Where is the next generation of Mennonite quilters coming from?  The Iowa sale has at least two answers.  Shown here in 11-year-old Emma Yoder with the doll quilt pieced by her 80-year-old grandmother and quilted by Emma.  It sold for $175.  Later in the sale, a baby quilt (Pinwheel) made by the Early American Homemaking class of Iowa Mennonite school sold for $385.  

We arrived at the Iowa sale on Friday, meeting Donna Rinner, one of the quilt committee chairs in the quilt barn after lunch, where the committee already had the more than 120 quilts on display.

On Saturday, the sale began shortly after 9 am, raising over $41,000.  Two bed quilts and one wall-hanging  went over $2000.  Six quilts sold for $1000, four for over $800, three for over $600.

Celtic Rose - Manson Mennonite Church

Sandra Amstutz, (sister to Judy Martin, chair of Ontario’s Sale Quilt Committee) pieced and embroidered a bed quilt that went for $1350.  The quilt that brought the highest price of $2300 was Hearts All Around, pieced and appliquéd by the Sugar Creek Mennonite Church Women. The quilt, Celtic Rose, appliquéd by the Manson Mennonite Church brought $2150.

The story behind the $2200 wall-hanging named Flags pieced and quilted by Clara Bontrager is interesting in light of the mission of MCC and the peace witness of the Mennonite Church.  Clare made the quilt for her neighbor, Rob Rosenberger, on his return from documenting the response and aftermath of 9/11.  Rob, a military historian in the Reserves, was later called into duty in the U.S. led war on Iraq.  Rob carried the quilt with him.  He told us that many soldiers carried flags, so why not a quilt?  He slept under it and jumped out of airplanes with it in Iraq.  Rob and his wife felt that auctioning this quilt to raise money for world relief was the current most appropriate use of it. 

Since this was the 25^th year of the Iowa sale, several commemorative wall-hangings were made.  Note the theme of peace through the use of the dove symbol.

Research questions for consideration:

1.  Quilt historians have suggested that symbols that convey cultural meaning are often stitched into quilt blocks and borders.  What could the symbols found in MCC relief sale quilts tell us about our theology, history and values?

To participate in the discussion of this and other questions, click on discussion here.