The sale ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A wide variety of fabrics and supplies were available to purchase from the collection of Mary Hartten. Hartten was a passionate quilter, who enjoyed collecting fabric for a litany of future projects. After she died in April, Chris Hartten said the family knew they had to do something to honor her and support local art. Hartten believes this mission has been accomplished.

“I think she’d be ecstatic,” she said. “Through all the family, friends, and community members buying this great fabric in the memory of Mary, she’d be very happy this fabric is going to be utilized.”

Overall, Hartten said the family was very pleased with the turnout for the event. There was a crowd outside of the door thirty minutes before opening, and The Grand founder Anne Makepeace estimated around 150 people had come to peruse. Hartten described what projects she heard folks are using the materials for.

“A little bit of everything,” she said. “We had an old teacher we’ve known since we were in second grade, and she was a classmate of our mother. She was after the wool. She does all hands-on, she doesn’t use a machine. She makes hats, scarves, and things like that. Other folks are large quilt makers. Some people are crafters.”

The Grand and Hartten family members stand with a table full of fabric at The Grand Saturday, overjoyed with the results from the event. Maggie Schwab, Chris Hartten, Barb Pagel, Anne Makepeace, Cathy Hartten, Randy Hartten (L-R).

Hartten said they sold around 75% of what they had. All of the proceeds from these sales went directly to The Grand to continue supporting their artistic endeavors, of which Mary Hartten was a fan. As for what doesn’t get sold, there is a two-part plan to ensure it gets used. Makepeace explained the first part.

“We have a fiber arts program for youth in the summer,” she said. “They’re going to donate what we might be able to use for program next summer and the year after. We’re more than willing to keep some of it and use it. [The fabric will] be really useful, we don’t have to buy those materials next summer.”

Chris Hartten said the second half will go to the Prairie Piecemakers Guild. The Harttens have already donated a full roll of batting, and the rest of the unsold material will go to the group. Hartten said the group uses fabric for a variety of purposes.

“They make quilts for the cancer patients at Alina,” she said. “They also make quilts for veterans in our community, and babies and mothers in need.”

Teresa Seidel and Dianne Melzer were two of the many attendees who waited outside before the event began. Seidel said her materials will go toward a group she works with.

People wait by the dozens outside The Grand before it opens Saturday. Chris Hartten said there was a crowd outside 30 minutes before the sale began.

“I’m big into embroidery. I got all of this thread and I got patterns. I embroider for Divine Providence in Sleepy Eye. They give me the dish towels, I stamp and sew them, take them back, and they sell them at their bazaar.”

Melzer thought the sale was overall a good time and a wonderful celebration of Mary Hartten. There was one part in particular she enjoyed the most.

“I’m glad they had some displays of her quilting,” she said. “[It looked like] she was good at it. She must have had a roomful [of material] at least, maybe a couple.”

For more information on The Grand and The Prairie Piecemakers Guild, visit https://thegrandnewulm.org/ and https://www.prairiepiecemakers.com/