A handmade quilt valued at $2,000 will be one of the many items for auction at the 35th annual Vicksburg Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Soup and Sandwich Luncheon fundraiser, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Wesley Hall at Crawford Street United Methodist Church.
The quilt is 70 inches wide by 87 inches long and is hand pieced and quilted together from blocks used as class demonstrations throughout the 1990’s by a local resident Martha Skelton, one of America’s foremost quilt makers, according to noted quilt scholar, Mary Elizabeth Johnson.
Skelton completed more than 200 quilts and is recognized as a master quilter and teacher of the craft. Two of her quilts are a part of the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society’s permanent collection, and her quilts are also included in the Mountain Mist quilt collection and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History collection.
In addition to Skelton’s quilt, other items featured in the silent auction include photographs by Glynn Fought, Marty Kittrell, and Janie Fortenberry, paintings by Karen Sanders and Lenore Barkley, Lathe-turned wooden bowls and platters by Dick Grau and a handmade smocked pink baby dress.
Other pieces have been donated by business in the community, along with gift certificates by hotels and hair salons. Baked items will also be offered for sale.
Advance tickets for the event are $8 and are available by calling 903-263-9507 or 601-831-4459.
The church is at 900 Crawford St. and the menu for the luncheon will include homemade vegetable beef soup, homemade pimento cheese sandwiches, a cookie and a beverage.
Funds raised by the Vicksburg Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary support local programs including the Salvation Army’s Camp Hidden Lake, the Mission 66 Diner, the Angel Tree program, assistance programs for the elderly and needy, the food pantry, and disaster relief.
For more information, visit vixsawa.weebly.com of follow Vicksburg Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary on Facebook.