Come early to browse through the beautiful items donated. Please realize that your bidding on auctioned items will help the needy, don't expect bargains, but rather think of how you can aid others less fortunate than you. Be sure to purchase your commemorative bottomless travel mug at the sale. You can fill the mug with as much coffee, tea or soda as you would like.
Plan to check out the crafts as well as items from Ten Thousand Villages. Discover intriguing gifts and home decor including jewelry, toys, musical instruments and holiday decorations handcrafted by skilled artisans. Your purchase benefits Third World artisans through Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit program of Mennonite Central Committee.
A real favorite during the auction are the delicious homemade meals sold throughout the auction. The quilt category has been the most consistent in gross sales. This year, again there were over 100 quilts auctioned including wall hangings, crib quilts, afghans, and regular and queen size spreads.
The Good Shepherd quilt was originally donated to and sold at the 2005 Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale. Since then the hand pieced quilt has traveled to numerous relief sales throughout the U.S. and Canada, raising over $23,000 to aid children impacted by the HIV virus. The quilt brings a special message of love, portraying Jesus as the Good Shephered taking care of this flock. This year, the quilt sold for $2,400 at the sale.
Other items auctioned include: Hand-made oak & walnut furniture Magazine racks Lazy susans Packaged beef and pork
Auction Items—The following are photos of a few items that were auctioned at the 2009 sale. Click on the picture to enlarge.
MCC memorabilia	Marble roller
Garden shed	Handmade violin—This violin is all hand-made by a man from Newton, Kansas. The top is Englemann Spruce form the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It includes a bow, case, chin rest and other accessories—all new items.
One of six watercolor paintings by Donna Lee Clemenson.	P. Buckley Moss print titled Quilting Love, Dated 1988, Size—18-1/2 x 19-1. Signed, 88 out of 1000. This print is now sold out. Original price $200.
Meals in Homes—For an experience you won't forget, purchase one of the Meals in Homes. Choose from a variety of cuisines and settings, and invite your family, friends or co-workers to share it with you! Jerry and Lou Miller are offering their OUTDOOR "CREAM CAN" SUPPER again this year. This was our best-selling meal for the Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale in 2008! Bring your party of 12 to enjoy this unique experience at their Wellman home. This involves layering potatoes, cabbage, onions, sweet corn, brats and more on top of each other in an old-fashioned cream can which then cooks while buried in a charcoal pit! Dessert is included. Great fun for outdoor lovers. Nyle and Lauralee Kauffman invite your party of 8-10 to their rural Iowa City home. They will serve up a TRADITIONAL MEAL with the meat to be decided on with the top bidder. This meal is good for one year! Roger and Patty Gingrich invite you to their "log home" on the north side of Iowa City. Your party of 8 will enjoy a LOCALLY GROWN/ORGANIC MEAL featuring grass fed beef, free range chicken and locally grown fruits and vegetables. Appetizers and a time of fellowship will begin the meal and homemade pies will be featured for dessert. Support your local farming communities and enjoy relaxing in their log home in the forest! Joe and Mary Beachy will be serving up a TRADITIONAL beef or chicken meal to your party of 12 people. Their home is south of Kalona and this meal must be used before the end of 2009. Devon and Jen Yoder of Iowa City invite you to their home for a delicious, FRENCH BRUNCH for 6. The menu will include a field green salad with toasted hazelnuts, goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette dressing; assortment of filled croissants--chocolate, almond and savory cream cheese; quiche Lorraine; pan seared broccoli or asparagus; potatoes Lyonnaise; fruit and yogurt parfaits; coffee, tea and sparkling orange juice. The date will be mutually agreed upon by host and guests. Nelson and Mary Miller are planning to do a little grilling for your party of 8 people at their rural Kalona home. This will be a GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN MEAL and it will be capped off with pie and homemade ice cream! Travel to "Mayberry" for A MEAL AT AUNT BEA's HOUSE! Andy Griffith aficionados, Susan and Dick See of Washington, Iowa, (30 minutes south of Iowa City) will be your hosts. This is a meal for six people and it is highly recommended that you come dressed as your favorite Mayberry character. The meal will take place around the farmhouse table and will consist of comfort food served on Blue Willow dishes, just like Aunt Bee used on the Andy Griffith Show. There will be many photo opportunities throughout the evening. Various Mayberry "celebrities" may drop in as the meal progresses, and a photo op may occur focusing on a squad car. And if you book the meal on a Thursday evening in the summer, bring your lawn chairs because we will adjourn to the Central Park after the meal for an evening band concert, weather permitting. Tim and Denise