Leamington Mennonite Community Festival Quilt Auction

Wisteria; Photo Credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Two weekends in a row I attended two Mennonite Community Sales. The New Hamburg sale is about ten times larger and features the distinct foods of various Mennonite backgrounds, including Swiss, Old Order, Russian, and others. The Leamington Mennonite Community Festival is small and Russian Mennonite foods are the main offerings. One hundred and eighty six quilts were auctioned at the New Hamburg sale, versus eighteen at the Leamington event.

Above is Wisteria, a 95" by 104" quilt pieced, machine quilted and donated by Robyn St. Denis. The quilter has a great sense of colour. I'd be happy to sleep under this quilt.

Jumping Jacks; Photo Credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

Jumping Jacks also caught my eye with its strong design and pleasing colour palette. It is 84" square and was pieced by Ellen Warkentin and machine quilted by Mary Tiessen. Wouldn't it look fantastic hung on a large wall?

Dresden Plate; Photo Credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

I wasn't present for the auctioning of the first two quilts, but I was lucky to witness that of Dresden Plate. Dresden Plate was pieced and hand quilted by Tina Friesen, Susana Harms, and Elisabeth Bartsch and measures 80" by 100". The old-fashioned colour palette and fabrics drew me to this quilt. It spoke of time past: of my Grandma's aprons, of brown bread and Zwieback baking in the oven, and laundry drying on the wash line. The quilts at the Leamington Mennonite auction rarely go for what they are worth. There isn't the audience to appreciate what goes into the making of each quilt. 

Auction of Dresden Plate; Photo Credit: Karen Thiessen, 2013

That being said, I was pleased that the quilt sold for $325. It's not much, but better than the $70 that I paid years earlier when I felt sorry for a similar quilt that would have sold for much less. My husband's 91 year old great uncle bought the quilt, so I'm glad that it's going to a good home.