Weddingring quilt

Maple leaf

We began data gathering at MCC where we visited with both Verna Hiebert, quilter, Material Resources Director and Coordinator of sale quilts and Margaret Froese, quilter and committee member. Verna is shown here with the 2004 sale Raffle Quilt which would bring in $2080 through the sale of $2 tickets.  “Wedding Ring” shown here was also quilted for the sale at Material Resources. (181.jpg in same file as above) Next, we interviewed Jake and Helen Wiebe at their home in Bethel Place.  Jake has pieced over 1200 comforters for MCC and Helen has pieced, appliquéd, and quilted numerous items for MCC, with some quilts being auctioned at relief sales. 

The following day, around Anne Bartel’s table over faspa and spirited conversation, we learned about sale quilting among the EMC (Evangelical Mennonite Church) women in the Rosenort, Manitoba area.  They send their quilts to the Morris, Manitoba sale held in September.  Pictured here with Anne is Mary Ann Loewen, whose mother taught her to quilt when Mary Ann was only 15.  We were also very excited to learn of another quilt linked to Russia.  Laura Siemens, EMC quilter, described to us a crazy quilt she once owned that her mother made before she immigrated to Canada.

The Sale:  The Winnipeg Sale differed from others we have attended in that, for the second year, quilts are sold by silent auction in which the bidder writes a bid on a bid sheet.  By this method, with the minimum price stated on the bid sheet of each auction item, no quilt can be sold for less than its appraised value.  At the close, six of nine quilts had sold for a total of $1780. “Maple Leaf” brought in $1000.  An intricate heart quilt (LEFT) was also up for auction.  Together with the Raffle Quilt, the sale quilt total was $3860.

A denim fireside quilt made by the Fast sisters went above the starting price  (middle quilt below).  The evening before we left Winnipeg, we interviewed the Fast sisters around Kathy Fast’s table.  Having donated at least one quilt per year to the sale since 1996, the Fast sisters pictured here have used new material, left over scraps and used clothing. (from left to right in photo: Julie Fast, Eileen Sutherland, Irma Fast Dueck, and Kathy) The quilt shown in the photo, secretly bought and given back to Irma by her husband at the 2003 sale, was pieced from men’s pajamas and quilted in circles marked by drawing around dinner plates. While pleased their quilts have created nearly $9000 for world relief, they find their quilting experience rewarding in many ways.  They describe a reverence for quilts from their Mennonite heritage and talk about their experience as  therapy, family bonding, opportunities for creativity, and as wildly fun.  The Fast Sisters are known for their original quilt “Mennonite Village” with images of southern Manitoba Mennonite fields, home and barns, church, and school.  The quilt was auctioned at the 1997 sale. (see quilt on right)