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Monday, January 12, 2015

Pickle Dish

Some people say that the universal symbol for hospitality is a pineapple. In our house, it was mustard pickles.

Growing up, I was exposed to three different levels of hospitality when it came to having people over for dinner.
Level 1: A Diet Coke was consumed at some point before or during the meal.

Level 2: We were warned. "Don't you dare roll your ear of corn in that stick of butter (like we always did). We have company. Use a knife. That butter is fresh."

Level 3: A precious jar of Aunt Lora's mustard pickles were opened and ceremoniously served in a cut crystal dish.

Mustard pickles are cucumbers, red peppers, carrots, cauliflower florets and tiny pearl onions swimming in a sweet-tart pool of sunshine. They are a palette cleanser, a side dish, a postcard from summer and the glittering citrine jewel of the dinner plate. In our house, the pearl onions were the hottest commodity and I remember the cheerful bickering mining them out caused. At one point we even instituted the "One scoop and you get what you get" policy. But, this is also the family that turned surreptitiously opening Christmas presents and rewrapping them into an art form, so I'll leave it to you to judge how effective that policy was in combating pearl onion theft. Over the years I've canned a few batches of mustard pickles and my feelings about the pearl onions have definitely shifted. I had no idea how much work it took to boil, skin and trim each one of those little buggers. We served one of my batches during a family dinner and it took a profound amount of self-control not to leap over the table and snatch the pickles out of the larcenous hands of one of my siblings (you know who you are, insert death glare here) and eat every single last one of those onions myself. Right out of the jar. With the serving spoon. My respect for Aunt Lora grew that day as well as my understanding that nothing says "I care" quite as clearly as a jar of homemade mustard pickles.

This fall I signed up for Round 3 of the Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt Swap. I had some pretty grand illusions about how I was going to get a partner from some far-flung corner of the world that had wildly different tastes than I did. Imagine my surprise when I opened the email to find that my partner pretty much loves purple and Tula Pink fabrics as much as I do. Also, our states happen to share a river. Huh. So, in the true spirit of hospitality I learned from my youth, I made her a Pickle Dish. It IS the neighborly thing to do, right?


I made this mini using a free pattern I found at Modern Quilting by B. I used fabric from four of Tula Pink's lines, Fox Field, Acacia, Parisville and Nightshade. The background is shot cotton in galvenized and the binding is shot cotton in grape. I used 50 wt. Aurifil thread in medium gray for the matchstick quilting. The mini finishes at 18" x 18."

As I was making this I kept thinking of what a great way doing a pickle dish quilt would be to showcase some of the fabrics in my growing scrap bin, but then I had a pearl onion moment. If you ever receive a blanket from me made with a pickle dish pattern, rest assured, "I care."





From my house to yours. Enjoy your pickle dish, partner!



20 comments:

  1. What a lovely amount of thought and care went into the mini and the communication of its meaning. I love the dense matchstick quilting, and I hope your partner loves it!

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    1. What an amazing amount of care you show your quilt friends, Yvonne. Without you some days I think I would just be shouting into the void. Thank you.

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  2. This is a pattern I really want to try someday, so thanks for sharing that link! I've been loving them when I see them made up.

    The matchstick quilting is so perfect, especially over the shot cotton!

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    1. I am glad you like it. I was doubting myself when I kept subdividing and subdividing, but I like the look it gives. I should have taken pictures during the process. It's fun to watch how adding more quilting makes the effect of the quilting soften.

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  3. oh I could look at this forever -- It's stunning. I'd love to follow you on IG but couldn't find the link.

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    1. I think you found me! :-) Just in case, though, I am @pieladyquilts.

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  4. I enjoyed your story and I love your little quilt!

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  5. I would love to try this pattern some day! This is great, I also love your quilting.

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  6. Oh boy...I am kind of a pickle addict, so now I suddenly want pickles, and I want to tell you that you chose very beautiful colors for that quilt!!

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  7. I know, right?!? After I wrote this I planned a pickle making party with one of my siblings since we both suddenly wanted pickles. Right. Now.

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  8. Hello, didn't know you had this blog! You never cease to amaze. Well done!

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    1. This blog is my way to combine all of the things I love in one place. Thanks for reading it!

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  9. You're a talented writer as well as a talented quilter. This post is a jewel of an example of both things! Perhaps, someday I can taste your mustard pickles. <3

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  10. This is downright beautiful! I loooove your quilting!

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  11. Thanks! I did it by subdividing my original quilting lines twice. I loved watching how the overall look changed each time and how the quilting "receeded." Sometimes more is better!

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  12. Thanks! I did it by subdividing my original quilting lines twice. I loved watching how the overall look changed each time and how the quilting "receeded." Sometimes more is better!

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  13. Another delightful, insightful read with my morning coffee. This cup didn’t grow cold. I’ll forever see pickledish quilts in a whole new light! I so enjoy your stories, I just might go back to the beginning.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it. This is one of those quilts I regret giving away. I think my latest attempt at a pickle dish was with this one in mind! I get to keep it, too!

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