Introducing.... Starlings China!

Stoller Farms is a nearby neighborhood that has an annual garage sale day where many of the neighbors have their sales on the same day.  This year it was a particularly fine morning when I headed out to search for lounge patio chairs and a keyboard.
I parked my car near the entrance of the neighborhood and the first sale had this lovely set of china for $25!  I fell in love instantly and $25 for a 35 piece set including a coffee pot, creamer, sugar bowl and gravy boat is a very, very good deal, but I had a $300 worth of bark dust coming the next day and couldn't afford to be frivolous. I kept walking. I found some lounge chairs for next to nothing and then when I headed back to my car there was the china still sitting there.

And so I bought it.

As we wrapped the dishes in newspaper and packed them in a box I had a lovely chat with Ursula who told me that the china had belonged to her uncle and his wife who lived in Grande Ronde and she inherited it when they passed.   

I love that it is part floral in a dandelion seed parachute and thorn sort of way but that is is also very mid-century with a star burst design.  The pattern is by Creative pattern # 1014 and is called "Platinum Star Burst." I can't find out the date but one site had a set with a date of 1935!  To me it says "Starlings"

When I had it in my possession I examined it further and really appreciated grey, grey blue, brown grey and the raspberry centers!  It was then that I knew that I had found the inspiration piece for my kitchen.

You can see from the top photo that I have a very nice selection but not quite a full set.  I am missing bowls, teacups and saucers, dinner plates (thought I do have luncheon plates) serving bowls and platters and a teapot.  But I do have a coffee pot with the usual accompanying pieces and salt and pepper shakers.  I didn't even know that they made matching salt and pepper shakers for china patterns.

So my dear friends, family and readers I ask most humbly for you to keep your eyes open at your rummage sales, thrifting excursions, antiquing and the like for pieces to fill out the collection.  I would love to have a full set.  It would be a great thing to remember for gifts (hint) and you can buy some pieces on-line.  Etsy seems to be reasonably priced but some places are exorbitant.  I am pleased to report that my bargain basement garage sale price works out to 71 cents a piece (71 cents for a coffee pot!)  Oh, how I love a bargain.

I can hardly wait to pull these out on special occasions. Next, I need to choose a star burst-y flatware pattern and find a pretty cabinet to store and display my pieces.