Upland Hills School to auction off one-of-a-kind quilt

Upland Hills School is holding its 2004 Annual Auction ‘With Open Arms, a Celebration of Community? on April 24 at the Twin Lakes Golf Club in Oakland Township.
As always, the event will feature a raffle for a one-of-a-kind, hand-stitched quilt made by school volunteers.
‘We had more than 15 volunteers work on the quilt this year,? said Office Manager Terry Gardner, one of the quilt organizers. ‘On school days, parents would come in early when dropping off their children or stay late and just sit and sew.?
The first Upland Hills quilt was made of wool that came from Upland Hills Farm. The covering was raffled off in 1988. Since then, the quilt has been a staple at every auction. Today, the quilts are still made with wool from Upland Hills Farm whenever possible.
This year’s design contains ‘whole-piece? components that incorporate a blue and white toile print. The pastoral theme beckons back to the school’s roots and America’s colonial past. The border is done in shades of blue and contrasting green prints running in a vine motif. Volunteers used a cross hatch design, and the cover will fit on either twin or full size beds.
‘Each quilt is one of a kind,? said Holly Neumann, another quilt organizer and teacher for the 4 & 5-year-old program. ‘This is the first time we’ve moved into the direction of a traditional quilt style.?
‘We wanted to make something that would bring us all together around the loom,? added Gardner. ‘This year was actually focused upon the act of quilting instead of so much the quilt itself.?
Volunteers from the school gathered for a weekend at Windrise Retreat in Metamora on Nov. 7 and 8 to begin work on the covering. Although the majority of work is complete, there are still a few finishing touches needed.
‘We’re very excited about this year,? said Neumann,
The quilt will be raffled off at the April 24 auction. Tickets for the raffle are $5 each or 6 for $25, and may be purchased in the school office. The winner need not be present at the auction.
Other top items available at the auction include a five nights stay at a Hilton Head condo, three-hour personalized fitness program with a Detroit Piston trainer, MSU versus Notre Dame 40 yard line box seats in the Spartan Stadium, Twin Lakes Swim Club Membership and Golf package and an in-home concert by renowned cellist Eugene Friesen.
Tickets for the auction are $45 per person, and may be purchased in advance or at the door. Patron and sponsorship programs are available. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the evening begins with a Live Auction preview and Silent Auction bidding. Food, deserts and cash bar will be available. For more information on the quilt or the auction, please contact Janet Hartman, Auction Chairperson, at 248-693-2878.