The Superior Express -

In 2019, Lawrence native Pat Herz Berg (daughter of the late Ralph and Mildred Herz) coordinated a project between Green Lake Lutheran Ministries (GLLM) in Spicer, Minn., and Lawrence's Sacred Heart Sewing Circle. Three hand-pieced quilt tops were donated to GLLM for their annual quilt auction that raises money for their summer camp. Judging from the fabrics used, it is believed the tops are 90 to 100 years old. Pat's committee thought they should be hand-quilted and finished to bring more money at the auction. Pat contacted local quilter Glenda Herz and the Sewing Circle agreed to do the quilting.

Pat (Herz) Berg, a Lawrence native, stands by the quilt she purchased at the Green Lake Lutheran Ministries Annual Quilt Auction. She coordinated sending the antique top to Lawrence Sacred Heart Sewing Circle to be hand quilted. Anyone familiar with the Grandmother's Flower Garden design will appreciate how small the pieces were when they see the number of blocks used in the quilt.

A traditional pastel Grandmother's Flower Garden was put on the 2020 auction when GLLM resorted to a totally online event. It was exciting for the local quilters to see it sell for $1,000, one of six to make the $1,000 mark out of 100 quilts sold. It was apparent GLLM's investment in hand-quilting and finishing paid off.

The last two quilts were among 93 sold at the 2021 live auction in July. An additional 93 were sold online for a total of more than $50,000 in quilt sales. This, the 37th Annual Quilt Sale, was a huge record breaker.

The antique Double Wedding Ring sold for $950 which put it in the top ten of sale prices.

The last quilt was a unique and special Grandmother's Flower Garden because the hexagons were less than one-inch wide! It sold for an amazing $1,700, the third highest sale price of the day. The high bidder was none other than Pat Berg who started the quilt tops on their journey to completion. In the end, she couldn't part with this one and said, "It was worth every penny!" Additionally, this quilt was voted the "Best Large Quilt" by the viewer's choice ballots.

Members of the Sewing Circle enjoyed being part of the process of completing the quilts. They recognize and appreciate the patience and artistry of the original quilt-maker.