And Then There Was One

I think that everyone knows by now that the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is suspending their fundraising operations at the end of 2013.  They have already stopped taking quilt donations and are now busy putting quilts on reserve to be sold at the International Quilt Show in Houston, TX.  One of my two remaining quilts has already been put on hold for Houston and there's just one left for sale.  Good to the Last Scrap seems to be an appropriate quilt to be the last one of my quilts to be offered for sale.  It's made of selvages...the last of the scraps...the last of my AAQI quilts!  Maybe this little quilt will help raise the last few dollars needed to finally put an end to Alzheimer's Disease!

You can purchase this quilt by clicking HERE.

Much Work To Be Done

This week Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative contributors received news that executive director, Ami Simms, is retiring and the AAQI will be suspending operations at the end of 2013.  To date, the AAQI has raised over $883,000 dollars for Alzheimer's research, an amazing number in itself, but the goal before the end of the year is to reach the $1,000,000 mark!  Yes, retirement is coming, but there is still much work to be done!  I will continue to make quilts for the AAQI throughout the year, but I think my main focus will be working on building my personal AAQI art quilt collection.  After December these little gems will no longer be available for sale, so the time to shop is now!  Let's help Ami reach that $1,000,000 goal before she takes that much deserved retirement!

Three of my quilts are currently up for sale on the AAQI website...

10152 - Good To The Last Scrap
12046 - Pink Reminders
12227 - Ripple Effect

Read Ami's retirement notice at www.aaqiupdate.wordpress.com

Houston Bound

I have four Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts headed for the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX this year.  No, my quilts may not be hanging in the main gallery with the quilts made by the big name quilters, but I still count it as a privilege to have quilts for sale at the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative booth October 31st to November 4th.  If you visit the International Quilt Festival be sure to stop by the AAQI booth in Row S and see all 2000 quilts that are for sale and while you are there buy one or two to take home with you!  All profits fund Alzheimer's research!

Polka Dots And Plaid For Progress

Polka Dots and Plaid for Progress was the theme for the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's 2012 Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Competition.  Guild members were challenged to make a Priority: Alzheimer's Art Quilt using at least one polka dot and one plaid fabric.  Fifteen entries were on display during the guild's exhibit and viewers were asked to vote for their favorite.  At the awards ceremony later this month the viewers choice winner will be awarded a prize, but the real prize will go to the AAQI when all of these quilts are donated to help raise money for Alzheimer's research!

On a side note, last week our efforts were recognized by the local newspaper, The Wellsboro Gazette!  Yes, that is me standing in front of the quilts, and those who know how much I love having my picture taken (not) know just how hard it was to get me to pose for that photo!  The only reason I allowed the photo at all was because the editor wouldn't run the article without it!  I guess I'll do just about anything to get the word out about what great work the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is doing!

Pink Reminders

I have a friend who loves pink, so for her birthday I made her a little pink quilt, just like this one, and then promised to make another to donate to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative in her honor.
Pink Reminders is made of 30 1" assorted pink scraps all of which are reminders of other pink quilts that I have made in the past and together they remind me of my friend who loves the color pink so much!

Polka Dots & Plaid For Progress

Today several of us are working feverishly to hang quilts for the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's 2012 Exhibit.  My part in this exhibit has been to organize the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Competition.  Guild members were challenged to make a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt using at least one polka dot fabric and one plaid fabric.  The quilts will be on display during the exhibit with a prize given to the maker of the quilt with the most viewer's choice votes.  At the close of the exhibit all of the quilts will be donated to the AAQI.



The quilt in the photo is my entry, Ripple Effect.

One quilter made a quilt and donated it to raise money for Alzheimer's research.  She told another quilter about the quilt that she made.  That quilter made a quilt...
Six years later, over 2000 quilters have donated over 11,000 quilts and raised over $700,000.00 for Alzheimer's research!

This quilt is dedicated to all those who support the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative!  

AAQI September Quilt Auction Begins Tomorrow!

It All Comes Out In The Wash

It's no secret that I find peace in my sewing room and thread is my therapy.  The other day I was in a particularly foul mood, so I retreated to my sewing room, turned up James Taylor, and started playing with a few scraps that I had left out on the cutting table.  While moving the scraps around I noticed an assortment of lights and darks that almost seemed to form a colorwash.  I liked the design enough to stitch it together and quilt it with a simple 3/4" grid.  After couple hours of stitching and singing along with Sweet Baby James, my bad mood had come out in the wash and the Alzhimer's Art Quilt Initiative got another quilt out of the deal too!

Just In Time!

I just received two packages of Shades SoftFuse from Two Star Design as part of the $1000 Promise rewards from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  It arrived just in time for me to use it on the latest assignment for my art quilt group.  I've never been crazy about using fusible web on quilts, but for some quilts (especially art quilts) there really is no other alternative.  This is a work in progress, but so far I have been very happy with how the SoftFuse is performing and it really is soft and not stiff like a lot other brands of fusible web are.  Now if I can only get this project finished before the August 1st deadline!

Everything Turns To Black

Alzheimer's disease is much like a set of  watercolors.  In the beginning the colors are all clear and bright, but once the colors all start to run together they become muddy and then sooner or later everything turns to black.  The only difference is with Alzheimer's it's the memories of everything you know and love, not just the colors, that run together and are eventually lost.

