out of business. I think it was $25 for 6 place settings. It is a plain bone color with a gold rim. I splurged and bought 2 sets!

I have used both for formal place settings over the years, and I like having access to both the bone and the white as some place settings call for one or the other...sometimes white is too stark...sometimes bone is too soft. And since it was so cheap, I never mind using it ... I'd feel differently if I had expensive china.

I also have lots of other dishes as I have since inherited stuff from DH's mother, grandmother and aunt. None of it fine china, but some of it is pretty, some of it is sentimental.

I know it's not the usual story, but there it is.

Don't worry about the lack of stores in your town when registering.

I read a great article a couple months ago about how most shopping for wedding gifts is done online.

Sorry, I can't find the article.

ML

We have been receiving boxes almost daily from Macy's, since my daughter is getting married soon. Online registries are great!

My daughter included a notation at the bottom of the wedding invitation to visit her wedding site on line, where she listed where she was registered, names and phone numbers of local hotels, etc.

Back to dishes - I love the french porcelain at William Sonoma, but couldn't get past the very cool white color. (I much prefer warm whites.) Instead, I recently bought the Antique White by Mikasa.

For lovely, simple, comtemporary, inexpensive dishes try the Satin White by Mikasa. It's discontinued but still on the Mikasa website and you can find gobs of "hotel style" dishes to compliment them. I bought 12 place settings as a wedding present for my daughter which really freed up her registry for other things. :)

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mikasa Satin White

This post was edited by bird_lover6 on Wed, Sep 18, 13 at 9:42

Twenty years ago I registered for china because it was the thing to do. I received one place setting and one serving piece. I stuck them in a cabinet and never gave another moments thought to them or to acquiring more pieces. Actually, I have used the serving piece.

So my questions to you are:
Is there a chance your Mum or MIL will be unloading, I mean passing their china along to you sooner than later? Can you just wait for that? I bet your Mums 60's stuff could be really hip and retro.

Do you really and truly think you'll use it? My plain white everyday stuff has worked admirably when tarted up with tablecloths and silver and candlelight.

If you really want it, then don't register for glassware and silver and all sorts of other things too. Listing many options means some people will buy china, some glasses, some silver, some a toaster (or whatever) and you don't get a full set of china.

Popping over from Appliance forum on this.

Disclaimer: I am a dishaholic. For me, dishes are like shoes. I have a lot of both which I've acquired over the last 35 years and, as I mentioned over there, I'm in boomer de-accesioning mode. I just gave DD2 two sets of dishes -- one very plain Barbara Eigen creamware service for 12 from Crate and Barrel with super big deep pasta bowls. I thought those would be perfect for their weekend house place where they entertain a ton but never formally. She likes the dishes but he only likes white it turns out. I expect she will put them away and hope he comes around. She also got 6 settings of her grandmother's Fostoria glass wedding china which is from the 1920s which she loves and is highly collectible. So now I'm down to about 7 sets, aiming for 2.

I buy dishes when I fall in love with them. Usually I don't buy a "set" (the C&B was an exception). So I'm not sure what my experience brings to this because people are still registering and I never registered for dishes. I didn't like the pressure of having to choose plus I'm super fussy about china. I don't care for clunky, heavy dishes. They need to have a certain feel. And I can tell you that looking at plates online and feeling them in your hands and using them with food is very different. It's impossible to tell weight and surface quality from a photo. It's impossible to tell from a single sample how dishes will look in multiples on a table. Years ago, I loved a set of Wedgwood with a black Italian motif on the rim until I saw them set on a table for 10 -- it looked like a dinner for the Adams Family.

Call me cranky but I like plates with rims that are graceful and in proportion, 11" dinner plates and rimmed soup bowls. Salad plates are a must; butter plates not so much. I don't care for mugs and my biggest pet peeve is cups that aren't well balanced and have handles that make them difficult to hold when full.

There is a huge world of dishware out there. There is even a dishware industry building in NYC where all the wholesalers are located and semi annual markets -- the next one is coming up in October. The last time I went to that show I couldn't believe how much gorgeous stuff there is. Don't settle!

