Quilt Sale Sailed Along…..

I’ve been wishing, I’ve been dreaming. I want to do that return trip to Crete, Greece next fall. Selling some of my quilts will help finance that dream. The December 2nd quilt sale was quite successful! Many friends shopped and chose a quilt or wall hanging that “called to them”! I got to see women I’d not visited with in awhile. Quilter friends, Lila and Adele, helped with setup and with fielding questions about the quilts. Jeanne handled the record-keeping and money, as well as much of the loading and unloading of suitcases full of quilts.

To attract attention, I draped a bright polyester hexagon quilt top with a “quilt sale” sign by the road to direct everyone to the sale. Many women were there for the 10:00 opening. Each was looking for just the right quilt for themselves or for a friend. Take a tour…..

I pointed out that each quilt had a label and a sleeve for hanging and a price tag. Cash, checks or layaway were the payment options. Women came prepared–several women brought $100 bills! The sale was rather like hours of “show & tell”. It’s fabulous to feel like each quilt will go home with someone who loves it and wants to live with it. They hear the story of what inspired the quilt, and I get to hear what attracts them to it, or what pleases them about the design.

This dramatic log cabin quilt (above) was designed by Lila when she had her quilt shop, Quilt Your Heart Out, where I first learned to quilt. Some of the rich purple fabrics are batiks which were first becoming popular in the mid 1990s. One very happy woman, with a good eye for design (she sews all her own clothes) chose this quilt!

Everyone wandered around inspecting and exploring with enthusiasm which I appreciated. The smaller items were displayed on the enclosed sun porch at the rear of the house (below).

Yesterday’s sale proved to be successful, and it proved to involve a lot of work as I sorted, priced and packed almost a hundred quilts–yes, some were small. Next spring I’m going to offer another quilt sale–this time with more advance notice. Today, should you see something in the above photos that you would like to know more about, please contact me.

I saw a huge double rainbow arching over the countryside, as I drove home south along Highway 16! A perfect ending to a very good day! What a beautiful and awe-inspiring vision. We sighted it for almost a full half hour as I drove along the twisting turns of that highway. I remembered that rainbows are often said to be signs of hope, new beginnings, and transformation. Photographing the double, and lighter, arch proved impossible. But this gives you an idea of all we saw that rainy afternoon when the sun was behind us and the rainbow of color was reflected off the water droplets creating this magical arch of color.

Prequel to the quilt sale:
On Thursday afternoon, I was showing Jeanne the last 29 small quilts I had just priced. As we turned each one over, she reacted to this small chicken quilt I’d done as part of a quilt challenge. She loved the visuals I’d put together next to the stars (the theme of the challenge). I told her it was hers, if she wanted it. She did–especially when she read the inscription on the front, “Respect Yourself, Honor Your Gift” (which is also the name of the quilt). Today, Sunday, we finally had time to hang it.