Traverse City Record-Eagle

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February 6, 2010

Northern People: Group raises library funds

Quilt took three years of Thursday afternoons

By MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS

TRAVERSE CITY -- They came from all over Benzie County with one common thread: the desire to learn about a popular Colonial American art form.

Nearly eight years later, the women of Marjorie Nelson's applique class are still together and tighter than the needlework on their handmade quilts.

"We've been through a lot in the eight years," said Barb Street, of Honor. "They know all about my personal life, I know about their personal lives, their problems. We just jelled."

The group of eight originally met at Nelson's Beulah quilt shop, calling themselves Applique by the Lake. Nelson and daughter Rebecca Zerfas, who later took over the shop, joined them.

When Zerfas sold the store and moved to Wisconsin, the group moved too -- to the new Darcy Library of Beulah.

"We all get along so good. We enjoy each other's company and we have a good time every time we meet," said member Annetta Payne, who takes turns with the other women bringing treats to their Thursday afternoon sessions in the library's Michigan Room.

Besides meeting for work bees, the group celebrates Christmas with a handmade gift exchange.

"Every year we draw names for Christmas and we kind of go overboard with our presents for each other," said Payne, of Frankfort. "Naturally, most of them are appliqued."

But the group's most elaborate project is a quilt in the "Baltimore album" style from a design by national quilt designer Lori Smith. Made up of colorful floral-pattern blocks of hand-dyed fabric and surrounded by a border and an original vine design by Nelson, the handstitched quilt took three years to complete, Nelson said.

The labor of love will be raffled off at the seventh annual Chocolate, Champagne and Treasures event Friday to benefit the Darcy Library.

"We just do this because we like to do it and if we can help somebody that's what we're going to do," Payne said. "We considered having a drawing between us but nobody wanted to be the one not to win."

The quilt has been on display for a year at various venues in Benzie County. Already it has raised between $3,000 and $4,000 in raffle ticket sales, surprising Darcy librarian Anne Damm.

"When we gave it to them, they didn't know what to do with it," Street said. "They didn't know it was a gem they could make a lot of money on."

Raffle tickets are $5 each or $20 for five at the Benzie Area Chamber of Commerce, Curves, Beading Frenzy and the Darcy Library of Beulah. They'll also be available at Friday's benefit from 7 to 9 p.m. at the library.

For more information, call 882-4037.

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