Hartstone Pottery Introduces new dinnerware patterns
By admin | August 26, 2009
Hartstone Pottery has introduced three new dinnerware patterns for the summer. Shimp, Blue Crab and Anchor are their new pattern names.
Shrimp Dinnerware is on a cream body with a red shrimp and a red band. It’s available in select accent pieces.
Blue crab dinnerware is is also on a cream body with a blue band and a blue crab, and is available in a full dinnerware place setting as well as a wide assortment of accessories.
Anchor dinnerware is also on a cream body with a blue band.
Topics: What's new in dinnerware! | No Comments »
Lenox dinnerware from the October 2008 NY Tabletop show
By admin | May 14, 2009
Lenox introduced a number of line extenders for their popular patterns.
Opal Innocence dinnerware had the addition of a Carved pattern, that takes the Opal Innocence design and interprets that design in a relief pattern. The relief pattern has a more casual appeal.
Butterfly Meadow dinnerware is 8 years old and still growing. Lenox introduced a new Cat Cookie Jar and a Bunny Sugar and Creamer.
Butler’s Pantry dinnerware has added rooster accents to a number of their items.
Peony Lane was reintroduced at the October Tabletop show. Peony Lane dinnerware can be found at Macys and other retailers.
Chirp dinnerware has new candlesticks, bud vase, and accessory sets added to the pattern.
Flutter dinnerware, a gray tone butterfly, is sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Macys.
Chocolate dinnerware has a drizzle design and is sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Topics: Dinnerware information, What's new in dinnerware! | 1 Comment »
New dinnerware patterns by Mikasa, New York Tabletop April 2009
By admin | May 13, 2009
Mikasa had a number of successful introductions. Most of their new dinnerware pattern introductions were picked up by retailers across the country. Here are the patterns with some of the retailers listed below.
They introduced Indigo Bloom dinnerware, and it is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Bloomingdales to mention a few. It is also available at the company’s website, Mikasa.com.
Curve dinnerware is available at a number of places and at Mikasa.com.
Bamboo Reeds dinnerware is available at retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond and at Mikasa.com.
In their formal line, Mikasa introduced Love Story. Love Story dinnerware can be found at Macys and Bed, Bath & Beyond and Mikasa.com.
Platinum Petals dinnerware is sold at Amazon.com and Mikasa.com.
Shimmer Vine dinnerware is sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Mikasa.com to name a few.
Takaya dinnerware is sold at Amazon.com and Mikasa.com.
Floral Silhouette dinnerware is sold at Mikasa.com.
Platinum Ribbon dinnerware is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Mikasa.com.
Capri dinnerware was designed in an art nouveau style in gold and does not seem to be available at any retailer.
See the next post the results of more new dinnerware introductions from the October 2008 New York Tabletop Show.
Topics: Register for dinnerware | 1 Comment »
New dinnerware introductions
By admin | May 12, 2009
What dinnerware introductions from the New York Tabletop show in October of 2008 have actually entered the marketplace?
The answer is some of them.
Nautica introduced 5 new dinnerware patterns. Anchorage dinnerware was a grey and taupe pattern. Bar Harbor dinnerware featured boats. Sea Beach dinnerware showcased shells. Knot dinnerware had a rope knot trim. Boston Blue dinnerware was a blue and white pattern.
Unfortunately none of these have yet to be placed with a retailer.
Joseph Abboud introduced 3 patterns; Zebra, Cheetah, and Bengal. Both Zebra and Cheetah can be found in Bloomingdales.
Pfaltzgraff introduced a large number of patterns, and haven’t been seen at a retailer.
Denby introduced Sienna, and it is available at a number of retailers. Sienna is a lovely brown dinnerware with teal inserts.
Sango introduce Society dinnerware and Contrast dinnerware in a variety of colors. Both collections can be found at a number of different retailers.
Updates on other manufacturers will be on the next post.