I also see so many incredible bargain sets of dishes at auctions. Prices vary a lot depending on where the auction is and what the dishes are. Twice now, I've bought an auction lot of 100+ pieces -- very different -- at outlet level prices when you cost it all out.

My generation that still bought "good" and "everyday" are starting to unload. Even though I bought dishes for certain looks, I'm in the same boat. So if you aren't near certain stores local auctions and house sales should be a value option.

I've never thought of Apilco as tableware. They are a very old porcelain manufacturer and back in the day when there was mostly white and not much else in terms of serveware, Apilco was big. Good quality and basic.

I've been super happy with the dishes I bought from Gien about 20 years ago. Originally 18 dinner and salad plates but no other pieces. They have a wonderful "hand," they are expensive and they are tough. They also are designed to mix and match. I'm a blue and white person and the Gien b&w have been my most-used. There has been the inevitable breakage but they have survived years of a heated drying dw and the microwave. They don't have stupid cups either. I'm linking the English site that will show all the patterns including Christmas stuff. Gien. Their Evol White is stunning all purpose. Michael C Fina has good prices.

Crate and Barrel always has a great selection of white dishware at reasonable prices. I've known them since their very first store in Chicago and I've still got a dozen white Arzberg soup bowls I bought in the late 70s. It would be worth a trip to one of their stores, if possible, for a hands-on. They also have a huge registry. But like everything today, styles come and go so I wouldn't count on anything being available for very long.

I know there's that pre-wedding pressure to register. And everyone asks where you're registered. But if you can find enough other stuff and leave the dishes until you fall for something you truly love or find something amazing that suits you at a sale (or just use one of the sets you're getting from the 'rents every day for a while) I guarantee you will never feel stuck. And with your wonderful new Miele dw, those dishes will be front and center every day.

Yes to shopping online for wedding gifts. The stores make it so easy to find the couple's online registry. They tell you how many sets remain to complete an order or if a desired gift has been bought already, and you can see at a glance what items have gone unpurchased. The stores will ship to the bride & groom's preferred location too. Very convenient for everybody.

I bought 16 settings of Homer Laughlin Vintage, an off-white earthenware with a raised pattern on the rim, produced in the mid 80s. Over the years it has proven to be truly versatile china -- all seasons, all holidays, dresses up or down nicely, and mixes well with other patterns. I'm glad I didn't get bone china with a formal pattern, in retrospect, even though that was in vogue back in the day and was what I wanted. It wouldn't have fit for the way we entertain, and the earthenware was so easy to make festive for any occasion.

For everyday, glass dinnerware is good too -- inexpensive to replace broken pieces or if you get tired of the pattern.

Again, I can't thank you enough for your input. You are definitely helping! I want to add some info in response to some of your points and questions.

I will take my mom's china (which has been stored in a cabinet and I've never seen used) when I finish remodeling. It is kind of hip and cute in a retro way. It is bordered in daisys. I plan to use that for spring/summer.
Also, I will get the botanical plate set when we remodel from future MIL. My needs are a good base set with serving pieces and fall/holiday.

For the past multiple occasions, his family has purchased flatware (similar to Ashton - not sure), barware (Dorset glasses), steak knives (Laguiole), and plates from Williams-Sonoma. The plates will be tossed - many of his broke and they are many years old (I am still slightly concerned about quality of W-S dishes). While I like what they have chosen for him, I feel pre-committed to a Williams-Sonoma registry and those patterns since we have about half-sets. I have glasses from Crate and Barrel that I love, but I don't think I should register there since the closest store is 2-3 hrs away.

My small town has two stores with wedding registries - Walmart and Belk (think nicer than JCP, but less so than Macys). Our Belk is very small, carries cheaper lines than the nicer Belks, and has been a nightmare recently regarding registries. They can't locate them, they never have the stuff in stock, etc. Registering there has been a real problem for some of my friends, b/c they register for a pattern and then they never have the stuff in stock and my friends ended up with incomplete sets, etc. I will look again though and see if one of the 8 or so patterns they offer in store is one you mentioned. I have been very conscious of the choice of registering there or in larger city/online stores. My mom doesn't use internet and neither do a lot of her church friends who will throw me a shower. The other half, at least, are very comfortable shopping out of town/online. I don't want to make a choice based purely on unreliable Belk availability when it isn't something I like. I also know if I register there, folks will buy everything there and I am much less likely to have the aforementioned sets completed.

