Beginning the second year of The Mennonite Relief Sale Quilt Project

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The Mid- Kansas Sale is the first sale we have attended twice, which means we have been researching for over a year now.  During that time, we have done interviews around quilt frames, in homes and churches, at MCC Material Resource Centers, at sales and at an occasional cafe or coffee house.  Returning to the Mid-Kansas Sale gave us a sense of how much we have learned not only about the sale quilt experience but also about the research process itself. 

Mid-Kansas Sale II

With each sale we attended, the more efficient but busier we became--arranging interviews and meetings, visiting with quilting groups, obtaining historical documents (auction guides, photos, etc.).  Attending the actual auctions at times seemed relaxing!  The second time around the Kansas Sale was no exception.  Marilyn spoke at Hesston College and visited the Bethel College Mennonite Church (BCMC) Mission Quilters in North Newton on Thursday afternoon before the sale. That evening Sharon and Marilyn interviewed Cookie Wiebe (on right), the head of the Cutting Room from 1993-1995 at MCC Central States in North Newton.  The 1993 photo (top left), found in Cookie's collection,  shows Holdeman women piecing a quilt at the Cutting Room.

 Arriving at the sale on Friday afternoon, we encountered the "Ad Hoc Quilters," a new (or revived) tradition of demonstrating quilting on site.  The quilters in the left photo are stitching on a top (vintage "Flower Basket") pieced in the 1930s.  Exemplifying one of the many paths quilts take on their way to a sale, this top was given to Marcia Rogers (Fairfax, OK) two years ago after it was found among her husband's aunt's second husband's things after his death.  This quilt was sold partially-quilted on Saturday for $750. 

Marilyn's unofficial total raised by this year's Mid-Kansas quilt auction was $88,307, down nearly $15,000 from her unofficial tally from last year.  However, since there were thirty-two less items in this year's auction, the average price per item was virtually the same for both sales.  Moreover, twenty-seven quilts brought $1000 or more. 

Quilt Details

The highest price of $3900 was paid for "Floral Nine-Patch," pieced and appliquéd by Rose Wiebe Haury and quilted by Friendship Circle of Southern Hills Mennonite Church, Topeka, KS (detail #1, above left). 

Rainbow Mennonite Church Quilting Group, relatively new on the relief sale scene,  pieced "Amish Fan" which brought $1400.  (detail #2)  This quilt and Rainbow Church quilting group were featured in the April 17, 2005 of the Kansas City Star. ( The article can be found at http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/living/religion/11385884.htm)   

"Cabin at Nine-Patch Crossing" (detail #3) was pieced and quilted by seven women--K. Funk, G. Funk, W. Funk-Schrag, A. Funk, S. Adrian, B. Banman, and D. Nickel-- all from one family.  Their quilt raised $1900.  

Piecemakers of Pleasant Valley Mennonite, Harper, KS pieced, appliquéd and quilted "Pinwheel Garden" (detail #4) which sold for $3400.  Three of the Pleasant Valley quilters, Thelma Kauffman, Ellen Voran, and Alma Hostetler are seen here examining a quilt on Friday evening.  

Grace Brandt of Hillsboro, KS pieced and appliquéd "Stars Along the Flower Path" (detail #5).  It was quilted by the Mary-Martha Circle of Eden Mennonite, Moundridge, and brought $1300.   "Stars" was the twentieth quilt she had donated to the sale.  Don Ratzlaff, in the March 23, 2005 edition of the Hillsboro Free Press, writes that in quilting for MCC  Brandt "combines her avocation with her faith convictions." "MCC is really important to us," Brandt told Ratzlaff, "especially the Peace Section in Washington, D.C."  ( To read the full article in the Free Press online,  go to http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1163 and type in "Grace Brandt" in the "advanced search" section on the top left of page.)  Brandt also donated two wall hangings to this year's  sale.  One, "Love's Habitation,"  she pieced and appliquéd with  her daughter, Julie.  It was quilted by Dorothy Goering of Moundridge and brought $1250.  A second, "Flowers of the Summer Sun" pieced and appliquéd by Brandt and quilted by the WMS of First Mennonite in Hillsboro, brought $225.  Grace Brandt died at the age of 71 on May 13, 2005, at Newton Medical Center, thirty-five days after her quilts raised a total of $2775 for MCC.

A "Double Wedding Ring" (detail #6) ,pieced with vintage fabrics purchased at Quilters Corner by the late Ruth Watts, sold for $2800.  It was hand-quilted by Mary Beth Goering shown here on right with Margret Graber and Sharon in "quilt alley." Goering also pieced "Stars Over the Little Apple."  Quilted by Manhattan Mennonite, it brought $2200 in this year's sale.  Graber was instrumental to the success of the Rainbow Quilters.  The group meets to quilt in her  home, where Graber, herself an accomplished, award-winning quilter, lends her quilting expertise and enthusiasm. 

"Fancy Sunbonnet Sue" (detail #7) went for $1000.  The quilt was pieced and appliquéd by Frieda Neufeld and quilted by The Friendship Quilters of Enid, OK. 

Passing On the Comfort replica

Passing On the Comfort: the War, the Quilts, and the Women Who Made a Difference is a "traveling exhibit featuring quilts and comforters sent to Europe by MCC during the 1940s.  [It] honors the Dutch and North American Mennonites who responded to MCC's requests and helped those who were suffering during and after World War II." (taken from exhibit brochure) For more information, go to www.mcc.org .  Below is a "Nine-Patch" replica of a quilt included in the exhibition.  The replica was auctioned at the sale for $550.

On Sunday, we were fortunate to hear Lois Flickinger, project manager for Passing on the Comfort speak at the Kauffman Museum, North Newton, KS. Also on Sunday, we interviewed Ethel Abrahams, artist and quilter, in her home in North Newton.  (see photo on left.   Read about Ethel and view some of her quilts in May 2005 edition of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine.) 