Topics: Dinnerware information, What's new in dinnerware! | No Comments »
What’s new in dinnerware - New York Tabletop Show, April 2009
By admin | May 11, 2009
The new dinnerware introductions that were shown at the New York Tabletop Show in April 2009 were considerably more about business, than about new patterns. Here are some of the highlights.
White dinnerware is the most popular - not a big surprise.
Square dinnerware was everywhere - again, not a surprise.
Turquoise and otehr blue-green shades were shown in a wide number of showrooms - shown as accents with brown, white, and blue, but will this fashion color be strong for dinnerware?
Purple is making a comeback.
Greens are still strong.
Birds and butterflies are flying around the plates.
Reactive glazes still very strong in Housewares.
Fitz and Floyd is working with Ralph Lauren to create a brand new Ralph Lauren dinnerware line. The new line will include dinnerware, stemware, flatware, barware, and giftware.
Homer Laughlin showed their new Fiesta dinnerware color. The new Fiesta dinnerware color is Lemongrass. The new color was first introduced in March of 2009 at the Chicago Home and Housewares Show.
Waterford Wedgwood, has a new owner, KPS Capital Partners. They are restructuring, and will now be known as WWRD Holdings, which includes Waterford, Wedgewood and Royal Doulton.
Lenox has been bought by Clarion Capital Partners. They will put the spotlight on their heritage as an American manufacturer, ans will focus on both the bridal and casual upstairs market. They are also planning to develop a premier line of product that will appeal to the luxury consumer.
Mikasa, owned by Lifetime Brands, is focusing on fashion. They are developing a sub-brand called M by Mikasa, to showcase more contemporary and edgy designs for the housewares department.
Portmeirion bought royal Worcester and Spode, bringing togther the three powerful English Brands.
Luigi Bormioli introduced a line of bone china, the first time they have put bone china in their line. The white bone china line was introduced uner Luigi Bormioli;s Michelangelo collection.
Oneida introduced
Allegra - a white porcelain with a subtle texture on the rim.
Adriatic - soft liquid blue textural glaze that moves into even softer tones of blue
Windance - subtle effects, illustrative about nature
A number of companies focused on Black and White dinnerware.
Villeroy & Boch’s Bloom Shadow was black & white with a touch of gray, and Bloom Sun was black and white dinnerware with a dash of yellow.
Mikasa introduced a number of black and white dinnerware patterns, Etch, Brushstroke, and Urban Rose.
Lenox introduced a new Christmas dinnerware pattern called Merry Berry.
Tag introduces a number of Christmas dinnerware patterns, Winter Wonderland with an embossed snowflack and reindeer design and Alpine in red and white.
Zrike introduced three new Coca Cola collections in the melamine dinnerware line: Diner, At the Movies and Red, White & Bold. Zrike also introduced Marisol and Pirouette, 2 dinnerware patterns from Tracy Porter.
Topics: Dinnerware information, What's new in dinnerware! | 1 Comment »
Fiesta Square Dinnerware now in Macy’s
By admin | April 2, 2009
Fiesta’s new Square Dinnerware was introduced last October at the New York Tabletop show. Homer Laughlin said it would ship in March of 2009, and Macy’s has it!
The press release from Homer Laughlin says:
Newell, W.Va.—(October 20, 2008)—The Homer Laughlin China Company™ is extending its iconic line of dinnerware with a new youthful shape: Square. Featuring the same sculpted art deco design by Frederick Hurton Rhead, new square shaped FIESTA Dinnerware complements the brand’s traditional [round] place settings and assorted contemporary glazes.
“The new shape addresses the needs of a growing consumer segment that cannot be ignored,” says Rich Brinkman, FIESTA Dinnerware. “Younger as well as new, edgy consumers desire unique shapes, sizes and colors that speak to their personal preferences, as well as stylized home decors.”