Regarding use, I want a set of china/stoneware I can use daily. My Pfaltzgraff set is almost 15 years old (I read the thread about cleaning the marks with Bar Keepers and I am excited to do that!) and it isn't something I would want to use for guests. I know I want a versatile white set (French countryside is lovely, but not plain enough for me) that I can use to mix and match my other sets and hopefully some holiday pieces. I am the cook in the family. I will have our folks over for dinner at least once a week if not more. Also, living in a small town I will cook often since restaurant options are limited. Further, I am involved in nonprofits that will require some entertaining. I believe I would get a lot of use out of a versatile white china set.

After reading all of your thoughts, it seems like a casual china may be a better choice than stoneware. I do want something that is dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. The Wedgwood white looks nice on my screen as does the Mikasa, but I am concerned as well about the production shift and potential quality control issues. Also, I will have to check Belk availability.

Thanks again for all of your help. Please keep it up!

Well, I do recommend white, for sure. It enables you to change the table linens at will.
I am absolutely the odd woman out here, lol. I acquired, little by little, Old Country Roses by Royal Albert a few years ago from ebay. I made sure to get the actual English china, not what they sell at Macy's today made in Indonesia. The difference in quality is very noticeable. I wouldn't even consider the pattern looking at it in Macys now.
Yes, that pattern is old, ornate, and not dishwasher safe. I'm not able to use anything but my basic white table linens. But, I love roses, and love the pattern. It goes well with the antique pieces in my dining room, too.

Thanks Rococo for coming over here for me. Your auction idea is great. I am looking for some furniture now, so I will keep an eye out for china as well. You also raise a great point about the feel and how it will look en masse. I think that is why I am leaning toward something plain I could "gussy up" to the occasion at hand.

I haven't announced the engagement yet, so I have some time to answer all the questions and make smart registry choices.

I agree with Quilly. Don't worry about accessibility of shops for those buying - many will order on-line. Some major department stores can also order what they do not have.

I've been married 32 years. I registered both china and everyday dishes when we got married. Granted, we had alot of family and friends who would be coming to showers and/or buying gifts. I had 6 showers and a "china and crystal tea". LOL I'm sure that kind of stuff isn't done now. But I received almost all of my china, including many serving pieces, etc. Received a ton of my crystal and much of my flatware also. The tea was given for me by an older dear family friend and her DIL. I guess that was the "thing" for someone of her generation.

I do use my china/crystal occasionally. It is sentimental to me and I'm happy we decided to register for china/crystal, etc. Through the years, I've developed a dish fetish and have many sets of antique dishes. I mainly buy plates. I love setting a pretty table, love entertaining, so they get used fairly often. Many of the family holidays are now hosted at our home.

I have a set of off-white dishes that I use mostly as our "every day" dishes. They can be dressed up with table linens and glassware and I love them and have used them for many years.

tina

Please register for good glasses. I hadn't had a decent set of matching glasses in years. Someone on here recommended these glasses and I ordered them. I gave my daughter all of my mismatched glasses.

These glasses are wonderful. I think I got the 16 oz and the 5 oz.

BTW, I live in a small town and I love online gift registries. So painless for the gift giver.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glassware

Pier One's Luminous white porcelain dinnerware is terrific. I bought the pasta bowls and am really impressed. No scratching or gray marks, nice heft, ample size, and the porcelain has the most lovely, what, glazing? Is porcelain glazed? It's not a cold white, not a cream either, and has a wonderful sheen and feel. They are as appealing tactile-y as they are visually.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pier One Luminous white porcelain dinnerware

I suppose it depends on how sophisticated your guests are. Even now, the majority of older people I know prefer the "traditional" way of shopping for wedding presents which means
a department store registry. Locally, we have one dumpy dept. store and no WS, so I only meant it as something to be be considered depending on where you live and the guest/family demographics.

I did not register for fine china 30 years ago. DH and I could not agree on a pattern. Five years later my father-in-law passed down the Noritake china he bought for his mom while he was in the Korean War. I love the pattern and we have used it ever since. It only comes out for holiday family gatherings so doesn't get much use but I am glad to have it.

