Smiling Cat Company

Vintage Liberty Blue & White Transfer-ware Dishes

2025-12-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I came across the end of a yard sale. Usually the seller just doesn't want to pack it all back up and you can get a good deal. I could see a box of blue & white dishes that looked familiar. I made an offer which the seller happily accepted and I drove off with 2 boxes of blue & white dishes. When I unpacked the boxes, I recognized the Liberty Blue pattern. I remember seeing them displayed at the grocery store when I was a child. I started doing a little research and discovered........

The Benjamin Franklin Federal Savings & Loan was established in 1925. To celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1975, they looked for something special to offer their account holders. They also wanted a 1976 promotional item to tie in with the 1776-1976 bicentennial celebration of America’s Declaration of Independence from England. They contacted the Enoch Wedgwood Company, located in the Staffordshire district of England. Enoch Wedgewood was a distant cousin of the famous potter Josiah Wedgwood, of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons. The two businesses were separate, until 1980 when Josiah bought out Enoch and renamed it Unicorn Pottery. Many of the vintage Avon keepsake dishes were made by this company. For the Savings & Loan they developed a unique pattern of ironstone dinnerware, the Staffordshire Liberty Blue. Ironstone is a type of pottery first made in England in late 18th-century. It is often classed as earthenware, although it's appearance is similar to fine stoneware. The Liberty Blue dinnerware is white and blue transferware. Transfer designs were an attempt to copy the designs of Chinese porcelain. It is most often in one color, such as blue, against a white background. These designs range from dense patterns that cover the piece, to small, delicate floral motifs. The Liberty Blue pattern consists of fifteen different historic scenes from the American colonial period. It is some what ironic that this pattern, celebrating Colonial America’s independence from England, was created in England.

HISTORIC SCENES:

Washington crossing the Delaware from
Lafayette landing at West Point
The Boston Tea Party
Paul Revere on horseback
Old North Church
Ben Franklin
Mt. Vernon – George Washington’s Home
Monticello – Thomas Jefferson’s Home
Independence Hall
Washington leaving Christ Church
Betsy Ross – the nation’s first flag

Each dish has a historic scene in its center and a border pattern of wild flowers. Such as this Betsy Ross dessert/berry bowl.

On the backs there is a unique stamp in the center with an eagle holding a flag, shield and a banner with the words "Original copper engravings of historic colonial scenes printed on Staffordshire Ironstone. Detergent and Dishwasher safe". Above the eagle are the words "Liberty Blue". Directly below the shield are the words "Made in England". Finally, at the bottom, is the name of the scene.

The association launched the promotion in 1975. When a subscriber made a new deposit of $50, he received a free four place setting. If a customer deposited $1,000, he could buy a 45-piece set for only $45. Additional settings could be purchased. The Liberty Blue dinnerware was made for two years.
In October 1976, the association announced it was After that time, customers could order pieces from the Sigma Marketing Co. of Garden City, N.J.

Sometime after 1976, Liberty Blue dinnerware was offered to grocery stores nationwide for promotional use. For so many dollars spent on groceries, the customer could buy a different piece. Each week there would be a different item to purchase. This must have been the display I remember. The dinnerware disappeared from the scene by the mid-1980s.

The arrival of eBay created a market for the dinnerware as original purchasers and those who inherited sets wanted to complete them or add accessory pieces. In 2002, Debbie and Randy Coe authored "Liberty Blue Dinnerware," published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

There are many collectibles available on Ebay and other online marketplaces.

So many that they aren't of much value anymore.

Bohemian Fringed Cotton Dinner & Cocktail/Buffet Napkins

2025-10-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Recently my friend, Debbie, and I sorted through a large bag of fabric given to us by another friend. The lady was elderly and sadly, just didn’t see well enough to sew any longer. In my share of the fabrics was quite a bit of this heavy, cotton, linen-like fabric, both in bright, raspberry pink & a nice spring green. It reminded me of the fabric used to make Indian saris. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, so I put the fabric aside until I came up with an idea….and this is it-

The fabrics had been cut into a few large pieces, so I was only able to cut four 22” squares for the dinner napkins of each color. The remaining fabric I cut into 12” squares for the smaller, cocktail napkins. Since the fabric has a woven stripe, I had to be sure that I had the same number of stripes on each square. Also, the fabric was much the same on both sides, so didn’t have to worry about the right or wrong side. I began by pressing a 1” fold all the way around.

I used these pressed lines as a guide to stitch a slender & tight zig zag seam all the way around each square. I stopped and pivoted at each corner, and back-stitched securely when the stitching met the beginning again. Then, I pulled out the threads to the stitched line to create the fringe. This was a bit time consuming, but something to do while watching T.V. The fabric was loosely woven, so it was pretty easy to pull apart.

I trimmed the fringe here & there, and it really fluffed-up after being washed.

I liked the results, so I continued with the green sari fabric.

I had started making mitered corner dinner napkins from the green fabric. But, it was very tricky to keep the miters corners sharp. After making the first set of dinner napkins, I decided to make the rest with the fringed edges.

