ARTHUR - Much as they have done for more than 30 years, a quartet of women created a queen-size quilt for the Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale. This year's edition is a Broken Star in shades of blue.

That quilt and hundreds of other items will go up for sale this weekend during the 47th Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale.

The quilt is the work of four women, ages 72 to 84, said Dorothy Otto of Arthur, daughter of one of the quilters.

The creators are Katie Kauffman, Otto's mother; Kauffman's sister, Lucy Yatzy; and Kauffman's sisters-in-law, Lucy Schrock and Elsie Schrock.

They've been doing it for 34 years.

"My grandma, when she was living, they started this," Otto said.

The four take annual turns choosing a pattern. Then they get together, cut pieces and sew the creation together.

"They gather once a month, just those four ladies," said Otto, and the hostess is responsible for lunch.

But they don't exclude their daughters and granddaughters from the process. They gather them all for a day of quilting once the creation is on the frames. And the grandchildren either create a comforter or baby quilt of their own to donate, as well.

The quilt group's longtime commitment to donating to the sale isn't unique.

"(The sale) is a community effort," said Larry Yoder, one of the committee volunteers helping to organize the event.

For example, this year's auction also includes No. 122 in a series of footstools created from maple and walnut by Adlai Yoder of Arthur, though not all of the series has been donated to the sale.

Like all of the previous ones, the footstool is engraved on the bottom, bearing the number and, in this case, the dates of the sale. For good measure, Adlai Yoder ordered a Hoosier cabinet of oak and assembled it for the auction as well. A Hoosier cabinet contains a flour bin with sifter and multiple storage places.

Adlai Yoder said it took him about three weeks when he came up with the footstool design years ago. While he has not counted the number of small pieces involved in the top, he knows there are no nails, except for the floor protectors on the legs. It's finished with a high gloss varnish for durability.

These family involvements are examples of a community that pitches in together to make the sale successful.

"They all help," stressed Steve Miller, chairman of this year's event for the fourth year.

"I like being part of a team, working for the common good," said Beth Miller, Steve Miller's wife.

"It's really a very unique event," she continued. "There's a lot of culture.

"It's really a festival," she added. "Festival would be a better word than sale."

Steve Miller promises attendees a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Last year's participants came from 16 states and two Canadian provinces.

"Our sale stands out in that sense," he said. "Here you can talk to people. You can have a conversation."

amannlein@herald-review.com|421-6976