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Southern Vintage Table Event – Anne of Green Gables’ Photoshoot

“It’s delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Last month Bekah, owner of Ardent Darcy, invited Southern Vintage Table to help with a photoshoot – how exciting for us! Bekah and photographers Anna and Brent Deitrich of Live View Studios were inspired by the classic story, Anne of Green Gables, written by Lucy Maid Montgomery in 1903. With purples, pinks, a delectable cake, handcrafted stationery, a lovely farm venue and vintage tableware from our elegant collection, the shoot was a magnificent success.

Be sure to see more of these artful photos posted on Live View Studios’ blog, Anne of Green Gables Inspiration.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vendors who contributed to this shoot included:

Bekah, Wedding Stylist and Floral Design: Ardent Darcy
Anna and Brent Deitrich, Photographers: Live View Studios
Shannon Fox, Owner of Venue: Iron Horse Events
Randi Smith, Baker: Sugar Euphoria
Molly Gaither, Stationery: Ply Studio
Shelly Heath, Vintage Table Rentals: Southern Vintage Table
Kristal Cloer, Vintage Rentals: Farm & Filigree

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Vintage Feature – Pretty, Delicate & Vintage Pope-Gosser China

Oh, my gosh – I absolutely love this floral vintage china pattern! It’s a creation of the Pope-Gosser China Company, an American company once located in Coshocton, Ohio. The Pope of the company was I. Bentley Pope, a master potter who immigrated from England and the Gosser was Charles Gosser, a jeweler from the area. Their company, Pope-Gosser China Company opened in 1902 and ended production in 1958.

During their five+ decades of production, Pope-Gosser made beautiful china. They earned a reputation for making elegant yet durable china, creating a market beyond the shores of America. According to the Ruby Lane Blog, some of their artful pieces are displayed in the British Museum. The company survived the Great Depression by joining the American Chinaware Corporation which lasted for only two years. After its bankruptcy, the Pope-Gosser China Company reorganized and began producing some less expensive dinnerware patterns that were marketed in dime and hardware stores. Finally, in 1958, Pope-Gosser China Company closed it doors, partly due to the influx of cheaper china from post-war Japan.

Alas, after searching online, I couldn’t find the name of this quintessential vintage pattern. The only clue about its age was the mark on the back. This passage indicates it must be from the late 1920s – 1931.

“In 1920, the lettering on the mark was changed again to ‘POPE-GOSSER CHINA’ in all capital letters. Pope-Gosser began including “MADE IN U.S.A.” in the late 1920s through about 1931.” – Ruby Lane Blog

We also have a pattern in our Southern Vintage Table collection from Pope-Gosser China’s final decade. Although I don’t have the exact date of its production, again the mark gives a hint, “Futura.” Ironic foreshadowing, I’d say, as it was most unfortunate this company’s future ended soon after in 1958.

These lovely, vintage Pope-Gosser China patterns are available from our Southern Vintage Table‘s china collection! And, we’ll be on the lookout for more from this vintage American china company!

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A Vintage Adventure – It Was Thrift Store Heaven!

This past weekend I went to the opening of a new thrift store, TROSA Thrift Store, in Durham. (Thank you, Linda, for sending that text!) For me, this may be one of the most exciting events I can imagine! I realize some folks would just shake their head in amusement at this declaration but there are many others who totally get the magnificence of a thrift store, especially a new one. And, this place is huge – housed in a once-vacant box store – with so much to see and admire. More about this terrific organization, TROSA, at the end of my entry.

I claimed my cart and made a beeline to the houseware’s department. Of course, I get that one annoying, thumpidity-thump-thump cart but by the time I realized how bad it was, I couldn’t turn back and pushed it onward to the back of the store. Even though there weren’t gobs of plates on the shelves, I quickly saw there were many patterns I had never seen. I stood there and took a deep breath because I knew I had arrived at thrift store heaven!

Trying to act as nonchalant as possible so as to not attract attention to my little goldmine, I began pulling plates off the shelves. For most of the patterns I found only one plate, which makes them even more special, but some had a couple and I did find four dinner plates in one pattern. There were also some Blue Ridge dessert plates, definitely a find, and a few more of one pattern I found early in my collecting but hadn’t seen since. What a joyful rush!

My cranky cart, filled with vintage china plates, was now clinking and squeaking as I moved through the other departments in this vast store. This store has everything – clothes, toys, housewares and books – but I think the best stock is their furniture. If you are in the market for shelving, chairs, tables or desks, this is the place to look.

