What do the four quilts or quilt blocks to the left have in common?  Each of these quilts sold for over $3500 at the recent Mid-Kansas Relief Sale.

The Kansas Sale is said to be the largest of the US relief sales.  We arrived early as the quilt auction began at 8:45 am.  By mid-afternoon, 232 quilts had been sold, raising over $110,000.  Quilts provided 23.5% of the weekend sale’s total intake, reminding us again of how crucial quilts and quilt makers are to the success of a sale.  Lois Leinbach (right) is the Quilt Committee chair.

The diversity within the Anabaptist Community in Kansas was evidenced by the quilt auction.  While a majority of women’s quilting groups were from MC USA churches (35), there were also seven MB groups, six Amish groups represented.  A Conservative Mennonite Church, an Apostolic Christian Church, and a Brethren in Christ Church contributed a quilt each to the auction. 

More than half of the quilts, however were pieced, quilted or tied by an individual (see wall-hanging by Wilma Schmidt of Goessel) or were the work of two or three quilters. 

	Quilter's Corner also had a successful year selling quilting supplies and several quilts, pieced quilt tops and other donated items.  Margret Graber and Rose Haury (see left) are two of the founders of this aspect of the sale.
The African Aids quilt was also on display at the sale.  The quilt was not for auction but is a traveling quilt
and has currently been at 30 relief sales. Bids were taken at noon with the money raised going to support the "Generations at Risk" program.  Designed by Pauline Aguilar, Mcc Quilting Coordinator, the design represents the people of African countries and the joining of many hands together in hope against AIDS.

Ongoing research questions for consideration:

Many Relief Sale quilts are impeccably designed, stitched and/or/appliqued using the latest fabrics and colors.  Others are created using scraps and fabric bought at second-hand shops or cut from old garments, but are quilted with much care and an eye for design, much like our foremothers’ quilts.  Do early MCC Sale quilts reflect these two “categories”?

In what ways/areas do we experience competition among quilters?  Among church quilting groups? What do quilters and quilters’ groups think about as their work is being bid upon?

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

For more on the sale go to http://kansas.mccsale.org/