OVER 2000 AAQI QUILTS AT HOUSTON IQF!!

This is just a smattering of the over 2000 quilts we will have in Houston for IQF!! Please stop by and see us: We're right at the top of Row S, (hard right as soon as you enter the exhibit area from the front of the George R Brown) October 31 to November 4th. Follow your ears . . . there's usually a lot of hootin' & hollerin' going on!!

Watch the video and you'll see just a small number and taste of what we have in store for you!! AAQI quilts headed for Houston!

We're also looking for volunteers to help staff the booth for a short while each day. For more information and how to sign up, go here: Houston Helpers & The AAQI Text Brigade

This picture is from our booth in 2011 - it's 50% BIGGER for 2012!!

AAQI: INCREDIBLE NEWS!!

(Burton, Michigan) September 26, 2012: The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) has received its 12,000th donated quilt. Made by multi-award winning quilter and teacher Charlotte Warr Andersen of Salt Lake City, Utah, this 9" x 12" quilt represents another milestone for the all-volunteer charity dedicated to raising awareness and funding research through art. "Outside Juneau, AK 2012" is based on a photograph Charlotte took on a trip to Alaska. Charlotte's quilt will be part of the AAQI's October online auction at http://www.alzquilts.org/quiltauction.html Charlotte is most recognized for her realistic applique portraits. She has purchased four Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts made by supporters of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. They hang in her sewing room. The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (www.alzquilts.org) is a national, grassroots organization whose mission is to raise awareness and fund research through art. It auctions and sells donated quilts through the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt project and sponsors a touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's called "Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope." The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative has raised more than $763,000 since January 2006. Ami Simms of Flint, Michigan is the founder and executive director of the AAQI, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation operated entirely by volunteers. She is a quilter. Her mother had Alzheimer's. For more information on the AAQI or to make a donation, contact Ami Simms at 810-637-5586 (9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Eastern), ami@alzquilts.org or www.alzquilts.org.
Contact: Ami Simms
Founder and Executive Director
Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative
1200 Creekwood Trail
Burton, MI 48509
(810) 637-5586
www.alzquilts.org CLICK the image to see it larger.
RIGHT CLICK the image and select "save target/link as" to download it to your computer. Please credit photo: "Alzheimer's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Quilt title: "Outside Juneau, AK 2012"
Quilt maker: Charlotte Warr Andersen (Salt Lake City, UT)

AAQI Quilt Auction Starts Tomorrow!

The May Online Quilt Auction
Starts Tuesday!
Please bid generously.
All profits fund Alzheimer's research.

10,000 DONATED QUILTS FOR AAQI!!

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is about to receive its 10,000th donated quilt!! The Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt project, these awesome little quilts you bid on or buy outright, began on January 1, 2006. We are about to receive a milestone quilt in just a few days. Check out our home page for the countdown. (We're currently at 9,954 registered quilts!) Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

Why is this such a big deal? Because the profits the AAQI earns from the sales of these little quilts funds Alzheimer's research. We are trying to find a cure for this vile disease. The more quilts, the more research. To date we've raised more than $713,000 for research. Show Me The Money

And what have we done with the money? The AAQI pays for scientific research. We have just funded our 11th research grant. We just awarded $60,000 to Temple University! AAQI Awards 11th Research Grant

I've nominated Ami for a segment of "Making A Difference" on the NBC Evening News with Brian Williams. Comments would be greatly appreciated. The nomination is the last one on page 4 when you click here: Beth Hartford on Newsvine. There is a tiny "reply" button in the lower right hand corner of the post. Perhaps the 10,000th quilt will get their attention. Fingers crossed. Your comments will help.



AND the April online quilt auction is in full bloom this morning! You can see the 27 quilts we are offering this month here: AAQI April Auction Quilts and they are a gorgeous group! You can see them all in a video here:

Thank you for sharing any or all of this news in an upcoming blog, on your website, on FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or anywhere else.

I so appreciate you helping the AAQI get the message out to quilters everywhere.

This One is the Right Size for AAQI!