We did register for Pfaltzgraff stoneware and we ended up hating it due to the heaviness and sold it at a garage sale. We switched to Corelle for everyday and have never looked back!

It's probably touched on by someone, but wedding gifts are meant to become part of your estate, to last for a very long time, to be and hold memories. Do not choose a set of inexpensive dishes that you'll end up throwing away and replacing after a decade, or even less. Put THAT on your shower list if you can't come up with $40 to buy your own set.

Others have no doubt made similarly good suggestions too (leaving shortly so will read them later), but Romy's suggestion of cutting the difference with something like Wedgewood White is a good one. That's a standard design produced for decades, so additional pieces could be purchased and broken ones replaced (even after production finally stopped). It's very tough, extremely flexible in mood and style, and also nice enough for any style of dinner you might want to sit people down to.

Since I'm scaling back, I don't want a bunch of sets of dishes, but I do have about 2 dozen white bone china basic settings, which I augment as I feel like for smaller dinners it with such things as

Those could be salad plates on your white dinners, or dinner plates with white salads. And so on.

Erasing yet another duplicate. ):

This post was edited by rosie on Wed, Sep 18, 13 at 15:47

One other element to be considered with respect to a basic china choice is the table and table linens -- or no table linens.

With white china, there's a huge variation in looks depending on the background and accents. Everything works from any place mat to a nice cloth (they are hugely expensive these days) and can shift the look from dressy to casual very easily.

I basically only have vintage table linens, colors and white. I started with my Mom and grandmother's cast offs. I much prefer those to new (though not everyone does). There are house sales every weekend from May though October so finding those isn't difficult. Unless there are dealers & pickers in the area this stuff goes for a song. Most people don't know what they are looking at -- I didn't either when I started. I learned by seeing things over and over and chatting up the sellers.

I happen to be obsessed with vintage white damask napkins (especially 40s and 50s styles) because they are large and iron crisply. They are getting more difficult to find but I paid mostly $60-$70 dozen. And I kept buying them because I'd forget. So DD2 took a dozen of the ones she liked. If you can find monogrammed with your initial that's a jackpot. Anything other from white vintage damask should be 50 cents to $3 a piece. And it's greener than buying new. Most people don't understand that fabric manufacturing and finishing involves a ton of chemicals that end up in the environment.

I won't even get started on dishtowels or handtowels LOL. Same story.

I've recommended Macy's Hotel Collection bone china before and will add it once more since I don't see it mentioned above. They have added a coupe shape to the round ad square rimmed shapes and there are a lot of fun serving pieces. We use them as everyday dishes, but they could dress up for a formal dinner just as easily. I have a set of patterned rim soup bowls and can mix and match from other sets. I love the weight and feel of them, but also the fact that they hold up to everyday use in a house full of guys. The small bowls have been a lot of fun to use too, It goes on sale often and you should be able to get it near half off.

I've come across the Bennett Line at Crate and Barrel. I like it's versatility and functionality. I'm looking at the round, not square.

It is bone china made in Bangladesh. I'm not sure about the quality. I may grab two settings and put them through the paces before I commit.

Do any of you own this or know anything about Bangladesh production?

Here is a link that might be useful: Crate and Barrel Bennett

One of the reviews or the Bennett dishes says the pieces don't lie perfectly flat, dinner plates can wobble, which for me would be a deal breaker. Stacking uneven bottomed dishes is not such a big deal but a better quality dish won't have that problem, imo…….

let us know what you come up with, there are such good suggestions in this thread !

Another person voting for asking for everyday China dishes. China can go in the dishwasher and can be used every day. My philosophy is to own beautiful things and use them. Everyday. Why buy beautiful dishes that you use 3 times a year and have to be handwashed, so it is always "trouble" to use them.