Quilting Circles in Kansas

Since the Mid-Kansas Sale is the only MCC Relief Sale in Kansas, church communities around the state send their quilts to the MCC Center in North Newton.  That also means that there are many diverse quilting groups. 

Monday morning, after the sale, we returned to Hesston, KS to visit with quilters, Lynette Roth and Margaret Wiebe,.  Their group, the High Loft Quilters, consists of friends who regularly gather around the quilt frame in a Moundridge, KS loft.  Lynette estimates their group finishes a sale quilt every other year. Both she and Margaret admit that visiting and discussing issues do slow them down at times.  This year they completed "Rose's Trellis," pieced by Margaret's sister, Rose Wiebe Haury.  The quilt raised $2100.

Monday afternoon, we met with the Bethel College Mennonite Church Mission Quilters in North Newton.  (see first group photo on left)  Starting clockwise from the bottom left corner are Viola Unruh, Emmy Midkiff, Bertha Harder, Louise Thieszen, Mary Esther Loginbill, Marie Wedel, Bonnie Goering, Sharon, Gladys Regier, and Deane Frye.  Information from the Bethel College Church archives indicate that as early as 1915, church women gathered to quilt.  The present Mission Quilters group was formed in the 1950s.  Before a quilter could join the group, she first had to show a sample of her work and be voted upon.  The group met in homes until  1972 when they moved into a room in the church basement.  In 1931, the quilters charged 1 1/4 cent per yard of quilting.  Since 1998, the group has charged 40 cents per yard.  They quilt twice a week and spend an average of six weeks on a quilt, or 336 hours.  The group donates at least two quilts a year:  one to the MCC Sale and one to Bethel College Fall Fest.  The money they make on other quilts goes to missions.

On her way back to Kansas City, Marilyn stopped by the MCC Central States workroom in North Newton.  On the second Tuesday of the month,  the Pleasant View Beechy Amish quilters come to stitch on quilts for the MCC Sale. (see photo on left)  Beginning clockwise in the lower left corner of the quilt frame are Vera Mae Nisly, Mary Emma Zook, Barbara Nisly, and Barbara Miller. They asked Marilyn whether she had seen their photo in the Hutchinson News, so she cautiously asked to take a photo as they quilted.  They quickly responded, Oh yes, we're the Amish who don't object to photos."

Three weeks before the sale, Sharon and Marilyn spent the morning with the quilting group from Rainbow Mennonite, Kansas City, KS.  (see photo on left)  Standing around the finished quilt, starting from the left, are Karla Leuenberg, Pat Bertsche, Phyllis Carlson, and Laura Neufeld.  This group began in 1999 when Susan Kysela gathered together a few women from the church to do a practice quilt.  In 2002, they began quilting one Saturday a month at the Lee's Summit, MO home of Margret Graber.  The group has had quilts in three Mid-Kansas Sales. 

On the second Sunday after the sale, Sharon and Marilyn met in Topeka to interview Rose Haury Wiebe, who recently moved from Topeka to Harrisburg, PA.  She continues to piece quilts for the Kansas Sale as well as working at Quilter's Corner, the brain child of her Aunt Elda Martens from Oklahoma.   

We returned to MCC Central States on a week later to view Passing On the Comfort for a second time and to interview Carolyn Snyder from Archbold, OH, who, with her husband is touring with the exhibit.  Carolyn serves  on the quilt committee of the Black Swamp Relief Sale in Wauseon, OH.  We also met Erma Gonzalez, head of the MCC Central States Workroom.  Although a novice quilter, Erma remembers her grandmother quilting in her home in Matthis, TX, the location of the first Texas Mennonite Church.  Erma also remembers receiving an health kit as a five-year old.  She had no idea where it came from until, as a student at Hesston College, she recognized the kits while volunteering at the MCC Center.   

Finally, we wrapped up a busy two weeks by driving to Eden Church, Moundridge, to talk with the quilters of the Dorcas Society.  (Starting at the bottom left are Doris Stucky, Florene Krehbiel, Mable Goering, Tillie Zerger, Maroe Graber, Marie Wedel, May Juhnke, Evelyn Harms, Ruby Graber, Elizabeth Kaufman and Verna Goering.)  The Society had scheduled a workday, but were so willing to talk about their quilting and tying,  they gathered around the tape recorder instead of the quilt frame for the first half-hour.

In an interview at the church, Mary Beth Goering (see above) added a bit of quilt committee history.  At the left is a photo of a photo showing Margret Graber, Kathy Voth and Mary Beth Goering, holding up the MCC Sale Quilt Committee quilt, sold in 1994.

Ongoing research questions for consideration:

A major concern expressed by many church quilting groups is that the younger women do not quilt, at least not with a church women's group.  Of course, they usually add that the younger women are raising families and working outside the home, leaving little time for quilting.  Since quilting is enjoying a revival within North American culture at large, it is hardly conceivable that some younger Mennonite women would not have "caught the quilting bug."  Where do they quilt?  In non-traditional groups such as the High Loft Quilters mentioned above?  With an extended family like the Funks?  Do we envision and encourage the creation of more non-traditional groups committed to support MCC Sales through quilting?

Are we taking full advantage of  Regional MCC Centers as places to gather around quilt frames?  To build community?  To come together with Amish/Mennonite quilters outside of our own church communities?

Often we are asked the three following questions concerning sale quilts:  1)  Are there fewer and fewer quilts donated each year?  2)  Are the prices of quilts decreasing?   3)  .Is the quality of the quilts going down.  How do you respond to these questions?      

To discuss these questions, join the discussion found under the Participation menu or get there from the QUICK MENU on the home page.