I have been making (and buying) little quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for quite a few years. Lately, I've been using vintage embroideries that can be had for very little money. This is the other half of the dresser scarf that I used for a quilt in my last post. This end was badly stained with spots that looked like rust, but I wanted to save it. In the center along the edge of the dresser scarf, there were two more little embroideries that I cut out and appliqued on either side of the big flower tree, thus covering the ugly stain. Now, it might not necessarily make "sense" pictorally, but at least I saved the vintage embroidery.

I couldn't add any borders to this one to keep it under the limit for a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt, so I added the little yellow piping and a floral binding to give it a little "zing". I'm calling this one "Spring Revisited", it's such happy colors and has been saved from obscurity. It's #9670, my 18th little quilt for AAQI.

There are many quilts currently for sale on the AAQI Quilts for Sale page. You can even search for a particular quilt artist if you like their work - how cool is that? The prices are extremely reasonable, from as low as $16 on up. Since AAQI is an all volunteer organization, all profits go to fund Alzheimer's research.

This Was Almost A Priority Quilt . . .

But it got just a little too big and I didn't have the heart to chop off the borders. It measures 13" x 11 inches, and the absolute maximum size for a Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is 12" x 9". Since it's my mother-in-laws birthday tomorrow, I'm just going to finish this up and send it off to Arkansas where spring is already underway. I hope she likes it!

I should tell you that the embroidered center of this quilt was a vintage dresser scarf that I purchased along the way for "peanuts" and have re-purposed here, and the teeny, tiny yellow piping is a piece of my hand dyed fabric. Wowza!

Guess I need to start another quilt for AAQI!

AAQI Sends 1500 Quilts to Houston!

We asked for 1,500 quilts and WE GOT THEM---thanks to all our wonderful quilter volunteers! Check it out! We will be selling your quilts at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX, Nov 2-6. You'll find us in the Exhibit Hall, Row T, up at the front of the room.

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is in a position to break all previous sales records in its history, thanks to your efforts.

Now all we have to do is SELL THOSE QUILTS! We need your help to do that. Share the video. Send it everywhere you can think of. For those of you who have quilts going to Houston here are ALL the quilts that will be offered for sale in Houston: http://www.alzquilts.org/houston.html Follow the AAQI FaceBook page for numbers of quilts sold and videos (maybe) from the show floor starting November 2. If you're going to be at Festival, please stop by and say hello!!

"Heartbreak to Hope" Exhibit Comes to Quilt Expo!

"Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope" continues its five-year journey across the United States with a stop at Quilt Expo, September 8-10. The exhibit will hang in Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

Show hours are 9am to 6pm daily.
For more information, please contact call 866-297-6545 or email wiquiltexpo@wpt.org.

"Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope" is an exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's sponsored by the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). Fifty-four small format art quilts (9" x 12") illustrate the disease from a variety of perspectives. They hang among 182 "Name Quilts," each 6 inches wide and 7 feet tall, which carry the names of more than 10,000 individuals who have/had Alzheimer's or a related dementia. The names of loved ones, written on fabric patches by family members and friends, honor the 5.4 million Americans in the United States struggling with Alzheimer's disease.

Ami Simms, AAQI Founder and Executive Director will present "Quilting & Caring: The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative" at 8:30am on Friday, September 9th in the Waubesa WA room on the second floor. Tickets available here.

"Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope" is exhibited at Quilt Expo through the generous support of Wisconsin Public Television, Nancy Zieman Productions, and the Professional Art Quilt Alliance (PAQA).

AAQI MEGA AUCTION AUGUST 1 - 10!

August Online MEGA Auction!


From August 1-10 the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) will be offering 20 quilts that were part of the "Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece" exhibit in an online auction like no other.

Quilts made by Sue Nickels, Diane Gaudynski, Marsha McCloskey, Nancy Brenan Daniel, Melody Crust, Mary Stori, Elsie Campbell, Debbie Bowles and others will be auctioned. This is a rare opportunity to acquire quilts by nationally acclaimed quilters who rarely sell their work.

Own a quilt from the exhibit that has touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people nationwide.

Bidding begins August 1st. Preview all twenty quilts now. As always, all profits fund Alzheimer's research.

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Island Batik Donates $25,000 to AAQI!!

Hold onto your hats!

