The Wimberley Valley Quilt Guild barely began setting up their annual Christmas Market last weekend before customers began arriving. In fact, some arrived an entire day early and the ever-cordial Quilt Guild members showed them in. On the day the market officially opened, buyers showed up an hour early to shop the tables loaded with quilts and other handsewn items. This year’s well-organized event may be their largest Christmas Market ever.
On hand to assist shoppers was Stefanie Voss, who along with Mary Tomlinson, were in charge of this year’s market. Anna White met visitors at the door and offered them a shopping bag. Judy and Fred Duncan welcomed shoppers and explained the layout of the vendors. Other volunteers, like Barbara Massey, cheerfully answered questions.
Current Wimberley Valley Quilt Guild President, Pam McGhee, has seen her membership swell in the last year to 85 members, all of them working on projects for the Christmas market, for helping organizations like the Hays County Women’s Center and to further their own creativity and expertise.
This year’s market saw the return of 10,000 Villages, a retailer that sells fairtrade crafts and housewares from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. They lost their Wimberley merchandise in the King Feed fire on January 25. Also tempting shoppers were artisan merchants of the Wimberley Presbyterian Church where the market was held. Proceeds from the market go to charities and the Hays Caldwell County Women’s Center.