Litwiller invite your party of 8-10 to their home in "suburban" Kalona for your choice of a GRILLED NY STRIP STEAKS OR SMOKED PORK CHOPS MEAL, seasonal side dishes and pie. This meal needs to be used by the end of September, 2009 and held on a weekend evening or Sunday noon. Ruby Miller invites your party of 10 people to her home in rural Kalona for a TRADITIONAL MEAL before the end of May, 2010. FONDUE FEAST—Find true communion around this three course feast! We'll whet our appetites with cheese fondue and bread, then satisfy our stomachs Vietnamese-style with fresh veggies and protein (meat and vegetarian options possible) dunked in hot broth. The evening will come to a sweet conclusion as we dunk fruits and cake in chocolate! Come hungry for fine food and fellowship! For up to 8 people, served between September and December, 2009. Menu will be vegetarian friendly, but does not have to be exclusively vegetarian—we can modify the courses depending on the winning group. Henry J.C. and Ila Miller will serve a SMOKED IOWA PORK CHOPS MEA to your party of 10 in their rural Kalona home sometime before the end of January, 2010. Roy and Jeanette Beachy invite 8-10 people to their Kalona home for a TURKEY STEAK DINNER. The date is negotiable but it must be served by March 1, 2010. Would you like a MIDDLE EASTERN MEAL (Vegetarian or not) or an ASIAN MEAL (involves meat) or a TRADITIONAL MENNONITE MEAL (and you know how that goes!)? Susie Swartzendruber, from Washington, will let you choose for your party of 6 people. If you come in the summer you can enjoy her beautiful garden, too. This meal is redeemable through May, 2010. A special group event for up to 30 men is being arranged by the Sunnyside Men's "Wild at Heart" Sunday School Class. This meal will be sold by the plate at each of the 4 "Meals in Homes" auctions until all 30 spots are taken. This is a great idea for men's groups. The meal will feature "Wild Turkey" and other dishes made and served by the Sunnyside men. There will be some inspirational ideas shared before each course based on the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. The date will be decided on before the sale but it is still under negotiation at the present time. You better work all day in the back 40 before you come to this meal! Gary and Gloria Graber of Mt. Pleasant, invite your party of 8 to their home for a TRADITIONAL FARM MEAL. There will be lots of roast beef, potatoes, veggies, salad and of course, homemade pie with homemade ice cream all served family style! Wow! This meal will be served on a Friday or Saturday night between September 11 and November 14th. FRANK'S FABULOUS SHISH-KABOBS will be the focus of this meal hosted by Frank and Jane Yoder, of Kalona. While Frank's concentrating on the shish-kabobs (with interested things like pineapples and feta-stuffed olives), Jane will be creating the rest of the meal featuring a rice dish, tossed salad and a delicious, seasonal dessert. This meal needs to be served sometime between June 30 and October 31. Kevin and Maria Kummer want to serve an ETHIOPIAN MEAL to your party of 6 in your own home. The menu will include sautéed lab or chicken, Alechia--a vegetable curry, a traditional salad, lentils and rice (OR A WEST AFRICAN MEAL with chicken and peanut stew with rice and fried plantains). The choice is up to the person with the winning bid! This meal can be served after August 1st, 2009. Tanna Boshart and Christina Leichty are joining forces to invite your party of 8 to enjoy an ORGANIC MEAL featuring free-range, organic chickens from Echo Dell Farms (Kalona), mashed potatoes and gravy, seasonal vegetables and salad, topped off with cheesecake for dessert. This meal will be served somewhere between Iowa City and Kalona depending on the date and is good through May 2010.
Quilts—The top ten quilts sold at the 2009 sale: Quilt, Jungle Trails (#35), pieced and hand quilted, Manson Mennonite Church, $3,400. Legacy of Love, The Good Shepherd quilt see description above, $2,400. Reversible Quilt, Lone Star (#56), pillow top, pieced and hand quilted, Zion Mennonite Yoke Fellowship (Donnellson). One needle quilting Edna Martin, $1,400. Quilt, Chimneys and Corners (#37), pieced and hand quilted, Eldon and Dorothy Rhodes, $1,300. Quilt, Sunrise in the Garden (#93), pieced and hand quilted, Sharon Bethel Church, $1,225. Quilt, Triple Broken Star (#18), pieced and hand quilted, West Union Mennonite Church, $1,000. Quilt, Four Patch Posey (#39), pieced and hand quilted, Upper Deer Creek Sewing Circle, $900. Quilt, Tennessee Waltz (#10), pieced and hand quilted, Bethel Mennonite Church, pieced by Sandra Amstutz, $900. Quilt, Floral Design (#69), pillow top, appliqued, embroidered and hand quilted, Sugar Creek Mennonite Women, $900. Quilt, Flower Reel (#4), appliqued, peiced and hand quilted, anonymous, $850. The following are photos of some of the quilts that were auctioned at the 2009 sale. Click on the picture to enlarge.
Lone Star, quilt (#56)	Autum Leaves, quilt
Triple Broken Star, quilt (#18)	Seasons in a Row, quilt
Foral Design, quilt (#69)	Pinwheel, quilt
Glorified Nine Patch, quilt	Tumble Block Pinwheel, quilt
	Floral, quilt
Sunrise in the Garden, quilt	Nine Patch, baby quilt
Jungle Trails, quilt (#35)	Wall hanging
Wall hanging	Zebra, wall hanging