I know whose fabric I'll be looking for in the future!

Moira and Adam Dewar of Island Batik, Inc. have donated $25,386.00 to the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative!


This is our largest donation to date. As in EVER!

Moira and Adam have been proud supporters of the AAQI through the Rose of Sharon project and have donated fabric for “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope.” But this! OH MY GOODNESS!!!

Adam said, “We are very happy to give this money to the AAQI. We think they are doing fantastic work.”

We are ecstatic! Jump-up-and-down happy! Over the moon! THANK YOU!

There are an estimated 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer’s. One in eight people age 65 has the disease. Right now. If you are a Baby Boomer, your age cohort is turning 65 at the rate of between 7,000 and 10,000 people a day. Chances are high that you will spend your retirement years either struggling with this vile disease yourself or taking care of someone who is.

Let Island Batik’s commitment to fighting Alzheimer’s be a challenge to every quilting industry leader to support the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. We fund research directly. 100% of the money that funds “our” research goes to budget, nothing to overhead. Our organization is run by volunteers and we spend zero money on fundraising. We are quilters doing what we love to do and making a difference. HELP US!

Priority Quilt: The Imperial Irish

As you may or may not know, I am the Quilt Registrar for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. What that means is that anyone who makes a quilt for AAQI has to fill out a form that is emailed to me. I then assign that quilt a number, format a reply to the maker, build a webpage for that quilt and send the registration back to the maker. Last month we had a record 316 quilts registered! It was crazy! Well, I thought it was a "one hit wonder" and figured once I was through that, things would slow down a little. WRONG! In the first 4 (yes FOUR!) days of June, I've already received over 100 NEW registrations. Could this be another record breaker? Sure seems like it!

Well, after sitting at my computer for what felt like (and actually was) hours on end yesterday, being hit by wave after wave of creativity from these quilt registrations, I thought if I didn't do something creative for myself I might just go a little bonkers! Mind you, I don't get to see the acutal quilts, I'm just reading the descriptions and dedications from the quiltmakers! The actual quilt gets sent to my sister and once she creates a picture, she puts it up on the website page. That process takes a couple of weeks at least.

So anyway, I decided a break was in order and went down to my beautiful new studio (see the studio posts). I looked around and picked up some things that were laying out with no intended purpose. The first thing I saw was this dog fabric that my sister-in-law had put fusible on and cut out, but not used. Wow. Great start!

Looking for a background, I saw some bits and pieces left over from another quilt that were then ends of rows not large enough to be used in that project. By re-sewing some and cutting down the block size, I was able to make 8 smaller blocks which I sewed together to make a background for the dog. I also had a panel of doggy sayings that were cut up, waiting to be used, and this one sure seemed to fit the look of that dog! And so, The Imperial Irish was born.



A quick border, a little machine applique, some stippling, binding and a label, and within 2 hours I had a Priority Quilt of my own to register. I still have to do the hand sewing on the binding, but I can turn it over to my sister tomorrow when I see her. A very small time investment that can raise funds to fight Alzheimer's Disease, which took my Dad away from us last December, and long before that.

Please consider making a contibution of your own. They don't have to be masterpieces, as you can see. This quilt was all made up from things that otherwise might have ended up in a scrap bin and never used.

Check it out here: Priority Quilt

One of my last Priority Quilts, Dare to be Different, #6438 is available for sale here on the Quilts for Sale page.

And I am happy to say that Doggie Diaries (see last post) sold and earned $50 for AAQI! Thank you so much to whoever bought it!

Doggie Diaries

As promised, here is a scan of my latest Priority Quilt for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. It's called Doggie Diaries and is made from a panel that was donated to us in Houston last year.


This is the one that I stipple quilted with the feather stitch setting on my machine (I didn't realize it at the time), and as I was stitching I thought it looked a bit odd, but chalked it up to the twisted thread. Can you tell I was tired after a "working" weekend with my sisters and mom?

Here is a close-up of the quilting - the thread really does make it difficult to see the stitching well.


Anyway, I'm happy with the way it turned out, and I am sure someone will love to become its new owner. This one is #6955 on the
Quilts Waiting For Assignment page.

