Boy do I feel stupid - edited to add photos.

[KitchenWitch]

I have my grandmother's china. I inherited it when she passed away about 12 years ago. I have always loved my grandmother's china, and somehow thought it was older than I am.

There are a few pieces that are missing (or maybe she never had them in the first place), so I have been looking to complete the set. As it turns out, the entire set was commissioned in 1976. Apparently, the china that I thought my grandmother had since well before I was born, actually did not come out until I was about 12 years old.

:dunce:

[puerco-bellies]

1. Now stop being silly and pour your self a nice cup of tea, and don't forget to use a saucer.

They were your grammies, and that is what counts.

[KitchenWitch]

2. True

I still love the china.

[Jamastiene]

3. Look at the bright side...

maybe the china has less poisonous impurities in it than china made earlier, say, like lead and stuff like that. I would still enjoy it. I have some of my grandmother's old dishes. I don't care what year they are or what's missing. I kept them because I ate some of the best meals out of them when I was a kid.

My grandmother could take ketchup, flour, eggs, milk, peanuts, coconut, a can of tomatoes and saltine crackers and come up with a scrumptious meal. She was the McGyver of cooking. She could whip up a meal just by magically mixing and cooking foods I would never attempt to mix and cook. It always tasted great too. How she did it, I'll never know. I wish I had paid attention closer and I also wish I had gotten some scales so I could measure her "pinch of this/pinch of that" size officially. My pinches have never quite measured up to her pinches.

[KitchenWitch]

4. Funny, my grandmother was a horrible cook!

She could burn water.

Anytime anything gets burnt around my kitchen or my mother's, we state that "Eleanor" was present.

:rofl:

[Jamastiene]

5. Lol

:rofl:

I guess that answers the question why some pieces are missing. I've burned things badly enough that throwing away the whole entire pot was necessary. Think that might be the case here? :P

[KitchenWitch]

6. Actually no

after doing a bit of research tonight, I am thinking she did not get all the pieces.

The china was a "grocery store premium" and could be acquired as open stock from the local markets. I am thinking she only got two of the luncheon plates.

I would love get 10 more of the luncheon plates and the gravy boat and underplate (she did not get that either).

[alphafemale]

8. You might be able to find matching pieces.

Is there a name stamped on the back?

Did you say it was made in 1976?

There were lots of Bicentennial themed items then.

It is the sentimental value that counts most though.

[KitchenWitch]

9. There are pieces available on eBay.

I will be able to complete the set.

The set was called Liberty Blue - it was by Staffordshire Ironstone.

The plates I am looking for are not as readily available as the dinner plates.

[BikeWriter]

10. I recall when those were in the stores, now that you mention it.

[KitchenWitch]

7. crickets?

[NMDemDist2]

11. did you try here?

http://www.robbinsnest.com/liberty-blue.html

[NMDemDist2]

13. don't you wish you were here yesterday, look what I happend to find on my local

auction site from yesterday's sale?

[KitchenWitch]

16. OMG

I have an almost complete set. Missing 10 of the luncheon plate and a few of the serving dishes.

:drool:

[Guava Jelly]

12. My old neighbor had the same set

I was afraid to eat off of them

[China_cat]

14. At least those are pretty.

Somebody stole my grandmother's china and we were all relieved not to have to take it...it was a pink and gray plaid. And she had ALL the pieces.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

15. You may not be able to get the chargers.

It doesn't look like the company ever offered them.

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/STFLIB.htm