After I checked out all of the departments and made one last inspection of each plate to check for chips, I paid for my treasures. Although there was a bit of line on this busy opening day, it was very organized and the staff quickly helped their customers. This is one consistency about my encounters at a TROSA event or store – the folks are polite, helpful and very appreciative you are there.

Here’s a look at six different patterns I found that day. From muted to striking, each of them has its own unique history. Two patterns were made in America, four are from England and collectively they span decades.

Made in the USA

These two American patterns have a soft, gentle look. The first one is called Classic Flower Vernon Ware by Metlox of California. This pattern dates from the 1970s and has an understated beauty about it. I love the textured rim and the center design is very pretty.

The second pattern is Foliage by Canonsburg. This lovely fall-inspired pattern was made in the Canonsburg Pottery kilns in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. This china company was founded in 1900 and closed in 1978.

Made in England

These two English patterns are strikingly beautiful. The first one, Spodes’ Tower-Blue, is gorgeous with beautiful details. In this lovely outdoor tower scene, there are birds, cows and even a couple of fishermen. This pattern, made from 1902-1970, also has a textured rim known as gadroon, which means decorative edging.

The second pattern, Historic America by Johnson Brothers, was produced from 1930-1974. I only found this one plate but when I looked it up, I discovered it’s a multi-motif pattern which means each piece of the pattern features a different scene. The dinner plate is called “View of Boston.” Don’t you think it’s a bit ironic this American historic series was created by an English china company?

The third English pattern is Tintern by Royal Doulton. Manufactured from 1935-1960, this creamy pattern is colorful and dramatic. I was thrilled to find two of these! According to Wikipedia, Tintern, a historic village in Wales, is known for its natural beauty and the ancient 12th century Tintern Abbey. Interestingly, Tintern and another historic village, Chapel Hill, have merged to form a larger province. Perhaps a cosmic message for me to visit, huh?

The final one from England, also a Spode pattern, is called Primrose-Blue and Yellow. With its scalloped edge, textured rim and colorful center motif, this lovely pattern was produced from 1954-1969. Wish I had these for my daughter’s wedding party with our blue & white with yellow color scheme!

As you probably figured out, I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon finding these treasures. One shopper, after taking a look in my cart, commented to me, “You have quite an interesting collection in there!” “Indeed, I do,” I replied. Interesting, lovely additions to Southern Vintage Table‘s elegant and casual vintage china collections, now available for your next gala event.

More about TROSA –
TROSA, Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, is a highly successful non-profit organization that supports people who want to make a positive change in their lives. They have several different businesses to help with job skill development including two thrift stores, holiday tree lots, lawn care and moving services. Each time I visit their work sites, I am impressed by these folks who are always pleasant, hard working and appreciative. Take time to visit TROSA’s website to learn more about their mission and work.

China pattern dates – Replacements, LTD

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Southern Vintage Table Event – Amanda & Nathan’s Lakeside Wedding

Amanda contacted Southern Vintage Table early July about renting our vintage china for her October wedding. She loved the look of our elegant collection and thought it would be perfect for her lakeside wedding in Four Oaks. Along with our vintage dinner and dessert plates, our vintage tiered stands were featured on the dessert table as well.

Of course, her vision was so on the mark! We weren’t present at this lovely affair, but thanks to her talented photographer, Amy Allen, here are a few beautiful photos featuring our elegant china collection at Amanda and Nathan’s fall lakeside wedding.

“I have to say your dishes absolutely MADE the wedding!! They were the perfect touch!!” Thank you, Amanda! We definitely agree. See more of this beautiful affair on Amy’s blog!

Best wishes to you, Amanda and Nathan and thanks again, Amy for sharing your photos!

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Southern Vintage Table Event – A Marriage Celebration for Taylor & Cameron

My previous two posts revolved around a special event for our family – the marriage of our daughter, Taylor, to the love of her life, Cameron. Two weeks ago I shared how to make a no-sew bunting in preparation for our party and last week I posted a few photos from that evening. This week it all comes together as I have more photos of our lovely celebration as well as the cosmic back story of Taylor and Cameron’s romance.

Ever since she was a young girl, Taylor wanted to visit Australia. It was her dream. In fact, as her friend, Thomas, reminded her, she declared that not only was she going to travel to Australia, she was going to marry an Aussie man. Well, the cosmos must have been listening because that’s indeed what happened.

Her chance to visit Australia came as a Study Abroad student during her sophmore year at UNC-G. Within two weeks of arriving at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland, Taylor met Cameron and they started dating. When Taylor returned to UNC-G after her semester abroad, they continued their international relationship. Cameron came here for a year and Taylor went there for several more. Eight years following that first date, they married in NYC with friends Ryan and Jamie at their sides. Then they came home to celebrate with family and friends.

