It's an Heirloom Party!

Marie, whose blog is Emma Calls me Mama, is hosting an Heirloom Party today! :-) It's an opportunity to share something you've inherited or that's been passed down to you...or even something new that you plan to pass down to your love ones. I've been at work all day, so I'm a bit late joining in...but I just couldn't resist a good party!

Now I know many of you have already seen this heirloom, but I thought I'd share it for those who are more recent visitors to BNOTP. You guys know how much I love playing in the dishes and making a pretty table...well, I think I may have come by it honest. :-)

My Mom crocheted this luncheon set during the period she was awaiting my arrival. That means it's 52 years old...did I just say that out loud? :-) Despite many forays into antique shops over the years, I've never seen another one like it.


Here's one of the few pictures I have of my Mom and me...it was taken right around the time she would have been completing the luncheon set. Unfortunately, I never got to know my Mom very well because she suffered with unrelenting mental illness. As you might imagine, that makes this heirloom all the more special.


This vintage china with the pink band and the gardenia in the center, is made by International. The pattern is called Glenwood. Homer Laughlin also made this same pattern. I found it at a local antique shop and just loved it.

It gives me the chills seeing them together...the crocheted pieces look like they were designed to coordinate with this china. Makes me wonder what china Mom planned to use with these pieces...I'm guessing she had some particular china in mind when she crocheted them.


Look at the intricate detail work in these place mats...I love the pretty spring colors of pink and green.



The gardenias in the center of the table, came from a bush that grows right by the entrance to my garage; I get to enjoy them each day as I enter and leave my home. I love to bring them into the house during their long blooming season. Their fragrance is intoxicating and within just a few hours, it fills each room of my home.

Mom also crocheted pieces to go under serving pieces. You can see one of the oval shaped pieces in the pic below.

Front side of the oval serving piece...

Each piece is double-sided. Having crocheted a fair amount myself, I know how much work went into making this luncheon set. Since each piece is double sided, it's almost like crocheting it twice!
I paired the International Glenwood china with another floral Homer Laughlin china I already had. Here you can see a round crocheted serving piece under the bowl.

Close-up of front...

And of the back...

Cute little doilies or hot pads...

I love the little "jackets" Mom created for the glasses...aren't they adorable?! I have a vision of ladies dining out on the porch, dressed in beautiful sun dresses, wearing big floppy hats, and drinking sweet iced-tea from glasses surrounded by delicate crocheted flowers.

My sister, Glenda, who is 10 years older than me, well remembers Mom crocheting this sweet luncheon set. Glenda told me Mom wanted the set to be perfect. As she worked on it, if she discovered 3/4 of the way through a piece that she had made a mistake, she would finish the piece and then give it away. If she was only a short distance into a piece, and noticed a mistake, she would unravel the thread and began again. Do you think she knew it would one day be an heirloom passed down to her youngest daughter? Wonder if she had any idea how much that daughter would love it?

I love the story behind this picture of my Mom. I've been told that the reason it looks so worn and creased is because my Dad carried this picture with him everywhere he was stationed during WWII.

Hope you enjoyed this heirloom journey back to a time when dining was met with great anticipation and was celebrated in the most enchanting ways.

Thanks, Marie, for hosting this Heirloom Party. Please be sure to stop by Emma Calls Me Mama to see all the wonderful heirlooms! I'm working on a Pink Saturday post...so check back for that tomorrow! :-)