Blue Willow Pattern Only?

Yes, my collection started out solely as the blue and white willow pattern. I started with mostly pieces my mom found for me. Most of my initial collection was either American or Japanese. I didn’t really have any English willow until the Kroger grocery store started handing out Churchill Willow with $100 in a grocery purchase. We used to hold out to buy groceries to get the credit and now I walk away with 3 bags of basics for $100! Man how times have changed.

At some point on a trip to Erie with my husband, we found our first set of pink willow at a little shop in downtown. We then found a restaurant ware set in Pink in Morgantown WV. So the collection expanded. I only had one china cupboard back then! Boy have times changed!

I knew nothing about the old English pieces or anything of a multi colored pattern. I was simply clueless. Ben and I joined the IWC and took our first vacation as a married couple to Richmond Virginia. I had no idea how that convention would shape my newly found liking of very old English pieces and also Tams ware in a multicolored pattern. That convention changed my “Only blue willow” mentality. I was head over heels in love!

The picture above is a mixture of traditional willow and some other willow variants or patterns. I tend to love bright greens or yellows displayed with my willow and sometimes even purple. But I tell you all of this because I was a fairly closed minded willow collector for some time!

You can probably tell, I have some very old English willow with a light blue two temples two pattern, a more traditional willow pattern and a burly palm willow plate. The table cloth is Irish linen and is simply gorgeous with the traditional willow pattern. The plates are a new realm for me. I didn’t have one piece with the curly palm trees, but when I saw a set of 6 for $38 what was I supposed to do? Walk on by……heck no, they called my name. Once again I have fallen in love!

This piece is also English and is a traditional willow pattern. It arrived at my house in pieces so I painstakingly cried and glued it back together then sat and painted areas where needed various shades of blue. Had I claimed the insurance on this piece, it would have been gone forever and I loved it enough to glue my fingers together! Don’t laugh, you have probably done the same.

I have really begun to love this vibrant blue pattern and think it works well with my more traditional patterns. I am beginning to be less of a blue willow strict collector and I am buying what is more pleasing to my eye!

Happy Willowing. Sorry it has been so long.

Christine