Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine – Dinnerware From The Past

Home Sweet Home, that’s what the Swiss Alpine or Swiss Chalet pattern reminds of.  It is one of those patterns that just make you feel at home - just says ‘family’ and makes you feel all comfy and warm inside.  The blue, olive green and turquoise blend so well together.  My mother’s favorite color combination was blue and green – maybe that is why she kept these dishes for all those years.  This dinnerware was made in the late 1950s or early 1960s and marketed through gas stations and grocery stores as premiums. 

Bread & Butter Plate

  

Besides the china dinnerware, there was the milk glass baking dishes and kitchenware and also, glass tumblers. And, I just discovered today that there is also kitchen tinware with this pattern called Decoware (Continental Can Co.?)

Set of 3 Tumblers

Some pieces are marked and some are not.  The dinnerware was made by the Stetson Pottery Co aka Stetson China Co (closed in 1966) for Marshall Burns, a distributor and division of Technicolor and marketed as Mar-crest.  You will find that some people advertise the milk glass baking ware as Pyrex, but most agree now that milk glass baking and kitchenware was made by Anchor Hocking Fire-King and these items are mostly called Swiss Alpine instead of Swiss Chalet.  Not only bakeware, but there are also mugs and bowls.  Then we have the glass tumblers.  I have no idea who made them as there is no mark and I could not find anything in books or the internet with any definitive answers.  If Anchor Hocking made the ovenware, would they have made the glassware, too?  I don't know.  But maybe.  I understand that Stetson also made glassware to match patterns of dinnerware that they produced, so maybe Stetson made the glassware.  Who knows?  I’ve seen standard tumbler size and old-fashioned size glasses in this pattern.  

Dinner Plate

My mother loved collecting dinnerware and grocery stores sure made it easy for her.  I have to admit that I love dinnerware, too and have several different patterns that I use depending on my mood.  I think the first set of dinnerware I bought was through a grocery store.  Imagine that!  For me dinnerware is fun and why settle on just one pattern?  I love mix-matching dinnerware - blending patterns with solid colors, using pastels for the spring and summer and bold colors for fall and winter.  With the Swiss Chalet / Alpine, you could use blue, turquoise or olive green solid colors or a mix of those colors.  I also find it interesting how the pattern varies a little depending on the piece.

Cup & Saucer

It would really be interesting to know the real story behind this pattern.  I found a blog that goes into so much more detail than I have and also sharing a lot of information on the many pieces associated with this pattern.  You might want to check her blog article out – really interesting:  CULVER CITY P.O.

I had written a blog back in 2010 but after reading hers, thought I’d better update my blog on the Swiss Chalet pattern.  However, there are still so many unanswered questions about the Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine pattern. 

I do have some Swiss Chalet or Swiss Alpine pieces for sale at: 

CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles

Round Chop Platter

Goldie

I'm not exactly sure why I am writing this.  I really don't have a story or specific memory to share.  I was just looking through some of the old family photos and came upon my favorite picture of my Aunt Goldie, my grandmother's sister.  My grandmother was the oldest of five children.  Aunt Goldie was the second child born in 1903.  This picture was taken when she was 20 years old.  The 1920s, one of my favorite decades for fashion and hair styles.  I remember looking at this picture of Aunt Goldie when I was a child and thought she was just about the prettiest lady in the world.

When she would visit, she always made you feel so special.  I loved hearing her talk and her laugh, well, it was like listening to a symphony.

She never lost her beauty or her spirit.  She passed away a few months before my mother.  She was 104 years old. 

I don't think I will ever get tired of looking at this picture.  She was just so beautiful. 

Oh, Silver Christmas Tree!

Just removed my Christmas tree from the house and it is now down at the curb.  Surely, they will still pick it up.  I know, it is January 22nd.  There was still some water in the stand and you know, it wasn't as heavy as when we brought it into the house.  I just follow the saying "Don't do today, what you can put off until tomorrow."  Oh, that's not how it goes?  Sorry, too late to change now!

I'm not sure why or exactly when I started thinking about my Grandmother's silver Christmas tree, but I have been obsessing about the tree for sometime now.  Is it still in the house somewhere?  When was the last time she used it?  In Indianapolis?  In Marion?  In Greentown?  Just can't remember and my sister doesn't remember either.  (By the way, she was of no help in trying to talk me out of getting a silver tree).  We haven't gotten through everything at the house, but is it even there?  Now, my grandmother would have gotten rid of something she no longer wanted.  Just don't know.  Hmmm!  Maybe I need to start looking for one.  It would just be so cool.  Oh, I would still have to have a real Christmas tree.  Maybe I could set the silver tree up in my pretty lavender guest room - that room faces the street and wouldn't that be so pretty and festive.  Ok, searched for one in eCrater - no vintage silver aluminum trees.  Well, let's just check eBay and see how much they run.  Oh, quite a few and wouldn't you know it - lots of people are searching for vintage silver aluminum Christmas trees.  OK, we'll just put a few on my watch list and see how it goes.  I'll need one of those rotating color lights, too.

