MINNEAPOLIS, March 25, 2016-The grandmother of all textile garage sale is back! Last year 2,200 participated, and this year's event promises to be greater than ever.

So much more than a garage sale ... it's a celebration of fiber & thrift! Artists students crafters, church groups, guilds doing charity work, bargain lovers come together in this one-of-a-kind event.

Here's how it works:

1. On Thursday, April 7, individuals and businesses will donate a warehouse-worth fabric, yarn, thread, notions, kits, patterns, magazines, books, beads, buttons, sewing machines, tools, looms, and specialty equipment.

2. More than 200 volunteers sort and price these "trash to treasures," which are then resold at garage sale prices to the public. Donations are tax deductible, and all proceeds benefit Textile Center's programs.
3. Then...the sale begins! First, a ticketed early shopping Preview Sale on Friday, April 8 from 6-8 pm. Shoppers attending the Preview Sale will avoid the crowds, and enjoy food while shopping to the beats of D.J. Rey. The event also includes a silent auction for sewing machines, sergers, looms, knitting machines, and other specialty textile equipment.

Finally, on Saturday, April 9, The Big Sale. 2,000 people converge to shop and bid on auction items. The last hour of the sale is a frenzied Bag Sale - everything that can be stuffed into a grocery-sized bag costs $2!

This is a very visual event, a feast for photographers or videographers. Imagine hundreds of volunteers scrambling to sort through mountains of materials, readying it all for thousands of shoppers for one day of textile mania!

All items have been donated by the community for reuse by the community, with proceeds benefiting Textile Center and surplus materials going to schools and nonprofit organizations. The Garage Sale redistributes materials and equipment valued at nearly $60,000 in garage sale prices--thereby diverting waste from landfills as well as providing an affordable way for artists, students, and craft enthusiasts to purchase raw materials. The Garage Sale is also a zero waste event.

Media are welcome to stop by. All activities are located:

U of M ReUse Program Warehouse at 883 29th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Donations of materials:

Accepted Thursday, April 9, 10 am-7 pm

The Preview Sale:

Friday, April 10, 6-8 pm

Advance admission $30 / $20 Textile Center members. At the door: $35 / $25

The Big Sale: Admission $2

Saturday April 11, 9 am-4 pm

Specialty Textile Equipment Silent Auction: ends at 2 pm
Bag sale (all that can be stuffed into a shopping bag for $2): 3-4 pm

Contact Jenny Jones for feature ideas and photo opportunities: 612-436-0464 or jjones@textilecentermn.org

About Textile Center

Textile Center is unique as America's national center for fiber art--which encompasses weaving, quilting, knitting, sewing, dyeing, felting, needlework, lace making, basketry, beading, soft sculpture and multi-media pieces.

With a mission to honor textile traditions, promote excellence and innovation, and inspire widespread participation in fiber art, Textile Center provides resources such as classes for all ages and levels, exceptional fiber art exhibitions in four galleries, an artisan shop, a professional-grade dye lab, and the nation's largest circulating textile library. It is a dynamic hub where people come together to learn, create, share, and be inspired by fiber art.

GALLERY AND SHOP HOURS
Monday - Thursday 10 am - 7 pm
Friday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm