RSVP for Quilters Luncheon in November

Mark your calendar for the Quilters Luncheon on Saturday, November 14, 2026, in the newly renovated Cedar Lodge at Ewalu’s main site. We invite all those who have donated quilts and items to the 2025 or 2026 Ewalu Quilt Auction to join us as we say “thank you” with this biannual event!  As you know, our capacity fills up quickly, but we are hoping to increase the number of participants by hosting the event in the renovated and expanded Cedar Lodge. RSVP with the Ewalu office by November 10 by calling 563-933-4700, by emailing office@ewalu.org or by self-registering at THIS LINK under “2026 Ewalu Events.”

Sarah Ottesen, co-owner of Farmer’s Daughters Quilts in Oelwein, Iowa, will be our featured presenter. Known for her energetic live Facebook videos, Sarah will offer lots of quilting tips and tricks in her upbeat style. The Cedar River Readers Theater group of Waverly will perform a couple of quilt-themed stories, followed by lunch at noon. We’ll also thank our donors with some giveaways and lots of fun!

Questions can be directed to Steph Boeding, event director, at steph@ewalu.org.

Whether you donated a quilt or item, or were a bidder, we’d love to have your feedback about our 2026 event using the link above! You can remain anonymous or include your contact info if you’d like someone to get in touch with you. 

Thank you for a wonderful Quilt Auction!

We had a rainy day for the 2026 Live Auction on September 19! And with our newly renovated Cedar Lodge facility, we had a wonderful event with 127 items auctioned live, plus lots of great items in the Country Store and delicious baked goods for sale in the Canteen! THANK YOU to all our volunteers, quilt and item donors, and to those who brought baked goodies for the Canteen.

Those attending the Live Auction enjoyed one BIG surprise: the raffle quilt made and donated by BilliJo Eckheart was won by Gary Griffin of New Hampton, who graciously gave the quilt back to the auction to raise even MORE money for Ewalu! We brought it back out when auctioning the Top 3 People’s Choice Award winners, and it earned another $3,000 in bids after raising $5,500 in ticket sales. Wow!

The 2026 Live Auction People’s Choice Winners are all from Waverly this year:
1. Item 45, Blackberry Bramble, King quilt made and donated by Barb Pitt, Waverly, IA ($3,000) – far right in photo below
2. Item 56, Roscoe, Full quilt made and donated by Sally Williams, Waverly, IA ($500) – middle quilt in photo
3. Item 32, Slow Dance, Queen quilt donated by Leslie Matthias, Waverly, IA ($1,200) – far left in photo

Preliminary totals: over $52,000 in bids from the two auctions, $5,500 in raffle ticket sales, and nearly $70,000 in gross proceeds when adding in the Country Store, donations, the Canteen and other sales! After expenses, we expect to have net proceeds of about $62,000 to support the ministry at Camp Ewalu… another RECORD YEAR even with a rainy day! Wow!

THANK YOU for another wonderful event that raises funds to support what God is doing at Ewalu ❤️ To see what each quilt and item sold for at both auctions, please click the button for the “2026 Quilt Auction Report” below, and use “Control-F” to search for any word or name in the document. Quilt and item donors will be sent a statement via mail or email.

👏 Our volunteers, staff and summer staff also deserve a huge THANK YOU for making this event possible each year. It takes many hands to have this wonderful event each year!

To see a Google Sheet with the 2026 Quilt Auction Report, click here! You can download and then sort the list by donor name, by winning bid, or any way you’d like.

This year’s quilt donations:
Shepherd of the Hills Ministries

A long-standing tradition of Ewalu’s Quilt Auction is the opportunity to donate quilts to Lutheran-affiliated ministries that serve others. This year, bidders can purchase a quilt and donate it to Shepherd of the Hills Ministries in St. Olaf, Iowa.  For many years, Ewalu quilts were donated to Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Bremwood facility in Waverly, Iowa, until the facility closed its youth treatment program in 2023. In 2024, quilts were donated to LSI’s Refugee and Early Childhood programs in the LSI Waterloo office.

SOTH assists those struggling with housing, domestic situations, fostering, natural disasters, aftermath of a fire, medical challenges and more, and gives assistance for utility bills and rent. The SOTH thrift store at 100 W. Hill St., Saint Olaf (pictured above), is open to the public M-F, 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. If a crisis family is in need of anything, they get to shop in the store for free and can get 5 items per person in the family each month.

Helping children is a huge focus for SOTH, serving hundreds of kids with Back to School backpacks full of supplies, plus their Coats for Kids and Christmas for Kids programs. SOTH runs on donations only. Their annual Hog Roast is coming up October 4, which supports their Crisis Fund. Contact Heather Hageman at 563-783-2409 or shephill@neitel.net for more information.

Typically, 30-40 quilts are donated from bidders at Ewalu’s Quilt Auction to charity each year! Handmade quilts are wonderful gifts of comfort for people in need.

There are many twin-sized quilts on this year’s quilt auction that would be great donations to Shepherd of the Hills Ministries, but any quilt you win can be donated. We will make sure it gets to the ministry in St. Olaf, Iowa, where they will distribute quilts to folks in need!

Thank you for giving twice — first by bidding to support Ewalu, and second by giving away the quilt you purchased.

About Ewalu’s Quilt Auction

Held annually for nearly 40 years with the help and support of congregations, quilters, and volunteers, more than 300 quilts and hand-crafted items are donated to the camp to be included in our live auction, online auction, or Country Store. The funds raised support projects and capital improvements that the camp cannot achieve through the annual operating budget.

Join us for live music, a short worship service, and more than 300 quilts and quality hand-crafted items displayed for review. A free-will lunch is served at noon, and the live auction starts at 1:00 p.m. It is a day to celebrate and support the incredible ministry that occurs at Camp Ewalu!

Supporting This Event

This event would not be possible without the generosity of quilters and crafters throughout eastern Iowa. Additional support comes through congregations, quilt/fabric shops, Thrivent Financial grants, local businesses and organizations in areas like In-lieu-of-quilt gifts, advertising, event supplies, and more!

Quilters & Crafters: Please consider making a quilt or item for the auction. To provide variety and interest in the auction, we also auction other hand-made items, especially wooden items such as wooden bowls. Though over 300 items are donated for the auction, we can only put about 120 to 130 items in the live auction. All other items are either put up for bids in the Online Auction (including top-quality items!), or priced and sold in the “Country Store” on the day of the live auction: Sept. 19, 2026. If you are unable to donate a completed item, we also accept quilt tops, squares, pieces, batting, and other quilt or craft supplies for the Country Store.

In lieu of quilts: If you are unable to donate a quilt or craft item, there are still ways to help! You can make a monetary gift in lieu of donating an item; donate baked goods, plants and fresh produce for the food stand; or volunteer to demonstrate your craft trade at the event. We also rely on volunteers for operating the food stand and Country Store.

THANK YOU!

There’s an amazing story unfolding here through the ministry of Camp Ewalu. It’s the story of God’s love made transparent through Christ and demonstrated through the generosity of many supporters like you. Thank you for the many creative ways that you support this ministry, which reaches thousands of people each year through our summer camp program and retreat hosting. We look forward to working with you as we come together for this year’s Quilt Auction!

Click the button to see what each quilt and item sold for at the 2025 Ewalu Quilt Auction. Use “Control + F” to search for any name or word. Question can be directed to Steph Boeding, event director, at steph@ewalu.org.

PHOTOS FROM 2025 LIVE AUCTION

CONTACT

Questions about the Ewalu Quilt Auction can be directed to Steph Boeding, steph@ewalu.org