I think they are quite festive. both are nice, but I think I prefer the fringed version.

Well, that’s all for now.…!-Carole

Chessie-The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Logo

2025-10-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

This week's small treasure...a vintage 1970's crewel embroidery kit. The subject of the kit is "Chessie" the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad logo. I was a teenager in the 70's and worked at a department store, in the sewing & craft area. I bought a similar kit there- I loved that project..!

Obviously, I'm a cat lover, but the "Chessie" logo is one of the most popular corporate symbols in American history. In 1933 Chessie became part of an ad campaign to promote C&O's new air conditioned sleeping car service. A service that would let you sleep like a kitten.

I think it is interesting to compare a soft kitten to a hard, modern steel train. The first ad was in black and white and didn't name the kitty. The original etching was by Guido Grunewald, a Viennese artist for $5.00. The first ad was so popular that the C&O's ad agency built a whole ad campaign around the kitten and named her Chessie.

Her family grew with her popularity. In 1937 she has two kittens, and her mate named "Peake". Peake first appeared in a Father's Day ad.

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You might have found, Peake-Chessie's "Old Man" on playing cards in the bar car. Along with the ads were many promotional items. One of the most popular of these were the Chessie calendars.

The 1940 calendar shows Chessie and her two kittens snuggled up with proud Peake watching over them.

And for Christmas....

Once the U.S. entered WWII, Peake, of course a patriot, promptly enlisted in the military. After the war, Peake returned home to his family, displaying his medals.

Chessie and her family are true, American cats. You just have to love them.

There were many different versions of Chessie embroidery kits in the 70's designed by Erica Wilson and manufactured by Columbia Minerva.

This kit is for a small, do not disturb sign that you would place on a guest room door.

These kits include all necessary supplies to complete the project. You can find Chessie items at www.chessieshop.com.

Here is one last picture of Chessie that I think would make a great applique pattern:

Bye for now-Hope you are having a great day..! CaroleL.

Pottery Makers' Marks-Tell Us a Story

2022-10-22T20:10:00.004-07:00

I love to look up and find out what information I can about the odd bits of vintage or contemporary dishware that I find. When shopping around, I usually look for Farmhouse or Cottage style items that would look well as a display in a hutch, plate rack or as a centerpiece. I know that decorator plates aren't fashionable at this time, but I just can't help myself. I also find quite a few pieces of good quality dinnerware that one might need to replace a broken or lost item. I'm becoming quite a detective. There's so much info. to be found on the internet and it often becomes a history lesson. Two World Wars in Europe and the fall of the Soviet Union have taken their toll on many manufacturers. For example, if an item was made in Czechoslovakia, its definitely vintage as this country has been rearranged and is now known as the Czech Republic.

This is an antique 1890's Brown Transferware Cream Platter made by Johnson Bros. The pattern is called "Mignon" which means "small & delicate" in French. The pattern is delicate, but the platter is fairly substantial. It's of the same timeline as Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts Movement. But, I don't see it falling neatly into either style. It is a Nature inspired design.

It has a very British mark, what with the crown and the shield. Johnson Brothers went out of business in 2015, so they were in production for over a century. They were one of the first companies to introduce ironware, which is a refined earthenware and a big deal at the time. There is no iron in ironware. Its name is due to its strength & durability. Ironware or ironstone is a type of vitreous pottery first made in the U.K. in the early 1900s. Vitreous china has an enamel coating that is applied to ceramics after they've been fired. This gives them a finer appearance. A growing middle class wanted nice, affordable, useable dinnerware. Ironware was a cheaper, mass-produced alternative for porcelain.

This pretty, little celery dish was made in the Art Nouveau style which was popular during 1890-1910, its delicate floral pattern does look Victorian & feminine. This style is known for flowing lines and shapes inspired by Nature. You can certainly see this in the gently curved edge of the oval dish. It was made in Germany as its mark states.

This Reinhold Schlegelmilch, or RS mark, was used on their good quality porcelain manufactured in Germany from 1912 to 1945. Earlier, this same pottery used a similar mark but, designated Prussia. After that it was Germany, and then Bavaria. The pottery didn't move, the map did. Another interesting note about this pottery, is that to this day there are forgeries of their pieces are sold. Mostly vases and decorative items. So beware-

This colorful platter is of the mid-century "Vogue" pattern from Taylor, Smith & Taylor which was produced from 1933-1950. In 1901, brothers Homer & William Taylor with Charles Smith were the proprietors of this pottery. In 1905, Homer & William left the company. Charles Smith and his brother William continued on, keeping the name Taylor, Smith & Taylor. The pottery, operating in Chester, WV, was purchased by Anchor Hocking in 1972. The pottery was closed at the end of 1981. It continues to be one of the best potteries in the U.S.A.

Their mark is a simple wreath of company name, USA and number. All their works are numbered and many of them are found in museums. Their designs are colorful and even their vintage patterns look modern.