  

In the meantime, I will look through old family pictures to see if I can find any pictures of the silver Christmas tree.  Wow!  Found some pics.  Christmas at my Grandmother's with the silver Christmas tree.  This was when we lived on 34th Street in Indianapolis, In.  This must have been when I was around 15 so in the early 1960s.  My grandmother's sister, Goldie and her husband and daughter had come up from Florida to spend Christmas with us.   

My Grandmother would also decorate the fireplace, stringing lights and hanging net stockings filled with fruit and nuts.  By the way, that furniture is still in the house that we are going through.  This second picture is of my brother, sister, mother and I (sitting in the rocking chair). 

The last picture is my Aunt Goldie (my grandmother's sister), Uncle Earl, Uncle Acel (my mother's brother), my grandmother, sister, mother and me.  Isn't it weird that we use to dress up to open gifts?  I love looking at old pictures and remembering my wonderful memories. 

But, I really need to get back to cleaning up my living room and rearranging the furniture back to pre-Christmas.  Tomorrow is football!  So, I really need to get it done.  Can't put it off until tomorrow ......... or can I?



The Flamingo In The Penguin Body!

Another great Christmas with my beautiful children and family.  Watching the grandchildren open their gifts and seeing their reaction - I wonder what memories they will have when they grow up and have children of their own?  It had snowed the night before and continued through the morning so after we ate and opened presents, the kids spent the afternoon having a snowball fight in the front yard.  Why do they think it is fun putting ice cold snow down the back of each others pants?  Well, at least they used the snow off my car so I didn't have to clean it off this morning.  Some of the kids didn't have gloves, but that didn't stop them.  I probably should have some extra gloves on hand just in case it snows again on our family Christmas get-together.  Also, boots or extra shoes might be a good idea.  Besides the kids, there were several of the older guys out there playing in the snow, too.  But, not Grandma.  No, I'll just watch from the warmth of the house, thank you.

Looking around the living room and kitchen after everyone left, you could see that it was a good day for all.  Small scraps of wrapping paper under the chairs, cookie crumbs on the couch, leaves, dirt and puddles of melted snow on the floor, moved chairs, ornaments in different places on the tree and a dirty glass here and there were the signs of a very happy family Christmas.  After picking up a few things and getting the last of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, I sat down in my rocking chair.  As my hound dog, Bronx, climbed onto the couch (he thinks it's his), he laid down, yawned and let out a loud sigh.  Yep, we were both just too tired to do anything else.  His job is to follow the little ones with food in their hands and clean up if dropped on the floor and he is quite good at his job.   

So, you ask, what does the title have to do with this blog?  Well, you know, I am never too tired to get on the computer and think about my  online stores. 

It's time to think about the new year (I can clean up later).  Time to remove the "Merry Christmas" pictures.  Need to find a winter picture.  Burrrrr - oh, I dislike the cold.  The snow is pretty, but give me the warm sand on the beach, palm trees and flamingos.  Then I came across this picture.  Oooh, yes!  I'm sure he is feeling exactly how I feel and is lamenting to whoever will listen.  Looking toward the heavens he wails "I am a flamingo in a penguin body."   

Family Traditions Are For The Present

Thanksgiving will soon be here and for the past couple of years we have not had our traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the family members. With trips up to Indiana, our family traditions have sort of taken a back seat. 

Growing up, we lived with my grandmother off and on for much of my childhood.  She was the oldest of five children and grew up on a farm.  She taught me how to sew and cook and I was very close to her.  Family tradition was very important to her and that included birthdays.  We had quite a few birthdays in December.  My great-grandfather's birthday was on the 22nd and mine was on the 26th.  My youngest daughter was born on the 12th.  This picture was taken at my grandmother's house in celebration of our three birthdays.  My great-grandfather turned 90 years old.  I turned 24 and my daughter 2.  Yes, our birthdays were usually celebrated on Christmas.

As I was looking at some of these old pictures and thinking about earlier memories of our family - (this picture is my grandmother, mother, me and my brother), I was thinking how safe I felt as a child.  I had both my grandmother and mother to talk to about anything.  Sometimes I miss her so much.  Then the phone rang and it was my oldest daughter.  "What are you doing for Thanksgiving", she asked.  She was going to have to work part of Thanksgiving day (retail never sleeps) and then go in early Friday morning.  I hadn't had Thanksgiving dinner for two years.  I have 3 grown kids, 7 grandchildren and a great-grandson and they all live close to me.  That certainly isn't very common in this day and age.  So, our Thanksgiving tradition is returning this year.  Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV in the morning!  Football the rest of the day!  All the traditional foods including my grandmother's pumpkin pie.  Although I know the recipe by heart, I will get out her hand-written recipe and read it.  At the end of the recipe she wrote "Good pie" and that will make me feel safe.  I will feel her love and I will smile. 

"Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go"  

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone