Blue is the colour..

 Blue truly is the colour on the High Street for AW11 and the breadth of materials, glazes and print on tableware confirms that you've gotta have it this season. 

 


Oh.. and a bit of mustard yellow thrown in!

 

Anything goes from matt and shiny double dipped, half dipped glazes, matt unglazed natural surfaces from Jars to classic floral prints, traditional stencil prints - Bridgewater bespoke for The Conran Shop- to fluid abstract and the Really lovely Janice Tchalenko watery daubs on Staffordshire Potteries creamy earthenware body. 

Incidentally, the proper stuff was on show until recently at the Scottish Gallery, where Janice explores printmaking and porcelain...beautiful 

And.. Marimekko have produced their classic Black and White In Good Company range in blue - the Rasymatto and Siirtolapuutarha patterns created by Maija Louekari have had a recolour.. Heal's are celebrating Scandinavian design this autumn - have a look at their Marimekko exhibition



The appetite for such an eclectic mix of pattern for the table out there is curious, from the abstract to strictly traditional like the Burleigh blue florals making an appearance in Habitat- perhaps that's the curiosity! 

And actually, if you're going to do the traditional at least have a look at how to do it properly - this is in the V&A Museum, I love the size and stature of this peice - I think it's an 8 gallon jug (do they call that a bushel or 4 pecks??) huge anyway, but the proportion and grandeur are wonderful - a proper pouring spout too!

Below - this is fantastic - this is what I'd call a kiln crash - where the plates have collapsed during firing and fused together - it is in fact Delftware from 1655, ruined work like this are actually called 'wasters' - highly descriptive - Brilliant!