Mom's Priority Quilt #6885 from the previous post is now up here: F-f-f-fish.

Mary's can be seen here: Off Kilter, here: Wag Your Tail and here: Mischief Maker. Not all of the pictures are up yet, but check back - they are adorable! Alright - here's a sneak preview of Mischief Maker . . .


My last Priority Quilt, Dare to be Different, #6438 is available for sale here on the Quilts for Sale page.


Help me inch closer to reaching my $1000 promise!

The Christening . . .

Of the new studio, of course!

The girls (my mom, sister-in-law Mary, sister Diane & I) decided to have a Priority Quilt weekend to christen my new studio space. My husband & I worked feverishly to get it close to finished in time for the gathering, and I spent a lot of time organizing and cleaning too.


This is sort of a "before" picture - before we really got into the thick of creativity and craziness . . .


This is a quilt my mom started (and finished, too!) - she wanted to do a crazy quilt, so we pulled out some crazy fabric and some of my hand dyes and started figuring out exactly how to put it together. You can see this quilt on the Quilts Waiting for Assignment page , it's #6885, the picture will be up when Diane gets to that batch of quilts to post, but the story behind it is there now.


On Monday, Diane's friend Andee (on the right, Mom on the left) joined us for the day and worked on her own creation, using some hand dyed velvet as the centerpiece. You'll have to wait a bit to see hers, as she didn't quite get finished before it was time to go. You can see Mom's finished quilt on the ironing table if you look closely - it's darling!


Here is Mary, working on her third Priority Quilt, this one will be so cute!


And finally, on Tuesday, when everyone had figured out how the machines worked and where things were in the studio, I got to work on a Priority Quilt of my own. It's not registred yet, so I don't have a number, but I will post about it soon since it is finished except for a label.

Funny tidbit about this quilt - I did some machine applique using the feather stitch, then did some tiny stippling which seemed to be going oddly, but also seemed to fit the character of the quilt. When I got all done, I realized that I had done the whole thing in free motion with the machine still set to the feather stitch! I'll try to get a picture of the quilting for you.


So here's the "after" shot, not too much mess left, but I will have to go and straighten things out a bit and put a few spools of thread away. All in all, I'd say it was a smashing success, we got lots of parts and pieces of PQ's done, and several finished to the label. Well done girls!!

My Latest Priority Quilt

Finally finished another PQ for The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative! This one was made up of things that were laying around on my cutting table and in my sewing room. I just walked around and grabbed what caught my eye and this is the result.


I took a piece of my hand dyed fabric and used that as the foundation, the stripes are from one fabric, and the leaves from another. I really liked the one strong red leaf - it reminded me of the "stand-out" in a crowd. Since losing my Dad to Alzheimer's related issues in December, red things catch my eye as his favorite color was red. He even had a red and white bathroom in one of their houses! This quilt is dedicated to Dad - he was always a bright spot in a crowd. This quilt was a challenge to myself to do something totally creative. It was “born” from bits and pieces of that were lying around my sewing area just begging to be used! I may have to do more things like this - it is a good way to use up odds and ends and be creative at the same time. Even the thread I used was the first spool that I touched when I went looking for thread to quilt it - I auditioned others, but this one was the ONE!

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is the featured charity TODAY (Friday, January 28)

My Dad passed away December 14, 2010 after a 6 year battle with Alzheimer's. My sister Diane and I have been involved with the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for the past 5 1/2 years, and I can't think of a more grass roots, completely volunteer organization that has touched my life more. PLEASE, go check out this site TODAY!! The Philanthroper

Here is Ami's story:

“My mom had Alzheimer’s...watching somebody you love disappear, one skill at a time, is really hard. I got really angry and really frustrated at the disease and I wanted to do something, but I didn’t have the skills to sit in a lab somewhere and cure it.
“But I’m a quilter.”

That’s Ami Simms, she’s a professional quilter and the founder of Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). Before you assume that quilts have nothing to do with a neurodegenerative disease, know that since 2006, working solely with unpaid volunteers operating out of their homes, the AAQI has raised over $500,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

“I thought we could raise some money making small sized quilts we could sell,” Simms explains, which is the basic principle behind the AAQI's chief fundraising outlet, the Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt Project.