I'm in the same camp as RoccocoGirl. I have sets of china. And I use them all. AND I'm probably going to acquire at least another set as we shop the resale and consignments shops on the SouthEastern US coast. I managed a china and glass store first out of college, and I acquired a lot of knowledge about and affinity for dinnerware.
For durability, buy porcelain as opposed to stoneware. Several of the sets at W-S and C&B etc are porcelain, several are stoneware. Stoneware is fired at lower temps, therefore has to be heavier to have the same durability, and is way more susceptible to chipping. The white and grey bases also mark up with cutlery. Which is why the Mikasa French and Italian white sets all mark up pretty quickly, they're stoneware. I had a full set of that stuff for 12 that I picked up very cheap at an estate sale, because I needed some plain dinnerware about 12 years ago. Hated it. Hated the feel, the weight, the fact that it marked up so bad. Gave the whole set to my eldest stepdaughter.
IMO the ultimate warm white plain dinnerware is Wedgewood White. It has a large rim, so portion control is easier, the base white is so opaque, and I love the feel of it. But it is pricey.
I think I'm going to get it for our new house. I have quite a bit of serving pieces and bakeware in V&B botanica and Port Merion Botanic Garden that I want to mix with a plain white set. I also have sets of salad plates that I like to mix in.

When shopping for white dinnerware pay attention to the weight of it - you have to lift it in and out of the DW and the cabinets everyday. And the base color - the differences between whites are myriad. And most of all the surface area. There is such a trend, especially in the W-S and C&B type stores, to oversize. Remember that you need to put food on that plate, and you're likely to put more food on a bigger plate so that it looks in proportion.

Lastly, the biggest regret I have is not purchasing the Coalport Countryware white when it was available. Evidently they discontinued it in the last few years. ;(
If anyone comes across some for sale or has it and wants to dump it, let me know!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Ah, china. I have both Wedgwood White and Apilco porcelain. Love them both.

A couple weeks ago I ran across 12 place settings of a Thomas pattern, plus platters and covered dishes and gravy boat etc, for $299. It's just nice white porcelain with a gold rim. I don't need it, but couldn't pass it up at that price. My daughter is in high school, so I asked her if she would ever want it ... it isn't too fancy, but can be dressed up easily. It will be fun to add other pieces to it, whether for holidays or whatever. She likes it, now it will sit in boxes in the basement until she moves out.

So, yes, white is right.

I think that's a great idea to go with white sreedesq. I have a full set of Noritake Reverie, which I have used maybe 3 times in 38 years. I keep saying I'm going to use it, but then I don't. I see the price of it on ebay and replacements and am afraid I'll break it. Then part of me says, so what, it didn't cost that much when it was new and I didn't pay for it. Then a third part says sell it and get something that is easily replaced if a piece is broken. Something white, like you are considering.

White bone china is beautiful and timeless. Thirty five years ago I registered for white Lenox with a gold rim. I received most of the pieces and over the years have picked up what I didn't receive when Macy's or Gottschalks (now defunct) had a sale. Last summer, I stopped at a garage sale by our vacation home in a rural mountain Lake community. A family was cleaning out their parents lake cabin to prepare for sale. I picked up a place setting for twelve for $25 of my Lenox china! They were young and said they had no need for fancy dishes - they use paper plates most of the time. I'm thrilled to be able to serve Christmas dinner for 24 without borrowing or renting china this year.

Btw, the last three weddings we've attended, I purchased the gift in their on-line registry from my cell phone while husband was driving us to the wedding. Yes, I'm a procrastinator.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lenox china

Back to W-S's Apilco - we have the Apilco Beaded Hemstitch and I love them.

I don't have too many pictures of them in action but here are a few. Good luck and CONGRATULATIONS!

ob2be, I want to come to your house. You're obviously in the baking camp. Need someone to help you eat what you bake? ;-)

Cake? Did someone say cake? Sorry for the hijack but it is a subject dear to my heart ... mlweaving_Marji, you are welcome anytime :)

And I see I have some good scones pictures too...

sreedesq, you must live in the same town I'm in...Walmart or Belk are our shopping choices. DD got married earlier this year. She chose Kate Spade Wickford, a white porcelain with a raised design on the edge.

Let me encourage you to register at multiple places. DD registered her china at Belk, Macy's, and BBB. That allows folks who want to purchase a gift for you to choose where they want to shop. I would guess that 90% of DD's gifts were mailed to her, so where you choose to register doesn't really matter.

My mom and I both have Royal Worcester Blue Regency. When DD wants fine china, we'll give her some of ours. Fortunately, she likes it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kate Spade Wickford