Pattern Profile: Blue Macrame, Green Macrame (197?)

The Macrame design was produced in Blue and Green.  Not a lot is known about this pattern, but its cup style and colour choices offer some guidance toward its date of manufacture.  Since it comes with hook-handle cups, it is probably not older than late 1972.  The Green version is the same colour as Spring Blossom Green, but the Blue version matches Snowflake Blue which was discontinued early 1976.  So this might place Blue Macrame & Green Macrame between 1972 & 1976.

They were packaged in large 41-piece sets with eight place settings.  Sets contained undecorated 10 oz dessert bowls and a 1 Qt serving bowl.  So essentially, there are only four pieces with the Macrame decoration: cups, saucers, dinner plates, luncheon plates.

Dinner Plates & Luncheon Plates; Blue Macrame & Green Macrame.

While it is true that mainstream patterns like Butterfly Gold were originally sold with undecorated bowls, this was no longer common practice by late 1972.  Considering the plain bowls together with the borrowed colours from other patterns, it seems that this pattern was produced with minimal cost, time and effort.  The original box is unadorned and very basic with little shelf appeal.  This aspect points to a product meant to be a free give-away, or even sold by direct marketing, rather than destined for retail shelves.

In terms of appearance, this Corelle pattern has much in common with certain Corning Ware pieces which are well known to have been made specially as promotional gifts.  Apparently the Corning Ware pattern was produced from 1972 to 1974 for the Shell Oil Company.  Like Macrame, it was also manufactured in Blue and Green.

Petite Pans: blue and green designs made for a Shell Oil promotion.

Reportedly Blue and Green Macrame were sold in the factory store at the plant in Corning, but it is not known whether that was the only source.  A factory outlet, in the truest sense, typically exists in order to sell off surplus goods which cannot be distributed elsewhere.  Items appearing on the market today are concentrated in New York State, with only a few sightings further afield.  There is no evidence that this pattern ever achieved nation-wide circulation.  Records state that it was made for only a short time and was dropped due to imperfections in the pattern. 

Macrame might be a pattern that was discontinued before it was introduced.  It seems likely that a promotion was intended and the design commenced production in anticipation.  If the idea was abandoned, a quantity of unwanted inventory would be left behind.  But this is mainly speculation, none of it is known for certain.

Hook Handle Cups with Saucers:  Green Macrame, Blue Macrame.

Corelle Dinnerware:
Dinner Plate (10¼")
Luncheon Plate (8½")
Saucer (6¼")
Open Handle Cup (6-7 oz)

Notable Absences:
Side Plate (6¾")
Dessert Bowl (10 oz 5-3/8")
Soup/Cereal Bowl (18 oz 6¼")
Flat Rim Soup Plate (8½")
1 Qt Serving Bowl (8½")
2 Qt Serving Bowl (10¼")
Oval Platter (12½")
Open Handle Cream & Sugar
Pyrex Compatibles Tabletop Ware


Related Articles:

Open-Handle Cup (1972)
Plate Styles: Coupe
Most frequent word in pattern names?
 

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