Raffle Quilt, "Seeing Red", 2012
Old Aurora Colony Quilters

Aurora Colony Museum, Aurora, OR

Char is pictured with the 2012 Old Aurora Colony Historical Museum Quilt Show raffle quilt.

The drawing for this fabulous hand-quilted treasure was held at the end of the quilt show, Oct. 2012.   Each year a new block contest is held and twenty winning blocks are machine set and then hand quilted by a group of ladies who work Tuesday mornings on a quilting frame at the Old Aurora Colony Historical Museum,  Aurora, Oregon. 
www.AuroraColony.org 

I have been submitting blocks for the last 13 years, but my block did not get into this one.

So what happens to the non-winning blocks?    

They are made into more quilting projects by the same group of quilters and sold as fund raisers, so every block entered  is actually a "winner".    All proceeds from the quilts and related projects made at the museum quilters go to the operation costs of the Aurora Colony Museum and the Aurora Colony Pioneer Farm at Hubbard, OR.  The farm is one of the original colony homesteads and gives educational tours to hundreds of school kids every year.

Here is a picture of one of the three quilts the group finished in 2012.  I took this picture at the "Seeing Red" quilt show in Oct., 2012.  The museum quilting group was quilting it in the frame as part of the show.  My block entry, "Daisy Chain",  is stitched up in this quilt and is shown at the front. 

I called the Aurora Colony Museum a few days ago to check on the progress of this third quilt and the group has finished quilting it and  is having the binding applied now.  Soon it will be for sale.  They have already sold the second quilt completed in 2012.

"Colony Life" 12"-pieced block entry for 2013 raffle quilt

And my block I submitted for the 2013 raffle quilt did win and will soon be set into a quilt with the 19 other winners and be hand quilted at the museum.  I named this block "Colony Life".  I usually applique my entry blocks so I can be sure they meet the 12" by 12" entry guidelines, but I took a chance this year and pieced one.  The block is Hole in the Barn Door and that is the view one would see if they were standing inside one of the outbuildings and looking out.

As soon as I find the picture I took of the other 19 winning blocks I will post it below.

All the blocks will be set with fall colors.
Found 'em!

Here are pictures of the quilts I entered in the show:

"Caged Star" or "Western Star",  made by an unknown quilter about 1935

"Come Away",  small art quilt by Char Wirfs, 2012

"Barn Raising",  log cabin variation, pieced by Mary Cadwallader, 2011
and machine quilted by Tracy Lovisone, Baker City, Oregon, 2012

 "Thicket"  Art quilt made by Char Wirfs, 2012

"Double Irish Chain"  made by an unknown quilter about 1875-1900

Purchased at the Palmer Wirfs Show, Expo, Portland, OR, 2012

The dealer told me he bought it in PA on one of his buying trips.

Somewhere I have a picture of Janus Child's red work quilt.  I'll post it when I locate it.

After the show we joined friends, Candice and Steve, at The Ram Pub in Wilsonville, OR