Airedale Rescue Quilting Bee: BITCHES IN SEASON ARRIVES AT IT'S NEW HOME

I returned home this afternoon from running errands and had a nice email with photos from Denise St. John, who won Bitches in Season. I thought I would share her kind words and the photos of its arrival. Her two Airedales, Buster (w/belly band) and Emma helped her open the package.

Denise wrote: Hi Candy: The wall hanging is BEAUTIFUL - the photos didn't do it justice. I can't believe this was your first quilt start to finish. And I can't believe I actually won it!!! Everything about it is perfect - the quality, colors, choice of materials and the embellishments. It's happy and cheerful and will make us smile everyday.

My helpers are Emma and Buster - he's wearing a bellyband because he has prostate cancer and tends to dribble. Buster is a rescue who's been with us for 11 years and he's at least 13. Poor old guy also has melanoma.

Thank you so very much,
Denise

Closeup - I added a few more embellishments like the
pumpkin and button in each corner of the border

Buster checking out the package

Buster, Denise and Emma bringing in the package

Looks like Emma can't wait to see what's inside

Buster's giving it a good sniff

Ooh, what is it?

Emma checking it out - any little edible biscuits on there
as embellishments?

Is that pumpkin edible?

Mom, are you really going to hang up those funny
looking Airedales?!

Why the Last Quilt?

For the last few years, it has become increasingly harder to find volunteers to run/manage the Bee. The steering committee has done all it can, but is retiring. We want to be very clear, it is not a financial issue for the volunteers of the Bee, it is a lack of dependable people stepping up to manage and participate in the behind-the-scenes running of the fundraiser. Currently, there are NO plans to continue any managerial portion of the Bee or to create additional quilts.

The steering committee has taken on all the managerial aspects of what is literally running a small business. Each and every one of us has devoted endless hours and money to making this a successful fundraiser for NAR. Running the Bee consists of many tasks and this is by no means a complete list: finding artists, finding block makers, finding quilters, deciding on themes, preparing block packets, coordinating timelines, finding a professional photographer, securing ticket printing/ purchasing, obtaining raffle license, selling tickets (donations), having a presence at MCKC, having a blog and/or website to promote the quilt, obtaining rescue stories and photos for marketing, acquiring donations for prizes, and ‘nagging’ members to complete their jobs in a timely fashion. Many times the steering committee has had to step in and do a job at the last minute because of the lack of volunteers or follow-through.

It has been a great 17 year run for the Quilting Bee, as the largest fundraiser for NAR. We know many Airedales have been supported through this effort.

Incentive Winners

"Aire Leaps Through the Seasons" - Charles Jones, III - GA
"Table Runn-Aire" - Helena Epstein, NY
"Dive Bombing Swallows" - Lynn Mathers, WA
"Straw Hat Girl" - Cathy Gaidos, KS
"Leap Y'Aire" - Donna Cardamone, OH
#9-5 Martha Calligan, OH
#9-4 Barbara Bonfield, CA
#9-3 Judith Luckett, TX
#9-2 Lisa Panno
#9-1 Ann Cosgrove, VA
$25,000 Milestone - Patty Eisenbraun, MI
$20,000 Milestone - Judy Luckett, TX
#8-5 Sharon Rafferty, CO
#8-4 Cindy Trimble, FL
#8-3 Caroline Thibodeau, CA
#8-2 Heidi Klaus, Freehold, NJ
#8-1 Nancie Secher, CA
#7-5 Dean Incopero, IL
#7-4 Sandra Swanson, NY
#7-3 Virginia Slowik, NY
#7-2 Barbara Morrison, WV
#7-1 Katherine Appleton, PA
$16,000 Milestone - Dina Rabanal, NM
#6-5 Lisa Hedman, WA
#6-4 Marcia L. Smith, NY
#6-3 Nancy Wagner-Hislip, NJ
#6-2 Linda McVey, British Columbia
#6-1 Donna Couch Jones, AZ
#5-5 Nancy Tripp - MA
#5-4 Denise Seis, IN
#5-3 George Core - AZ
#5-2 Patty Eisenbraun, MI
#5-1 Elisa Burnsed, GA
#4-4 Christine Votel Sheffer, NY
#4-3 Wendy Hodgson, Australia
#4-2 Pam Vandergrift
#4-1 Susan Winnett, Australia
$10,000 Milestone - Paul Pistell, MD
#3-4 New England Airedale Rescue, CT
#3-3 Ginger Robinson, VA
#3-2 Jean Naragdao, OR
#3-1 New England Airedale Rescue, CT
#2-4 Nora Davidson, TX
#2-3 Pat Bently, AZ
#2-2 Robert Haney, NJ
#2-1 Frances Murphy, AZ
$5,000 Milestone - Ruth Ellen Hill, TX
#1-4 Barbara Bonfield, CA
#1-3 Debbie Butler, KS
#1-2 Carole Evans, IN
#1-1 Leah Bokovitz, OH

Explaining the National Airedale Quilting Bee

Every year since 1999, a group of dedicated quilters and Airedale lovers has gathered in cyberspace to create a very down-to-Earth work of art as a fundraiser for National Airedale Rescue (NAR), the 501c3 corporation which is the Official Treasury of the Airedale Terrier Club of America Rescue & Adoption (ATCA R/A) Committee. Almost all of the materials and every one of the hundreds of hours of labor are volunteered, so that the proceeds of the fundraiser go 100% to NAR.

The donations are in increments and each donation you make (online or by check) will make you eligible for the main quilt and/or one of four bonus wall hangings. The donation structure is set up as follows: for each $5 donation you make, you will receive one entry for the main quilt; for each $25 donation increment you make, you will receive 5 entries for the main quilt and 1 bonus wall hanging entry. For example, if you donate $50, you receive 10 main quilt entries and 2 bonus entries, and so on.

2 comments :

lOctober 19, 2013 at 8:34 PM
that is just awesome looking! great job Candy and how lucky for Denise, good thing she got Airedale approval!
DukeOctober 20, 2013 at 2:32 AM
Bitches in Season is going to have a wonderful home at Emma and Buster's house! The wall hanging is just fabulous, Candy! Lucky Miss Denise St. John!