Taylor and Cameron wanted a family party rather than a wedding reception. With The Big Barn Convention Center as our venue, I knew Southern Vintage Table‘s vintage casual china collection would be a perfect match. The Big Barn, a rustic, historic venue just outside of Hillsborough, is owned by my husband’s cousin, Donna. Donna was so pleased we were having Taylor and Cameron’s party there because she was present thirty years ago when Randy and I celebrated our marriage, right there at The Big Barn. A sweet cosmic message, I am convinced!

With the venue set, I began brainstorming ideas for the tables. My vision of blue & white and yellow casual china patterns on vintage printed tablecloths was a good start but I knew I needed more help. Fortunately, my sister, Sharon, is the owner of RSVP-Events so I went to see three of the savviest women in the event-planning business – Sharon, Tammy and Lindsey. With their advice and expertise, I started finalizing our vintage family theme.

Blue & white and yellow vintage china plates, clear vintage goblets, vintage silverware and white napkins, pansies in milk glass, small bouquets of yellow, blue and white flowers from Fernrock Farm and, as the main feature, vintage kitchen printed tablecloths. At Southern Vintage Table, we have a growing collection of these wonderful table coverings, but we didn’t have quite enough for our party. Luckily, Priscilla, another savvy friend, let me borrow a few from her amazing collection.

After Carrie took me to pick up flats of pansies at a local plant store and my dear Yaya friends signed up for the appetizers, we were almost set. All was left was to order the BBQ, slaw and stew from Allen & Sons and an assortment of homemade pies from K&W. Joy was preparing her famous southern-style green beans and Rowena was baking wedding cookies. Lastly, Anne Honeycutt’s DJ service was going to bring the music. With Jami’s gorgeous floral arrangements featuring Fernrock Farm‘s flowers, here’s how it all came out!

As you can see, it was colorful, casual, vintage and beautiful! But, more importantly, it was fun and wonderful to celebrate this sweet occasion with our dearest friends and family. The loving cosmos has graced Taylor and Cameron and we are all very excited for them. Cameron, welcome to our family!

Many, many thanks to these awesome, kindhearted and generous folks!

Consultation & Lights: RSVP-Events
Flowers: Fernrock Farm
Venue: The Big Barn
Caterer: Allen & Sons, K&W
Music: Honeycutt DJ Services
Tableware, Decor: Southern Vintage Table
Wedding Photos: Kristy May Photography

Floral Designer: Jami
Appetizers: The Yayas
Beans: Joy
Cookies: Rowena
Tablecloths: Priscilla

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Southern Vintage Table Event – Celebrating with Taylor & Cameron

It’s been a crazy week getting ready for our family gathering and I haven’t been able to work on my weekly post but I do have a few pictures to share from last night. Many, many thanks to family and friends who helped celebrate the marriage of our daughter, Taylor, to her Aussie husband, Cameron! More to come next week!

Check in next week!

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Vintage Tips – 5 Steps for Making a Festive No-Sew Bunting!

I am very excited about our next event because this time it’s very personal. Although I’m not ready to reveal details, I’d like to share how I will be making this family gathering festive and colorful by making a set of no-sew buntings. This is my third time making these (one for Melanie’s Linen’s Lace & Lingerie shower and the other for Gerri’s baby shower) and now I have some terrific hints to share with you on how to make your own!

Step 1 – Select your fabric.

For this family party our color scheme is blue, white and yellow. I decided to go with two blue patterns, two amber and one white. I love paisley and floral prints as you can see! My basic formula is to select one large print, two smaller ones and a polka dotted or striped pattern. Another idea for fabric would be to use vintage pillow cases, sheets or colorful prints from vintage clothing.

With 1 yard of each, I will easily have enough to make 2 buntings with large triangles and several smaller ones as well. It’s also nice to have some extra cloth for small touches in other areas of the decor. I don’t have a plan for that just yet but I think something will come up. If you are making only one or two strands, you can probably get by with less but the needed yardage depends on how many prints you will be using and how long you want your strand to be.

Step 2 – Gather your supplies.

In addition to the fabric, you’ll need to get bias tape and fusible bonding web. Purchase two rolls of fusible bonding web – 1/4 inch and 5/8 inch. When you glue the sides of the triangles it will be so much easier with the smaller width. The wider width will come into play when you press the bias tape to the triangles.

You’ll also need a good pair of scissors, an iron and I would also recommend using starch when pressing the fabric. It will stiffen up the fabric and help with wrinkles at the same time. The triangle with the A is a from a former paper bunting that I am now repurposing as my pattern.

