Knitted, sewn, quilted and crocheted textiles. Plants. Home-baked goodies. Treasures from attics and basements.
Once upon a time, the word bazaar carried connotations of the exotic spices and silks of the Middle East. In modern middle America, it has come to mean either a rummage sale or handcrafted and homemade treats, or, in the case of First United Methodist Church of Durango’s Holiday Bazaar, a combination of both.
The bazaar will kick off its 40th year at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Organized by the United Methodist Women, the money raised at the bazaar goes to philanthropy, ranging from the American Red Cross and Manna Soup Kitchen to missions in Haiti and Poland.
A core group that creates many of the handmade items for sale at the event is called the Crafty Ladies, and it numbers three particularly august members, all longtime participants in the bazaar and familiar faces around the church. Ernestine Brewer, 97, Doris Higgins, 95, and Jean Pearthree, 91, are still hard at work.
“These women are so impressive,” said Susie Ragsdale, who’s handling publicity for this year’s bazaar, “not just at the bazaar, but around town, too.”
‘Chance for fellowship’
Pearthree, the youngest of the trio of nonagenarians, is also the newest in town. She and her late husband, Murray, moved to Durango in June 1996. She has always been active in the church, from her childhood in a small town in Wisconsin through adulthood in New Jersey and now, in her senior years, in Durango.
“Being in the Crafty Ladies is very worthwhile,” she said. “It’s a chance for fellowship with other ladies and a wonderful place to socialize. And it’s very meaningful to accomplish something together.”
Pearthree admits that the weekly two-hour meeting is as much social as project-oriented.
“But at home, I work for hours at a time,” she said. “There’s no one to disturb me, and I’ll get so involved, I forget meals.”
In addition to painting gourd birdhouses and other crafts, Pearthree bakes pies and cookies for the sale.
The variety of missions supported by the money raised helps everyone, she said.
“It’s good for the community, just like the thrift shop,” Pearthree said. “The people who make the decisions on where the money goes are very thoughtful and prudent.”
She’s a big fan of her fellow crafters in their 90s.
“I applaud both of those two ladies for sharing their talents with others,” she said. “They have so much ingenuity.”
‘Something to do’
Higgins has contributed items to all 40 years of the bazaar, but it wasn’t until she retired after 28 years as a professional seamstress that she really went full bore.
“I’ve always participated, but not to the scale I do now,” she said. “The two largest rooms, the narthex and library, are mine. That’s what you’ll see when you enter. It’s a fun place.”
It’s difficult to take in everything she’s made for the bazaar, much of it using fabric from the Methodist Thrift Shop.
The centerpiece is a silk and velvet crazy quilt, with every square sporting lace, beads, buttons and contrasting fabric, and every square with a different design.
She has also made crib quilts, aprons, placemats, tablecloths and runners, more than 300 pillows and more than 500 potholders for this year’s sale.
“I do have some social life,” Higgins said with a laugh. “But I don’t play cards or golf, and when I’m at home, I need something to do. I take advantage of long winter evenings for lots of hand sewing.”
Higgins doesn’t think age is an excuse to stop giving, but hearing loss has excused her from one thing.
“As I grew older, I gave up on committees and meetings,” she said. “But the money we raise at the bazaar goes to a variety of things, and it’s always people in need.”
The bazaar is also an opportunity for a mini-family reunion, as her daughter and three great-granddaughters come from Denver to help with the sale. She says she couldn’t do it without them.
The Crafty Ladies are going to have their biggest display this year, Higgins said.
“There are several members who are so talented,” she said. “They’ve made three quilts, things with gourds and wood, lots of beautiful dolls and stuffed toys, much more than in previous years.”
‘It’s an art’
Brewer has also been involved in the bazaar every year since its beginning in 1974. She’s known for her embroidery and ability to stuff dolls and toys.
“It’s an art, the way she stuffs things,” Pearthree said. “People may not realize that, but otherwise it’s lumpy and doesn’t look good. She’s a pro.”
Marcia Clouser, another longtime bazaar volunteer, says Brewer treats her bazaar projects almost as a full-time job.
“Any pillowslips that come into the thrift shop go to her,” she said. “Ernestine sits at her dining-room table and embroiders every one. I’m guessing she puts in at least 30 hours a week.”
Just as for Pearthree and Higgins, hearing is a problem for Brewer. But she still attends Crafty Lady meetings to work with her fellow artists.
“I know it’s frustrating for her,” Clouser said, “but they give her something to work on, and off she goes.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
If you go
The 40th annual Holiday Bazaar will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church of Durango, 2917 Aspen Drive off Florida Road.
Coffee cake, sausage and biscuits will be served in the morning, and sloppy Joes will be served for lunch starting at 11 a.m. Other refreshments, including pie by the slice, will be served all day.
