Aurora, Nebraska
25th
Anniversary of Nebraska
Sale
April 2 - 3,
2004
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Quilt Sold at 1st
Nebraska Sale Re-Auctioned
The embroidered quilt
block of the Henderson,
 Nebraska MB Church is just one of thirty blocks
sewn into a quilt auctioned at the first Nebraska MCC Sale in 1980.
Featuring all the Nebraska Mennonite churches at that time, this quilt
was re-auctioned at this 25th anniversary sale and sold for
$700.
Most of the quilts auctioned at this sale were pieced and sewn by
quilters from area Mennonite Churches.
The few done by Amish were donated by area Mennonites. |
As always, shoppers examined quilts,
auctioneers worked to get the
quilts to sell for what they are worth, and volunteers fold and package
quilts for the buyers.
Displayed at the sale was the International
 quilt assembled with blocks from fifty countries in
which MCCers served in 1982-83. Sharon Kennel, West Regional Conference Minister of the
Central Plains Conference, coordinated and assembled the quilt. Seen
here is an impressive block from Ireland (Eire).
 Maxine Bergen, chair of the quilt committee, was
pleased with the approximately $35,000 the 149 quilts raised.
We were happy to gain the help of Maxine in making
our research known to the quilt committee, meet area quilters and
distribute our web address and surveys. Many women
expressed a willingness to
participate in the research and shared both joy and pride in their work
and also
concerns regarding quality and the future of the Relief Sale quilt.
 Questions asked included some we are raising
in our research:
Who is going
to continue this tradition as many of the first generation of quilters
are slowing down?
Will the quantity and quality of quilts decline as
fewer quilters have less time to participate?
How do we encourage
younger quilters?
Are we comfortable with selling quilts to outside
buyers or do we prefer that most quilts stay within the community?
Ongoing
research questions for consideration:
Are quilter’s
feeling that they have less power in deciding what quilts to make?
Are
they feeling pressure to produce more, even with fewer women quilting—using
quicker methods rather than creating finely-stitched, show-stopping
masterpieces?
To discuss these questions, join the
discussion found under the
Participation menu.
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