Very cool quilt.
Sorry to say, been there, done that. Myself. Never will give one to an auction again!
I was at a charity auction where a quilt was going to go very low. It was a pretty queen size log cabin in civil war repro, professionally LA'd. The quilter was sitting there in shock. Having been in her shoes I know exactly what she was thinking...should have cut a check, all that work for nothing! I knew how much the quilter had into it so I jumped the bid to that. The room got really silent. Not often you see a bid go up 300% in ten seconds but I was appalled at these people and it was a good cause.
I cut the check to that charity and then donated to another charity with better donors.