Upon arriving in Kidron on Thursday, we headed straight to MCC Connections where we met with quilt room instigator, Marilyn Shetler whose says her passion is recycling fabric and her vision is bringing women together from area churches to quilt in community for the sale.  Just moments after snapping this photo , this quilting frame was surrounded by Amish women who have been coming to the quilt room once a month, all day, for one-and-a-half years.

Next, at Central Christian High, we interviewed quilters Ruth Steiner, Evelyn White, and Laurel Horst who have bonded with each other over the years creating exquisite quilts for the Kidron Sale.  This year the trio, along with Kristin White and Karmen Miller, produced “Harvest Blessings” , which was bought by a woman from Florida for $3100.

Friday morning found us at a former school-house, now home to Edith Horst, talking with Edith and her sister Ida Wenger.  Both women learned to quilt over seventy years ago and have had quilts in the sale auction since it began in 1966.  Edith has an early memory of marking a top and quilting it at her church as part of “the Sewing.”  It brought $49.  Both Edith and Ida quilt intentionally for MCC because “helping people who are starving” is a crucial aspect of the Christian mission.

The weekend weather was perfect for an outdoor quilt auction. Here Sharon is describing our project over lunch on Friday with the quilt committee under the big tent .  Friday, after 4:00, we found stashes of vintage fabric and orphaned quilt blocks at Quilter’s Corner, new to this year’s sale.

On Saturday, Marilyn had a front row seat for the quilt auction—a veritable quilt parade, as each quilt was walked across the stage held by volunteers. “English Wedding Ring”, a one-needle quilt by 85-year-old Edna Landis of Wadsworth, brought the highest price of $7300.  Announcer Short Hochstetler told the audience that amount would buy 55,000 bowls of rice for Bangladesh.  “Garden Journey” made with vintage feedbags, pieced and appliquéd by Chestnut Ridge Mennonite Women, Orrville, sold for $3700; “Spring Glory”, created by Town and Country Quilters, a five-member quilting guild in Atwater, sold for $3500.  With twenty-two quilts going for $1000 or more, the one hundred and sixty-three large quilts and wall-hangings brought in $100,675.  The average price of a bed quilt was $862.

The sale guide listed forty-six large quilts from thirty-five area Mennonite Churches, predominantly Swiss.  The guide also listed thirty large quilts from individuals, eleven produced by MCC Connections, seven from Rittman-Smithville Apostolic Christian Church quilters, five quilted by Amish, three from Minneapolis and two from Spartensburg, Pennsylvania.                             

After the sale, quilt committee chair, Vesta Hochstetler, next to Marilyn, debriefs at the committee’s campsite, sharing information and stories from behind the scenes. The first quilt sold was the one that was quilted during last year’s sale.  The highest price quilt was bought by a retired couple from Kidron Mennonite who outbid the niece of the quilter.  Wall hanging “Autumn Day” was originally bought at the Peach Cobbler Sale in Atlanta.  The wrong quilt was sent home with a buyer; after a few frantic phone calls, it was driven back and exchanged before the last quilt was auctioned.  A machine-quilted quilt, rare in the Ohio sale, sold for $1000.

Sharon and Marilyn are deeply indebted to Celia Lehman, local journalist and free-lance writer.  Celia not only hosted us in her home she shares with her sister, quilter Ruth Gerber, but Celia set up interviews, shared her sale research files  and gave us a copy of her book, History of the Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale, not to mention feeding us.    

Quilter's Corner

 

Garden Journey

Spring Glory