The company is unveiling Square in eight contemporary colors at New York Tabletop Market, 41 Madison Avenue, Wednesday, October 22 thru Friday, October 24. Look for FIESTA’s new shape in the following glazes: Shamrock, Ivory, Sunflower, Tangerine, Scarlet, Peacock, Cobalt and newly introduced Chocolate. “Additional core colors will be added to the offering in 2009,” he says.
Debuting at the FIESTA showroom on the 16th floor in Square is a Dinner, Luncheon and Salad Plates, and 19 oz. Bowl and Mug, as well as a full FIESTA line of dinnerware and accessories.
Despite square silhouettes, pieces maintain a strong relationship to the company’s established ‘round’ deco offering; coupe shape and height remain the same, along with the brand’s signature concentric rings.
Homer Laughlin’s artisans rounded the edges of the Square designs. “The softened look not only helps to maintain brand continuity,” says Brinkman, “but allows the complimenting intermixing of the two different shapes.”
Softer too are the bowl and mug. “Both are square at the base and round at the top for the obvious reason”, says Brinkman, “as practicality, functionality and ease of use have always been trademarks of the FIESTA brand.”
“Softened does not mean downsized,” says Brinkman. Scale is the only lingering difference between FIESTA’s now two shapes. “Each square plate was designed a bit larger than its round counterpart,” he says. The Dinner Plate, for example, is ¼ inch larger than the round version. “Again,” he says, “to allow decorative layering of the two shapes.” Mug and Bowl are equally more generous as well.
Square FIESTA will be available at major department stores and online in March 2009.
MSRP: Suggested retail price is as follows: Dinner Plate $18, Luncheon Plate $16, Salad Plate $12, Bowl $12, Mug $13.
About Fiesta® Dinnerware
Designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead in 1936, FIESTA® Dinnerware is now the most collected china in the United States and among the most collected china in the world. It has been featured on many popular TV programs, including ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover and the Today Show. The product was discontinued in 1973 and reissued in 1986 with new contemporary colors to mark its 50th anniversary. Its unique Art Deco style has landed FIESTA® Dinnerware in the collections of numerous museums from the Smithsonian Institution to the Andy Warhol Museum.
Topics: What's new in dinnerware! | No Comments »
New Fiesta color: Lemongrass Dinnerware
By admin | April 2, 2009
Lemongrass dinnerware is the new color in Fiesta dinnerware for Spring 2009.
Fiesta’s Lemongrass dinnerware is a modern yellow green with a touch of acid. The new Lemongrass dinnerware items will ship to retailers in June 2009. Macy’s department store will be one of the first stores to carry the new color.
Homer Laughlin introduced the new Fiesta Lemongrass color at the Home and Housewares Show in Chicago.
Topics: What's new in dinnerware! | No Comments »
Getting ready for a holiday dinner
By admin | March 23, 2009
Holiday dinners are the best and the worst of holiday time. It is great to have everyone together, but it can be incredibly stressful to prepare for the meal.
Don’t let the preparation get you down!! Here is a list of what can be helpful to make your dinner easier and more enjoyable for you.
Use your fine china Fine china will add to the holiday mood.
Decorate your table for the holiday, but do so simply. A big centerpiece will look very pretty as people arrive, but it will get in the way after everyone sits down at the table. It is awkward to talk around that big thing in the center of the table. Can we say . . . been there . . . done that.
Have extra dinner plates Extra dinner plates will be critical if extra people show up, or if you need a small platter to hold food that someone brought.
Have extra flatware and extra glasses In case extra people show up.
If you are having over 12 people
Have extra serving bowls and plattersso you can divide your food into half or thirds, and place the food into a couple of areas on your table(s). That way, one bowl of your special potatoes does not need to go all around the table. Everyone will get the hot food sooner
Have an extra set or two of salt and pepper shakersThe salt and pepper shaker sets do not have to be the same. It is very good if they are different, and there is a story linked to them, so you can pick up the conversation with their cute story when needed.
Serve butter on a couple of small plates Serving butter on a butter dish is not necessary, and the extra butter dishes will be a pain to store after the meal.
