Thank you all for your input. I don't believe a raffle is going to be an option. The auction will have both silent and "live" items available and the lady who's volunteered to be the auctioneer will do an excellent job. Of that I'm fully confident. She's not only a parent at the school but is a local t.v. personality and will get the job done to encourage items to go for a good price.
I appreciate the advice on pattern type and colorway. Since we're in Oregon, I'm thinking maybe blues, greens, and a little bit of brown thrown in. If it's alright to use a copyrighted pattern for this type of thing, I may search for a Northwest inspired pattern. Do you think that would be a good idea?