I really love this simple leafy design, which is pattern: SCG28-Leaves & Brown Pods w/ Gold Trim. I think it deserves a more interesting name. It's dark and light shades of brown with pale greens. Schirnding is the name of the town the where the pottery was founded in 1901. By 1906 the factory had 6 modern kilns, electric lights and its own link to the local railroad. It survived WWI & WWII and is still a successful business today. As with many potters' marks, there are many variations of the same design. I think the simple edelweiss flower is lovely.

Porcelain Marks & More

There is the same mark, but stamped with "Made in Germany U.S. -Zone". How soon we forget that Germany was once divided by a wall. I also have a few teacups stamped "Occupied Japan".

Lastly, this sweet, innocent little sugar and creamer set with a transfer design of pink cabbage roses which may have a dark past. It was made by Bohemia Ceramic Works in what was Czechoslovakia. BCW was founded in 1921 in what is now Nova Role, Czech Republic. Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1993 and separated into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

This back stamp is a bit elaborate.

It depicts a lion surrounded by a stylized B and the words Bohemia-Made in Czechoslovakia. As I looked up info. about this mark, another place kept popping up-Neurohlau....? I turned to Wikipedia, turns out it was a concentration camp during WWII 1942-1945. Furthermore, prisoners, mostly women, were sent to work at the BCW factory during this time. Which may or may not be when this set was made. It is still the same pretty, little table set, but it seems different. I hope it isn't connected to that dark time.

BCW was nationalized after WWII and became part of Karlovarsk Porcelain in 1958.

As in Staffordshire, England-Due to the natural resources available in the region of Bohemia, it became one of the largest pottery centers in Europe in the early 1900's, with over 30 manufacturers.

So ends our history lesson for today.

The items shown here and many others are available at my home SHOP. Do have a look.

Hope you're a wonderful day....! Carole

Daisy-An Appliqué Cat-Fusible Web Appliqué

2022-09-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

My sister, Lyn, has a lovely home in upper WI. On my last visit we spent an afternoon at a quilt show in nearby Eagle River. Trees for Tomorrow Park provided the perfect setting for the Cranberry Country Quilt Guild’s ‘Walk in the Woods’ Quilt Show. Beautiful quilts displayed informally outside on clotheslines between the trees.

Along with the quilts were lots of vendors, such as Laura Krasinski, who was representing Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

She was also selling her first original pattern, Daisy, a raw-edge, appliqué cat pattern.

My sister bought the pattern and I promised to make it for her. She wanted to have something made by me to hang in her office, she’s such a sweetie.

This pattern includes a layout guide and three sheets of fusible web with the pattern pieces already printed on them. This is not a pattern for beginners, at least intermediate appliqué skills are needed. The instructions are very general, leaving most decisions up to the quilter, and its designed to use up small scraps of favorite fabrics. The original Daisy pattern was fused, raw-edge appliquéd and then simply quilted. I decided to loosen up and see where the pattern would lead me.

First, I got out my rayon machine embroidery thread, and started matching fabrics with the threads. I tried to choose a nice variety of colors, and since the pattern pieces where small, I stuck to mostly solid fabrics.

First, I picked a light blue cotton for the background, sprayed it heavily with the spray starch and pressed it. The pattern told me to start with the grass, so I ironed the grass pattern piece to the wrong side of the green grass fabric. Then, I cut it out and fused it to the bottom of the blue background.

Next, I started working on the cat. I decided on a black & white cat, to match my kitty-‘Miss Cookie’.

I fused the cat pattern to the black cotton I’d picked out. Fusible web has a paper side & a sticky side. The pattern piece is traced on the paper side then the sticky side is pressed to the back of the fabric. The pattern piece is cut out; the paper is pulled off, leaving a sticky film on the back of the piece. I fused the sticky back to the blue background as shown on the guide.

I set-up my sewing machine with my black rayon thread, and used a tight zig-zag stitch to sew the cat’s body to the background. Again, I positioned it as shown on the guide. Now, the pattern directed me to draw on the cat’s face with a fine sharpie, but I decided to hand embroider the face.

I traced the face on plain, white cotton. Also, I decided to include the cat’s ears on the head rather than separately.

When I was happy with the face, I fused the web to the back, right over the stitching. I cut it out and positioned the head as shown on the guide, and pressed it to the background. Then, I pinned a small piece of fabric stabilizer to the back of the background, to prevent puckering, as the piece was a bit small.

I switched my machine to white thread, and again used a tight zig-zag stitch to sew it to the background. I also added a small piece of black fabric to the top of the head.

While I had the white thread in, I decided to put a heart-shaped patch on the body. Then, I started adding a few white flower shapes. Still zig-zagging, I added two flowers, then trimmed around the stabilizer.

Time to stop & see how things were shaping up.

Yikes! So boring. I needed to put a bit more thought into this. I showed it to my friend, Diana, and she started pulling different fabrics from her stash. When she pulled out the ‘Day Glow Daisy’ fabric, I knew we were on to something.

I got out my super sharp appliqué scissors, and cut the cat figure away from the blue background-careful not to cut into the outline stitching. Then, I stitched the kitty to the new background, added a few flowers & leaves.

Next, Diana, helped me do some simple, free motion quilting. Lastly, I finished it with the original light-blue fabric as binding.

I hope my sister likes it...!