Handstitched with extra care
Wabasso woman, 94, auctions off last quilt (of many) at fundraising event
By Larry Magrath
There’s a little mystery in each quilt that Maxine Rasmussen of Wabasso has made over her lifetime. She knows that each quilt takes a lot of time, but she never keeps track or adds the time up. The hours spent is simply time well spent in making the item that will be enjoyed for years by family, friends, and strangers alike.
Maxine, 94, and friends recently attended an annual tradition, the Quilt Auction at Water’s Edge Ministries (formerly Green Lake Bible Camp) near Spicer. The camp is affiliated with her church, St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Wabasso. In July, her latest and her last quilt to be auctioned off for the good of the ministries sold for $1,000.
“It’s something that I enjoy doing and it’s a good benefit for them,” she said. “My best quilt that I took to Green Lake was worth $2,700.”
Maxine points out a special quilt she has held on to in her apartment at Serenity Suites Senior Living in Wabasso. It’s a “Friendship” quilt so named for the various squares made by an ensemble of nine quilting friends who shared ideas, materials, and unique squares.
“I had more but when you move to a small place you haven’t got room. I saved enough so I had enough for a quilt auction and a baby quilt.”
She learned to quilt from a grandmother who would have quilting parties and figures that she’s made hundreds of larger size bed quilts and numerous baby and smaller quilts.
“My grandchildren (10) got a baby quilt and then they got one when they got in a regular bed and then when they graduated. I made a twin quilt when they went off to college and most of them did go off to college. Then when they get married they got one as a gift.”
“I can’t make them anymore. I don’t have room to stretch them out. I did all mine by hand. My quilting was all done by hand. I just like hand quilting better than machine. I didn’t have a big machine, so to make a big quilt on just a regular sewing machine is a job.”
She has made block quilts, which at times can be sewn on a machine and then put together by hand stitching. She also made applique ornamental quilts that were all uniquely and individually hand designed.
For years, her goal was to have a quilt auctioned off at the annual fundraiser. The Quilt Auction is a staple of the ministry’s fundraising effort each year. This year more than 100 quilts were auctioned off and it features both live in-person auctions as well as an on-line component, Rasmussen said.
“One time I made one and before I was done with that my oldest boy said ‘that quilt is going to be mine’ so he got that one, and then I was going to make another and thought I’d take it to Green Lake, but my daughter said that was hers, so then I never did get one of them made for down in Green Lake.”
Friend and fellow quilter Jan Arends of Wabasso knows quilting as well and donated two smaller quilts to this year’s auction.
“It would be interesting to know how much money she’s brought in to that organization over the years,” Arends said. “She’s a good gal and very conscientious about her quilts. Hers are all done by hand, you know they’re not quilted by a long arm like most of us do now.”
The number of quilts and workspace has varied over the years. Once retired and living in town she had more time on her hands, but less space.
“I used to quilt on a real made frame, my grandma’s old frame and with that you had to put down in the basement or some place where you had a big room, but then my husband didn’t like when I quilted in the basement. He didn’t like to sit down there and he didn’t like to be upstairs by himself.”
Then her daughter bought a small frame that she would use after getting it pinned together. Then she was able to work upstairs.
She’s purchased materials in various places as they traveled. They visited Michigan one year to pick up a camper years ago and she recalls stocking up on material. The area was home to an Amish population which meant the materials were available in local shops.
“The Amish do a lot of quilting and beautiful quilting. The Amish know a lot about quilting. Mine wouldn’t compare to theirs. Every stitch is perfect.”
Flaws and all, like any piece of artwork, Maxine normally stitched in a signature “MER” on the piece.
She and her husband raised a family on a farm in the area. LeRoy Rasmussen passed away at the age of 77 in 2003.
The couple’s oldest son Curtis, farms near Lucan. Daughter Barb Berneck lives in Wabasso. Other sons include the late Dean Rasmussen who passed away at age 61 in 2018, and Ronald Rasmussen, a retired dentist.
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