Volunteers sew quilts as large as 9”x12”—not your typical big bed quilt, but a small square that can be fit in a Priority Mail envelope and mailed to the AAQI’s central operations. Then through online and traveling sales, these quilts commonly sell anywhere from $25 to $125 with all profits going toward the study of Alzheimer’s.

Researchers can submit grant applications on the AAQI’s site, which are reviewed and awarded by an internal scientific advisory board. But these grants come with a stipulation—they can only fund the direct costs of research. Or as Simms puts it, “We’re gonna buy test tubes; we’re gonna pay researchers' salaries.”

The AAQI has awarded several grants, but their recent contribution of $30,000 to a University of Michigan study has already garnered some promising findings regarding the “cleansing” of the disease's trademark amyloid plaques.

Indeed, it's a bit odd to donate funds to any group that ultimately only exists to raise funds for another group, but if the AAQI has proven anything, it's that their stitched niche is highly effective and stunningly equitable. They amplify their resources while operating with an essentially nonexistent overhead.

“With quilting, some people think of little old ladies,” Simms explains. “But quilters are cutting edge. And there’s a boatload of us. “

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative on The Quilt Show!

This is the taping that my sister Diane & I flew to Colorado this summer to be a part of - it's the debut of the new Alzheimer's exhibit that will travel the country for the next 5 years or so. You can see me in the audience in the back row on the left side as you're looking at the video, Diane was sitting to my right, but missed the shot. The whole show will air begining Monday, December 6th. I'll post a link when it's available.

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Auction is ON NOW!!

You will not believe the great changes that have come to the AAQI Auction this month! There is a brand new auction hosting site that makes the process quick and easy! Your bids show up right away and you get a notification if you are outbid so that you can go back and bid again.

The auction is now automated and conducted in real time so it's easier to bid than ever. Please bid here: AAQI Quilt Auction. Hurry - the October auction ends on Sunday the 10th.

All profits fund Alzheimer's research.

Use this link to see a Smilebox slideshow of all the quilts.

Think ahead and purchase wonderful Christmas gifts for special friends. They will be pleased with the artwork and you'll have made a donation to a wonderful cause.

Come and see us in Houston at the International Quilt Festival from November 3rd through the 7th also - we're bringing over 1000 quilts to sell. We'll also be showcasing some amazing quilts from well known quilt artists such as Hollis Chatelain, Ricky Tims and John Flynn. See them here: World Series Quilt Challenge

And for all you quilters out there, we need more quilts to restock the shelves. It's easy to make a difference! Look here to see how to make a Priority Quilt. It's a great way to try a new technique or pattern or use up some of those UFO's!


This one of the two quilts that I made that will be for sale in Houston - the story behind them is in my August posts. They were fun to make!

Reprise

Well, once I got going on these Priority Quilts, I can't seem to stop! This one was SO easy that I feel a little guilty. Someone unknown long ago did the embroidery on a table scarf that I recently purchased at a garage sale for $1.00. I took one end and trimmed it down, quilted around the flower and bound it in a beautiful batik frame. Now it can live its "new" life as something fresh and beautiful.

Priority Quilt Revisited

I started talking about this quilt nearly a year ago, on August 6, 2009. I brought it back out to see if it could be saved the other day and ended up cutting off the borders and just keeping the center. Then I attached new borders and put some batting in between that and a new backing. It's not really crooked IRL, that's my bad photography. I will quilt the borders, probably folloing the hearts in the fabric, but it needs something else. I'm thinking of maybe putting a pink piping on before I bind it. What do you think? All suggestions are welcome! I don't have much time, need to get this one done.

Alzheimer's Name Quilt #2

I finished the second Alzheimer's Quilt (see the last post for details) and will send them both off to be bound by another generous person. I am proud to have been one little cog in this huge wheel that has raised not only money, but awareness of Alzheimer's.


This one is hearts - it took me a while to figure out how to make them continuous, but once the idea hit me, it went very quickly. For me, the quilts signify all the love that has gone into this project and the love that we have for those who have been stricken by this horrible disease. I pray that a cure will be found soon!