Local quilters show off creations at Longmont quilt sale

Dana Cadey, Daily Times-Call, Longmont, Colo.
·2 min read

Mar. 2—Quilts of all shapes, sizes and colors were on full display this weekend during the 38th annual sale put on by the Interfaith Quilters of Longmont.

Held at First Lutheran Church, 803 Third Ave., the sale featured more than 800 items made by members of the quilting group or other local quilters. Doors opened Friday evening, with the sale continuing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Items ranged from massive quilts for king-sized beds to smaller but no less intricate wall hangings and placemats. Interfaith Quilters members estimated that about 300 people visited the sale over its two days this year.

"People love it," Donna Deubler, sale chair, said of the event. "And, honestly, for what we do, the prices are very gracious."

Interfaith Quilters president Robin Dederer said the sale's near 40-year lifespan has ingrained the group into the Longmont community.

"Many people have our quilts in their homes," Dederer said. "They've given them to their grandchildren and passed them along to family members. We have a very loyal following."

Since the sale's inception, a portion of proceeds has gone towards local nonprofits OUR Center and Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley. OUR Center provides food and essential items to the Longmont community, while the shelter offers refuge to those facing domestic abuse.

Faye Lamb, grants manager for Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley, said that the money from the sale has helped significantly with the shelter's operations over the years. Lamb added that the shelter receives quilt donations from Interfaith Quilters as well.

"(They) may come in and not have as much as a blanket," Lamb said of the shelter's clients. "The quilts are present at the shelter as sort of a positive shift."

Many Interfaith Quilters members have been selling their creations at the sale for years. Member Dee Kounovsky returned this year to sell her paper-piecing designs of Colorado plants and animals, several of which found new owners over the weekend.

"It makes me feel good because the money's helping our charities," Kounovsky said. "That's why we do it."

Quilted items weren't the only things for sale, either, as guests could also purchase quilting supplies. From fabric packs to quilting machines, artisans could stock up on materials needed for their next new creations.

Any item that wasn't sold by the end of Saturday will be up for grabs again later this year at the Interfaith Quilters' fall sale. Typically set in October, that sale will be smaller in scope and more focused on holiday-themed items.

Linda Kreibich, Interfaith Quilters secretary, helped put on the sale for her 20th year this weekend. She said her favorite part of the event is how festive it is.

"Everyone's in a good mood," Kreibich said. "The quilts sell themselves."