Why Every Southern Girl Loves Her Silver Pattern
We take our place settings seriously down South, and that’s why every Southerner knows about the good silver. Whether it’s Easter lunch or Christmas dinner, a Southerner’s silver collection is bound to make an appearance whenever family is gathered together around the table for a special celebration.
In the latest episode of Hey Y’all, host Ivy Odom shares the details of her sterling silver pattern and reveals that her collection is as old as she is. In the video, she says, “It was started for me literally the day that I was born.” In fact, Ivy’s first piece was a small silver baby spoon presented by the doctor who delivered her.
According to Ivy, her maternal grandmother adds pieces to the collection every year. Ivy says, “She gives me a few pieces to add to my collection every holiday and birthday, including a silver tea service, a dinner bell, and a Reed and Barton engraved silver chest to hold it all. My mama and I also used to go to the annual Women’s Federated Guild Antique Show in my hometown every year and would sometimes get a few pieces from the silver distributor at the show.”
Southern silver patterns are gathered collections. While we usually see them all together, polished, shining, set out with care, and ready to complement our best holiday recipes, they’re often put together over the course of years. They’re very personal, and they also have deep histories.
Ivy’s pattern is Buttercup by Gorham, which was patented in 1899 and has a beautiful design of buttercup flowers curving around the base of the flatware and into the length of the handles. According to the Beverly Bremer Silver Shop, “Intricately carved floral motifs carefully arranged along the handle and by the neck of this fanciful pattern are balanced by a slender central panel edged with delicate borders.”
Sometimes we choose our pattern, and sometimes it’s chosen for us. Sometimes we collect it ourselves, and sometimes our friends and family add to our collection year after year. In each case, the utensils and serving pieces are laden with memories and have a deep connection to those we love. That’s because we use them to serve home-cooked meals to the people who mean the most to us. Every Southerner has their favorite patterns and pieces, but each design shares one very important characteristic: What makes them special are the memories we make with them.
What’s your silver pattern? Did you start collecting when you were young, or did you add it to your wedding registry and start collecting once you were grown up?