Either have an extra gravy boat or use your creamer as a second gravy boat. A tall bowl with a ladle will also work as an extra gravy boat.
Enjoy your dinner. If you are enjoying yourself, so will everyone else. You will set the mood of your meal, and create memories for everyone to talk about in years to come, and have them excited about the next time you all get together.
Topics: Dinnerware information, Register for dinnerware, dinner and dining tips, dinnerware uses | No Comments »
Creating a Romantic dinner
By admin | March 23, 2009
There are three main elements to a romantic dinner:
- romantic soft lighting
- special and delicious menu
- special tablesetting
There are a couple of ways to create soft romantic lighting. Put low watt bulbs in your lamps. Eat dinner by candlelight. (Don’t use too many that you set off your fire alarm.) Put lighting gels over you lights. Drape scarves around the lamp shades (be careful about over heating the fabric).
You know how to create a special menu for your loved one, for you know what their favorite foods are. Many people consider seafood special and others want an expensive cut of beef, so customize it for the two of you. But here’s a big hint, make the portions of food smaller than your normal meal. It is just the two of you, and you don’t want either of you to be uncomfortably stuffed after dinner, and then not have any fun during “dessert”. Consider feeding your loved one their dinner, or portions of it, and thereby enabling you to comfortably enter their personal space and take special care of them.
Here are some ideas to make your table setting romantic:
- Use a small table, so the two of you are close, or take all the leaves out of your dining room table.
- Pull out the fine china
- Use glasses with stems for all your beverages to add an elegant feel to the table.
- Lighted candlesticks, of course
- Use the silver flatware
- Use a tablecloth, or some other pretty fabric over the table to dress it up
- Decorate the table with a small centerpiece or garland draped around the table, or a little glitter on the table
- Use small bowls to hold any condiments - do not put any cans or bottles on the table
Have Fun!
Topics: Dinnerware information, dinner and dining tips | No Comments »
Is a Fancy Dinner on the menu?
By admin | March 22, 2009
Fancy dinner may or may not mean formal dinner. It is up to you to make the dinner as fancy as you want.
One way to make the dinner fancy, is to pull out your formal dinnerware, or dinnerware that is rarely used. Use special glassware to complement the dinnerware. Serve all the drinks in stemware, even the milk for the kids can be poured into a stemware glass.
Another way to compose a fancy dinner, is to serve each course separately, rather than placing all the food on the table at the same time. Start your meal with a soup, possibly a cold soup, like cucumber soup. Then, serve the salad, and put the salad dressing in a small gravy boat or creamer. Then serve the main course. You can separate the meat course from the vegetable course, but that could seem a little forced.
Another fun thing to do is to serve a small amount of a mild tasting sherbert in between each course - to cleanse the pallet.
For table decoration, let your dinnerware speak for itself. Create a low centerpiece, so everyone can easily enjoy conversation over the centerpiece. Fill one of your large serving bowls with flowers and or christmas tree balls or garland or . . . wherever your creativity takes you.
You do not have to load your table with lots of dinnerware, glassware, and flatware, but you certainly can. A general guideline for using flatware is to start using the outside flatware and work in toward the center plate. To set your table, the order from left to right is:
very small seafood fork (if serving a seafood appetizer)
small salad fork
dinner fork
charger plate
dinner knife
small or teaspoon spoon
soup spoon (if serving soup)
the bread and butter plate goes above the forks
the water glass (on right) and wine glass (on left) go above the knife and spoon
a dessert fork and spoon can be put above the charger
When you serve the soup in the soup bowl, place the soup bowl on the charger. The charger can collect any drips from the soup bowl and spoon. When the soup course is over, remove both the soup bowl and the charger.
That is some of the formal dining basics. When planning your dinner, incorporate those elements that will add enjoyment for your dinner, and don’t stress about using the other ones.
Topics: Dinnerware information, Flatware knives, forks and spoons, Register for dinnerware, dinner and dining tips, dinnerware uses | No Comments »