This artful display of transferware incorporates the colors of the floral arrangement and is placed to follow the natural outline of the flowers. Transferware Displays Decorating Impact LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor MARIETTA (Lancaster Co.) Kristi Elkner has a passion for color and design. Collecting transferware offers a whole gamut of hues and shapes to ful fil Kristi’s passion. In the mid-1700s, England pot ters developed printing methods that enabled them to transfer de tailed designs rather than hand paint each dish as was done in the imported Chinese china pat terns. The time savings was im mense. The processs enabled the pieces to be sold at considerably lower prices than handpainted pieces. Each transferware pattern was painstakingly etched into a cop per printing plate. The printing The secret to this design, Kristi said, is the platter that anchors the wall arrangement in her dining room. Start with your dominate piece, it may not necessarily be the largest or the fanciest, but the one you like the best. Group other pieces around it. Lancaster FjMj^mg ZfSttt4p€€&& plate was inked with a color and used to make a print on tissue paper, which was in turn trans ferred onto a slip-glazed ceramic place and then fired in a kiln. At first only cobalt blue was used. In the 1820s-1830s, other colors emerged on the scene. Popular patterns included exotic landscapes, scenic views, country scenes, floral, fruit, and even animal designs. Popular in America were the plates depict ing patriotic images such as George Washington’s crossing often featured in what is called Blue Willow. Many different colors and de signs of transferware continue to make them extremely collectible. Some people limit their collec tions to a particular color. Others collect scenes or fruit or flower patterns. If you are fortunate to have heirloom dishes and or lovely china pieces, do not hide them behind closed doors. Display them where you can enjoy them daily. Many people display dishes in china closets, but don’t limit your display to those behind closed doors. Consider arranging dishes on mantels, buffets, or shelves mounted on the wall. Or, take Kristi’s idea and hang a display that color coordinates with the floral arrangement above a buf fet. • For wall arrangements, use plates hangers found where home furnishings are sold. Kristi said, “I think mixing and matching patterns are more pleasing to the eye than display- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16, 2002-B2' Kristi Elkner’s passion for collecting transferware started with black and white designs, then spread to other colors and designs. ing all the same pattern.” She suggests combining pieces with common elements such as unusual shapes or those with similar motifs such as fruits. Before hanging dishes on the wall, Kristi recommends gather ing pieces intended for display. You may also combine dishes with pictures or other items that have similar colors or styles. Lay the pieces on the floor con fined to the space you will use on the wall. It’s easier to make changes before hammering a nail for the plate holder into the wall. Although some decorators rec ommend using the same or coor dinating colors to fit into the existing scheme in your room, Kristi said, “Display what you lovp. What looks beautiful for magazine shots isn’t always prac- Transferware is available in many different colors and designs. Although many pieces displayed together make a dramatic impact, equally as lovely is one piece hung in a strategic place. tical in your home.” She recommends collecting transferware for sentiment rather than value. She said, “Hairline cracks do not bother me. It shows that someone loved the piece and used it.” Kristi also recommends using transferware when entertaining guests. Again, she prefers mixing and matching patterns rather than using pieces from the same set. You may want layer plates in different designs, with the salad plate different from the dinner plate. She finds that white Wege wood china blends nicely with transferware. She also uses a mix of goblet styles. “Mix and match gives a more interesting theme to the table and to your room.” !7
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers