What is the Serendipity Auction? It is one of the largest fundraisers at our quilt show. Chaired by Herbie, Diane and Vernell since time-immemorial, it is a favorite place for quilters to pick up some themed gifts for their friends – or for themselves. You’ve seen them before - large baskets with beautiful bows; stuffed with memorable items. Members of the guild donate baskets and items to put in baskets. They ask their hairdressers for coupons for a free blow-out or their favorite salon for a free pedicure. This goes into a basket with hair products, a fabulous hairband, maybe some pink hair-dye and possibly a fat quarter bundle with a salon theme. Or maybe they donate a bottle of wine with a handmade wine gift bag and two glasses with quilt pattern designs on them and refrigerator magnet shaped like a wine bottle. Or perhaps they assemble a Tea basket featuring specialty teas, a teacup/saucer, and a beautiful set of placemats with a tea theme, or a teapot cozy, or a teacup fabric.

The auction is set up using raffle tickets. You purchase a certain number of raffle tickets for a VERY reasonable price, and then you can choose which item or items deserve your tickets. You can stuff the bag in front of your favorite basket with all of your tickets, or you can spread them around the 40+ baskets. It only takes one ticket to win. The drawings occur on Saturday afternoon and you need not be present to win. Phone calls begin immediately and efforts to connect the basket to the winner persist until all of the baskets are distributed. So, what do you do? Collect some items that might be assembled into a theme.

CONSIDER:

• Beginner Quilters Basket (scissors, rulers, clips, everything!) 
• Hand-Applique basket (needles, thimbles)
  
• Wool Project Basket 
• Patriotic Basket (firecrackers, picnic plates, sunscreen)
  
• Red-Work Basket (stamped designs, floss) 
• Baby Basket (Onesie, rattle, booties)
  
• Halloween Basket 
• Mardi-Gras Basket
  
• Hawaiian Basket (pineapple decor, a can of spam?) 
• Retro-30’s Basket (antique kitchen item?)
  
• Coffee Basket (mug, Starbucks gift certificate?) 
• Spa Basket (loofas, cucumber mask, etc.)
  
• Birds and Blooms Basket (seeds, bulbs, birdbath) 
• Florida/FSU/Alabama team basket (just don’t combine!)
  

Now! USE YOUR IMAGINATION! (Kitchen basket, Beach basket, young artist basket, mad scientist basket) What if you have an old sewing machine in good working order that is taking up valuable space in your sewing room? You can donate that to the auction and it will be considered a “Stand Alone” item. No need to put something that big or valuable into a basket.

If you have any questions, contact Herbie. Her email and phone number are in your members’ contacts on the website or on your Wild Apricot app. If you have items to donate and cannot find Herbie, give them to any member on the quilt show board and they will make sure the items are delivered to the proper place and person. Start collecting!

Herbie Morin & Diane Carson

Serendipity Auction Co-Chairs