Step 3 – Fold and press fabric and cut your triangles.

Using your triangle pattern as a guide, fold over one end of the cloth, spritz with starch and press a crisp edge at the fold. I usually pin the pattern and then cut one triangle at a time down the folded edge for each of the fabrics.

Step 4 – Glue the edges with the fusible bonding web.

Open the fabric triangle and cut two pieces of fusible bonding web on the edge of the triangle. Refold the fabric and press with your iron. Start at the folded edge and move to the point by picking up the iron as the glue melts. Read over the directions on the package for more guidance. Here’s a tip – once you have glued the edges to a triangle, I found it easier to use as my template than the paper one.

Step 5 – Attach the triangles to the bias tape.

First, find the center of the bunting and pin it. This is where you will glue your first triangle. Then decide the order of the prints. The middle print will be first triangle to add at the center of the bias tape. Open the tape and insert the triangle. Cut a piece of fusible bonding web and press. You’ll add each triangle, one at a time down the tape. If you will be tying the bunting to something when you hang it, be sure to leave about a foot of the tape free at each end.

Once you have added all the triangles, you’ll need to flip the bunting strand and glue the other side of the bias tape. When doing this side, you can just roll out the fusible bonding web and press down the length of the tape without cutting for each triangle.

That’s it! You have a festive, colorful and custom bunting to hang! I love seeing them on the front of a food or drink table, across the entrance doorframe and even on a cake. (Thank you, Tammy, for all of these ideas!) I plan to make 2 or 3 large triangle buntings, several medium and a couple of teenie ones. Somehow I know I’ll find a place to use all of them!

Next weekend is our family gathering so you’ll see these on display in two weeks!

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Southern Vintage Table Event – A Romantically Vintage Wedding

Rebekah and I started working together last fall on the table details for her wedding reception. For their September wedding, she and Joey had chosen Mt. Lebanon Chapel in Airlie Gardens for the ceremony and Saint Thomas Preservation Hall in downtown Wilmington for their reception. Saint Thomas Preservation Hall, a restored former Catholic church built in 1846, is a wonderful setting for a vintage wedding reception. They had fallen in love with its beauty and to complement its rich history, Rebecaa wanted vintage table settings. As you might guess, Southern Vintage Table was thrilled to help!

Her wedding reception vision was vintage romance with elegant vintage china and goblets. In addition to the vintage inspired guest tables, Rebekah and Joey’s dessert table idea was both unique and personal – they wanted to offer their favorite tea flavors with the wedding cake at a tea and dessert bar. When she shared this idea with me, I remember thinking what a wonderful idea!

With our vintage dessert plates tucked in the drawers of the vintage cabinet provided by Simply Put Vintage Rental, and our teacups displayed on the vintage sewing machine, also from Simply Put Vintage Rental, the dessert and tea bar was charming and beautiful! One of my favorite features on the tea bar was the samovar, a Russian hot water kettle. Finding this treasure was very memorable and you can read more about it on this post, “Vintage Adventure – A Thrift Shop Miracle.”

We set the tables with our elegant vintage china collection. My staff (aka friends, Mary, Louise and Jami) layered the dinner, salad and appetizer plates to create a beautiful, mixed and matched setting for each guest. Along with our vintage silver flatware, napkins, clear goblets and gorgeous flower arrangements by Kickstand Events, the reception tables were splendidly romantic!

As a special request from Rebekah last fall, Southern Vintage Table gathered a collection of small vintage goblets for their wedding toasts, and although we don’t have photos of these from that evening, we do have a previous post that features them, “Vintage Feature – Small Vintage Goblets are Perfect for the Wedding Toast!” We think you will want them at your wedding, too!

Congratulations and best wishes to you, Rebekah and Joey! Thank you for letting us be a part of this romantic, lovely and magical experience. Also, thanks to Anna Kirby Photography for many of these extraordinary photos and, again, to friends Mary, Louise and Jami for all of their help!

Folks who helped with the beautiful, romantic wedding reception include:

Photography: Anna Kirby Photography
Reception Venue: St. Thomas Preservation Hall
Event Coordinator: Jill White
Floral Design: Kickstand Events
Vintage China and Tableware: Southern Vintage Table
Vintage Furniture: Simple Put Vintage Rental
Reception Entertainment: Stray Local
Caricaturist: Bill Smith
Catering: Pine Valley Market
Baker: One Belle Baker
Lighting: High Performance Lighting

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Vintage Feature – My 5-Step Plan to Sort, Organize & Let Go

Southern Vintage Table has now been in business for about a year and a half but I have been collecting vintage things for almost two. As I reflect on these past two years, I can hardly believe how much I have learned! When I started this company I knew almost nothing about vintage anything. Really. I don’t think I even knew the name of one china pattern and I can’t remember ever ironing a napkin or polishing anything silver. As I gleefully embraced my new-found enterprise, I collected in a frenzy. I probably went hunting at least 5 days a week and, as you can imagine, have amassed quite a collection for our rental business.