Everything Turns To Black is my contribution to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for the month of July.

Fabric Painting!

Fabric Painting with Cindy Walter comes to me via another Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative $1000 Promise sponsor.  Betty Blais of Embellishment Village sent me a 40% off coupon for anything in her store and when I saw this book I knew it was exactly what I wanted!  It covers all the basics of painting fabrics with high-quality acrylic paints for use in quilts and other projects.  I gave up painting a long time ago, but I'm anxious to buy some new paints and try the techniques in this book!

Quilter's Stitch Together

If you have ever donated a quilt to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative then you will no doubt recognize the name, Beth Hartford.  Beth is the one who painstakingly registers each and every Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt and then emails each quilt maker with a registration number and mailing instructions.  As if that wasn't enough, Beth also donates two half yard cuts of hand-dyed fabrics from her online store, Quilter's Stitch Together, to each person who completes the $1000 Promise.  Just look at these beautiful purple and green fabrics that I just received in the mail...no doubt that they will end up in a future quilt for the AAQI!

I Didn't Know There Would Be Gifts!

Back when I signed up for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative's $1000 Promise I had no idea that there would be anything more than a warm fuzzy feeling for completing that promise, but it seems that the AAQI has a few sponsors that send rewards when someone meets their $1000 goal.  Surgeron's Skin Secret of Grand Rapids, MI is one of those sponsors.  I just received the most wonderful assortment of lemon scented skin care products from them...everything needed to do a little pampering and get my skin ready for the beach this summer!  I haven't used much, but I can honestly say that it smells wonderful and just a tiny dab of the moisturizing cream softened my hands and lasted for hours...even after a couple of hand-washings!  My thanks to Surgeon's Skin Secret for this lovely gift!

Tiny Tumblers

As much as I enjoy making modern and art quilts, I guess I'm still an old-fashioned girl at heart because I can't resist traditional patterns and reproduction fabrics!  42 tiny tumbler blocks make up this month's Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt, each a different Civil War reproduction fabric. 

Several readers have asked how they can purchase my Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts.  If you click on the AAQI tab near the top of this page it will take you to a list of the quilts that I have donated to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  Click on each quilt title to see a photo of the quilt and its status with the AAQI.

You can also visit www.alzquilts.org/quiltsforsale.html to see the list of all of the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts that are for sale. There are some great bargains right now...some quilts are priced as low as $5.00!  Remember, all profits fund Alzheimer's research!

AAQI June Online Quilt Auction

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative June Online Quilt Auction has begun! To bid on your favorite quilt visit www.alzquilts.org

Come On Get Happy!

No, it's not déjà vu, I have shown a photo of this quilt before.  Come On Get Happy was my Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt for the month of March, but little did I know at the time how special this quilt would end up being.  Not only did I find out yesterday that this quilt has been purchased by my blogging friend, Rene' of Rene' Creates, but the purchase of this quilt put me over my goal of raising $1000.00 for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative! (Can I get just a little woohoo?)  Reaching this goal doesn't mean that my job is done...not by a long shot!  This was just the first $1000.00...I will continue to quilt for the AAQI until there is a cure for Alzheimer's Disease!

Thanks to all those who support the AAQI
by purchasing Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts! 

Under The Rainbow

"The world is spinning around and around
Everybody's lookin' for higher ground
But here under the rainbow
Dreams fall from the sky"

Under The Rainbow - Trisha Yearwood

In her song, Under The Rainbow, Trisha Yearwood sings about dreams falling from the sky.  This week, a dream fell from the sky for Alzheimer's patients as the National Alzheimer's Plan was put into action.  This plan sets a deadline of 2025 to finally find effective ways to treat Alzheimer's, offering hope to all those who are affected by this horrible disease.  Under The Rainbow, my Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt for the month of May, was made to commemorate this giant step towards ending Alzheimer's forever.

AAQI May Online Auction Quilts

Good To The Last Scrap

Sometimes you just need to add a little color and fun to your life and this little Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt does just that with its bright colors and fun selvage scraps. This quilt will soon be for sale on the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative's website.

Have you ever purchased a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt?  If so, Ami Simms is inviting you to participate in Facebook Foto Friday.  Just post a photo of the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt that you purchased, include its name, maker's name and why you love your quilt on the AAQI Facebook page.  If you haven't purchased a quilt as of yet, you can buy one at www.alzquilts.org/quiltsforsale.  Remember...profits from all sales and auction purchases fund Alzheimer's research!

Come On Get Happy

As I was working on my latest Priority: Alzheimer's quilt I noticed that something about it was familiar.  Although not exactly the same pattern, it reminded me of the Partridge Family's bus!  If you are a child of the 60's like I am, you most likely spent every Friday night between 1970 and 1974 in front of the television watching The Partridge Family.  The brightly painted bus, the trouble that Danny got into each week, the music, and *sigh* David Cassidy!  All those wonderful memories came back to me as I finished this quilt.  Over 40 years have passed and I still remember that show and being "in love" with David Cassidy...I just hope that those memories will stay with me and not be taken away by Alzheimer's Disease.