Greetings from Oregon.  This is Sandy Streit, chairperson of the OFA raffle
quilt committee.  Yesterday was a red-letter day.  We put the last stitches
in the quilt!!  It's done!!  I can't begin to express my appreciation to
everyone who donated quilt blocks or helped assemble the quilt.  Without
your assistance, this project would never have been completed.
 
The quilt is queen-size--approximately 95 inches wide, about 105 inches
long.  I used a light-weight poly batting, so the quilt can be used year
round.  Along the top, on the back side of the quilt, I attached a sleeve so
if you wish to hang your quilt, you simply run a dowel thru the sleeve.  I
took care to arrange the blocks so that they would be orientated correctly
whether you put the quilt on a bed or hung it on the wall.
 
The quilt contains a signature block.  This block says: "Oregon Ferret
Assoc, Shelter Benefit Quilt '97".  To a collector, this documents the year
the quilt was made and the event it commemorates.  It will make the quilt's
value increase thru the years, assuming it's kept in good condition.
 
To view the quilt online, go to the OFA website: http:
//www.teleport.com/~leonard/ofa/ofa.html
 
For those of you who do not have the software to view the quilt: The quilt
contains 56 blocks, 7 blocks wide, 8 blocks long.  We have some fabulous
ferret blocks.  The embroidery-work some people have done just astounds me.
In addition to the marvelous ferret blocks, we have a beaver, a rainbow
lorikeet, an echidna, a sulfur crested cockatoo, a ladybug, an Australian
black swan, a splendid blue wren, a butterfly, a squirrel, a hummingbird, a
brush possum.  (Who am I forgetting?) The other squares are traditional
blocks.  We have Grandmother's Fan, Ohio Star, Nine Patch, Pinwheel, to name
a few.  And no quilt is complete without Sunbonnet Sue.  The quilt also has
a building which is labeled "Ferret Shelter".  Each block is surrounded by a
narrow strip of yellow.  The blocks are joined by a forest-green color.
Since the quilt contains dozens of colors, I guarantee it will look good in
your home.  This is a unique piece of folk art.
 
The raffle will take place at the OFA's Fun Match, which is Sunday, Aug 10.
You do not need to be present to win.  We will ship the quilt to you.
Tickets cost $1 US each.  They can be purchased at the Ferret Shelter in
Oregon City, at the Fun Match, or you can send a check with your
name/address/phone/email to:
 
 Sandy Streit
 3145 SW Maricara St
 Portland, OR  97219
 
And thanks to everyone who has already purchased raffle tickets.  Your
support has been appreciated.
[Posted in FML issue 1990]