One Year In

I started Phoebe & Virginia in April, 2024 as a fun project, with no real plans other than to make something pretty out of vintage china. I have always loved dishes of all kinds, probably because I have always loved to eat. One of my earliest memories is of being seated at a dining table and told to wait while food was brought out before everyone was called to come and eat. I do not remember whose table it was, or who sat me down, but I do clearly remember my excitement at seeing a large, shiny bamboo platter brought to the table, piled high with fragrant jasmine rice. I remember both the floral, slightly vanilla scent of the rice, but also the sound of the serving spoon tapping the bottom of that bamboo platter as rice was scooped from it onto plates.

I still love jasmine rice, and still love china is all its forms. When David and I married in 1999, I was excited to select a china pattern and to register for some basic pieces, not thinking anyone would buy it for us, but thrilled when we received two full dinner sets. I was able to add an additional two sets, and try to actually use them.

One surprising thing that I learned over the course of the last year of collecting dishes for Phoebe & Virginia is that people no longer hold much interest in fine china, not even the sets that are passed down from grandparents and parents. The reasons are many, of course, but common ones are: china is difficult to care for, large sets take up a lot of storage space that might not even be available, and the patterns of family china are just not to anyone's taste any longer.

On the other hand, many people have also shared wonderful memories of meals special enough to have been served on Grandma's prized china during family gatherings.

This is one of the reasons that I started this project. I started casually searching for used china last year, and was quite overwhelmed at the amount of it that is available. And while I do love and appreciate it, I cannot possibly keep multiple sets of china for myself! So this project was born. I refer to it as a "project" because while it is a small business, it is a teeny business that will never replace my day job.

I definitely appreciate and understand that few people want to hang on to a 12-person set of old dishes. However, I believe there is happy compromise between feeling forced to retain a large, unwanted set of china (sometimes multiple sets from grandmothers, mothers, mothers-in-law...) and throwing it all away. It is my hope that upcycling these beloved vintage dishes can give them new life as beautiful, timeless pieces that will enhance any home (or office).

Since last October, I have mostly offered these pieces through local craft fairs. My hope and plan for this year is to have more of an online presence, as it is simply not possible to show all of the pieces during a craft show. I very much enjoyed every single craft market in which we participated; it was such a delight to meet so many people and have wonderful conversations about china and family traditions.

Thank you for reading.