Now, however, as hard as I know it will be, it’s time to sort, organize and let go of a few things. As I begin this arduous task, I have come up with a plan – as my friend, Mary would say – and here it is in 5 steps!

Step 1: Pull out my least favorite china patterns.
The operative phrase here is “least favorite” because frankly, I haven’t seen a pattern I haven’t liked. But there are a few in our collection that kinda disappear on the table. Admittedly, these were some of the first pieces I picked up and if I were to find them today, I don’t think they would become part of our inventory.

Step 2: Reduce the numbers of the same pattern.
When I first started my collection, I couldn’t help myself – if I came upon 20 plates in one pattern, I’d buy every one. Today I am a bit more savvy and, if it’s a new pattern, I’ll buy no more than 5. With our philosophy, “a little of a lot”, I want to have lots of many different patterns rather than multiples of the same. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule; I have a few patterns that are just extraordinarily beautiful and I cherish each and every plate in that same pattern.

Step 3: Coordinate a visit to a reseller.
Fortunately, I live close to a huge china reseller and can easily sell my extras to them. The trick is to find out what they are buying and that’s pretty easy. I called and asked for a quote in the patterns I wanted to sell. They sent me one via email and now I know their offer and what to pack up. I made an appointment and I’m headed there next week.

Step 4: Sell via a yard sale or Craigslist.
I’m still working on the details of this but I’m considering joining a parking lot sale a local antique business is sponsoring. For $25, you get 4 spaces to sell your wares. Sounds pretty easy. But then again, I may just skip this step and go straight to Step 5.

Step 5: Donate to a local thrift store.
The only hard part to this step is deciding which one. We have many in our area that support a host of different causes and that’s a good problem to have! I think most of my things are headed to a no-kill animal shelter re-sale store, one of my favorite places to find things for Southern Vintage Table.

With my plan in place, I am now at step 3. By next weekend, hopefully I will have reduced our inventory to our best offerings, ready for your next event! Of course, letting go also means more room for the new, like this vintage cake plate I picked up this week. Don’t you love the manufacturer’s mark on the back?

~ On a side note, the graphics for this post were created using one of my favorite iPad apps, Camera360 (thank you, Caitlin, for sharing!) and BorderFX, a free plug-in for Apple’s Aperture. I had fun creating them!

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Southern Vintage Table Event – A Vibrantly Vintage Lakeside Wedding

When I met Maria last spring, I felt this instant connection as she shared her wedding vision with me. She and Jonathan were getting married at Bass Lake and, like all couples, they wanted their wedding to be memorable for themselves, their family and friends. Even though we all appreciate the look of delicate, elegant, vintage china, Maria’s vintage wish for their wedding was whimsical, cheerful and vibrant. I was certain our casual vintage china collection with vintage jewel-toned glasses would fit perfectly!

The mid-century vintage collection at Southern Vintage Table is wonderfully eclectic – some patterns are bold, some are demure, and others are just charming – and seeing them all together is delightful. The spectacular sparkle on the tables was our gold, green, pink and blue vintage goblets. With our vintage stainless collection and vintage napkins, the final look was so lovely!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Rental NC

Maria artfully designed her vintage-inspired welcoming station. Along with our vintage suitcases, crate and books, Maria created a collage of photos clipped to framed chicken wire, decorated a mailbox for cards and displayed a welcoming sign for her guests. She also used a vintage window to frame the seating charts which stood on our large easel. This happy wedding ended with a dazzling sendoff with the sparklers ready to go in our wooden bucket. Vintage Rental NC

The prominent feature of the dessert table was the stunning cake with its vintage record player pedestal. The dark vintage wood against the creamy cake icing and vintage overlay created a dashingly dramatic look. The vintage dessert plates and dessert forks in vintage silver trays completed this gorgeous display.

Vintage Rental NC

Vintage is a style with many interpretations. It can be romantic, elegant, shabby chic, retro, bold, charming, quaint or any combination thereof. For Maria and Jonathan, vintage meant sharing a vibrant, memorable experience, filled with love of family and friends. Thank you for inviting Southern Vintage Table to be a part of your wedding day. Wishing you endless love, joy and fun!

Wedding