The Start of an Ironstone Collection

Just what I need, another collection and more white dishes!

The first piece in my ironstone collection was this covered dish that I found at a summer yard sale for a buck or two. I have to find pieces at a really good price because I'm really cheap we have a budget. 

The second piece I found was a little butter pat at an antiques warehouse in Glen Williams, Ontario for 25 cents, at least I think it is a butter pat. It is the thicker round edge type with some lovely discolouration.

I shared my love of white dishes here and here. I loved seeing dish collections in the many blogs I visited and  in magazines, but I was a bit confused as to what pieces were ironstone until I read Ellie at Frog Goes To Market's post My Antique Ironstone Collection. Have you seen her collections? Drool worthy!   

I found out that the thicker round edged pieces with simple lines and the finer more detailed pieces are both ironstone. I love the antique shades of white and that some pieces show their age with crackling and discolouration. So I guess you can understand my excitement when I found more pieces at thrift stores in a neighbouring city this week. At one store I found 10 Myott Meakin bread/dessert plates with a scalloped edge, 39 cents each. They are marked 1982 so not really old but made in Staffordshire England.

At another store I found the two Johnson Brothers dinner plates, made in England, shown under the covered dish, for 99 cents each.

The third thrift store had two platters and a little dish. The little dish was $1 and the one above was $5.99 and is marked Unicorn Thomas Hughes and Son, Staffordshire England, and is 11.5" in diameter.

The largest platter is 14.5" long and has a very faint marking, only $3.

These pieces may not be super valuable, but I love the different shapes, sizes and the beautiful shades of whites. For now they will find a home on our kitchen buffet and hutch or in our dining room cabinet. One day I would love to have a fraction of Ellie's collection beautifully displayed in an open cabinet. For now I am enjoying my little collection.

Linking up this week at some of my favourite places to hang out...
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Saturday Nite Special # 119 at Funky Junk Interiors and SNS #124 Vintage
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday #100 at Coastal Charm
Wow Us Wednesdays #52 at Savvy Southern Style

Categories: collections , decorating , dining room , kitchen , our home