LEHI, Utah — Some works of art hang on walls. Others offer warmth on a bed or couch — and, through a longtime Utah fundraiser, help support women’s heart health.
The Holiday Quilt Show and Auction will feature 83 quilts, all available for purchase, with 30 included in a live auction. Proceeds will benefit Intermountain Health’s Women’s Heart and Vascular Program.
For Judy Reese, the event’s chair, quilting became a passion after an invitation from her son’s mother-in-law more than a decade ago.
“My son married a girl whose mother quilts, and so when I was introduced to her, she said, ‘You need to come and join us.’ And so I retired and I went one week later and I walked in and I thought, ‘Yep, this is my place,’ and so I’ve been there over 10 years,” Reese said.
A devoted group of volunteers gathers to work on the quilts, carefully stitching details by hand. Reese said a quilt can take 100 hours to quilt.
One quilt she highlighted was also pieced together entirely by hand.
“The top was hand pieced within our group. It’s not machine pieced,” she said.
That craftsmanship can inspire spirited competition at the auction, where some quilts have sold for more than $10,000.
“Oh yes, and it’s very fun and it’s very exciting, you know, and people get bidding wars going on. We love those,” Reese said.
The auction also includes 60 hand-quilted centerpieces. Since it began in 1983, the event has raised nearly $5 million, supporting different health care programs over the years.
For the volunteers who devote so much time to each creation, letting go can be bittersweet.
“Sometimes it kind of breaks your heart because you think, ‘Oh, I’ll never see it again,’” Reese said.
The show runs November 10-12 at the Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday. Show admission is $10, with tickets available online or at the door.
A separate dinner and auction begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. Tickets are $150 per person. Additional information is available on Intermountain Health’s event page.