People were shoulder-to-shoulder at the Mosgiel fabric bazaar and smashed the organisers' fundraising target for child literacy.
The Altrusa Fabric Craft Bazaar, held at the Senior Citizens Hall, was the first such event hosted by Altrusa International of Taieri.
President Claire Paterson said the organisation hoped to raise $4000 to establish a fund for child literacy but went beyond the target.
''It could be twice that.''
The hall was ''chocker'' with people on Saturday.
At times, more than 150 people were searching through the donated items of fabric, wool, craft goods and haberdashery, Mrs Paterson said.
Schoolchildren from across the Taieri had knitted ''licorice allsort'' peggy squares for blankets for Nepal earthquake victims.
Board member Elizabeth Shepherd said Dr Niranjan Sharma, of Mornington Health Centre, was travelling to his village in Nepal and would take the blankets with him.
