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The Second Year of the Mennonite Relief Sale Quilt Project Begins in Illinois

After the end of the 2004 sale season, we began to sift through our notes, sale booklets, tapes and photos of the past year.  We also wrote and submitted several new grants to help fund a second year of research.  We wait for news on that front. 

Meanwhile, Marilyn attended the Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale,ac-companied by a friend (who is also her second cousin once-removed!), Bill Tammeus, who has written an article on our project to appear in Kansas City Star.  Marilyn grew up in Eureka, Illinois, so this was a "homecoming" for her--seeing many people she knew.  Eating pancakes on Saturday morning (on left) is Bill with Sue Yoder Graber, one of Marilyn's closest friends for nearly forty years.  

The quilt auction began Friday evening with thirty-six items sold for a total of $7,615.  During the evening auction, Marilyn discovered she was sitting by Gladyce Loewen, who, with some apprehension, watched her first quilt, Scrappy-Raggedy" (on left) being bid upon.  "It's scary, that nobody would want it."  Gladyce confessed to Marilyn that she hoped it would bring at least $70.  Gladyce was thrilled when someone bought it for $260.

The one- hundred thirteen items in the Saturday quilt auction brought in $19,370, for a total of $34,065 for both days.  Seven of the twenty-seven hand-stitched bed quilts were appliquéd and together generated $9700.  The four pictured each sold for over $1000.  1) "Love in Common," donated by Ruth and Don Roth of First Mennonite in Morton and quilted by the Apostolic Christian Restmor group, brought the top price of $2400.    2) "Heart's Bouquet," donated by the Relief Sale Board and quilted by First Mennonite of Morton, brought $2100.  3) Kennel Furniture store bought, displayed and donated this heart motif quilt from Indiana.  It brought $1700.  And, 4) "Friendship Heart" was from First Mennonite of Morton and sold for $1300.

At several previous sales (Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Michiana, Oregon) we have noticed quilts donated by the Apostolic Christian Churches in the area.  At the Illinois Sale, the participation of members of the Apostolic Church was widespread--staffing booths, buying, patronizing food stands, and, of course, watching their quilts auctioned.  Eleven different Apostolic church communities had at least one item in the quilt auction.  Marilyn's father was raised in this church community and she is pleased to find this personal connection within the Mennonite Relief Sale story.

Ruthie Roth (on right in photo on left), secretary of the sale board and cordinator of the quilt display, is seen here in "quilt alley."  There seemed to be quite a bit of interest in the quilts, from the time they began to appear to the large crowds attending both Friday and Saturday quilt auctions.  Below, Karen Gerdes (left) and Pat Stutzman, both from Eureka,  have not missed a sale together for twenty years.

The first Illinois Sale, March 21, 1959,  held in the Congerville (Illinois) Angus Barn raised $5000. The sale has grown over the nearly five decades, and so have the prices.  "Illinois Star," the quilt featured  here (photo above on left) brought in $2000 alone.  In 1959, who could have ever imagined a quilt selling for $2000?  "Flower Garden" (photo below on left) was pieced by Cheryl Householder, third-year member of the quilting committee at the Roanoke Mennonite Church.  The church sewing circle quilted it.  In 2005, can we imagine a time when church sewing circles will no longer be a major source of sale quilts?   In the Illinois sale, at least thirty church quilting groups had an item in the quilt auctions.

Ongoing research questions for consideration:

1)  In our travels and visits to various quilting groups--in church, home, MCC center--we often hear that most younger quilters are not joining the established sewing circles.  And by "younger," many groups often are referring to women from their 20s to their 50s and 60s.  It is often explained that so many women work or are still raising children, that they have no time to come to quilting.  Yet, in the general population, more and more women of all ages are quilting these days--quilt shops are doing a booming business. What other settings, in addition to the church sewing circle, would accommodate and incorporate new piecers and quilters for the relief sales? 

2)  Perhaps the slightly declining numbers of quilts being donated to sales reflect other changes in the Mennonite Churches as well.  When churches leave the conference, do their sewing circles continue their support of MCC?  With the increasing influence of the Religious Right, is there less of an emphasis on the issues concerning peace and world relief among Mennonites?  Do younger Mennonites have opportunities to "absorb" the historic Anabaptist emphasis on voluntary service? 

3)  Has the appeal of quilts made from new fabrics made quilting too costly during economic downturns, lower farm prices, stagnant wages? 

4)  Is there a growing interest in scrap quilts?  Quilts made from vintage fabrics?  Ones pieced from new "reproduction  fabrics"?  Does this interest reflect values, aesthetic and/or social needs of quilters and buyers alike?

5)  On a different issue, the heart motif seems to be a common appliqué pattern for bed quilts.    Has appliqué always been popular at Relief Sales?  If not, when did it begin to appear at sales and through what influence?  Have motifs changed over the years?

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