In a Pickle Dish

I've been approaching the quilts at estate auctions as I would puppies at the humane society. I want to be sure they all have a good home because most of the quilts are rare breeds that may soon be extinct.

The quilting industry, it seems to me, is slanting toward the "do it quick" quilt. Kits with pre-selected fabrics, Stack-n-Whack, Slapplique (Don't get me started on this one) are more and more the norm. And I understand why busy women or quilters on limited budgets might opt for this, but I fear we're going to lose our heritage.

My best friend has a beautiful Drunkard's Path quilt draped over an antique ladder in her dining room. It's a two-color version -- white and that great faded pink of the 30s and 40s, and it dawned on me one day that it may be the last one I ever see in captivity. Who sits down to make Drunkard's Path anymore? Or Dresden Plate or Double Wedding Ring -- at least not without a quick method and a guarantee of success.

So it's time I put my money and time where my mouth is. A friend once said that one person doing something is an action; two people is a cause. I'm willing to be the one person who takes an action. One of my favorite quilts is Pickle Dish so that's my first step, and you're all in at the beginning. Literally the beginning because I haven't even pressed the fabric yet. I'll keep you posted on my progress.