Reclaiming Leftovers

One of the things I am committed to is striving to keep as much as possible from going to waste and ending up in landfills. We reduce our use of many things; compost as much as possible; reuse paper, plastics, aluminum, etc.; recycle everything our local system accepts; donate reusable items; and try to reclaim anything that can be used in new ways.

Like Christmas cards

 

 

Bubble wrap 

  

Magazines & wallpaper

Recently, Ami Simms posted a blog entry challenging people to use leftover fabric. The 2014 Crumb Quilt Challenge

It included a video from one of her classes. It was about how one of the students uses the leftover pieces from quilt blocks. Crumb Quilts

About the same time, I happened to see a video of Noriko Endo on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson & Ricky Tims describing how she creates her pieces with what she calls “confetti.“ There are two videos available onYouTube: Confetti1 and Confetti2
I started thinking about using up the fabric scraps I have been accumulating over the years.  

Since I often work on projects that require coordinated fabrics, I tend to forget about all the bits and “crumbs” available to me. While I’ve considered techniques like Noriko’s in the past, I haven’t done much with them. These videos seem to be a wake-up call to think about them in different ways.

How about you? Do you have additional ways of using up those pieces? If not, do the examples spur any new ideas? I'd love to hear how you would use some of your scraps to create new works of art.

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

AAQI Reminder

I read an article recently about a man, whose background was in engineering, who is now struggling with Alzheimer’s. He and his wife had suspected it might happen, since several members of his family had battled the disease.

In addition, there have been a number of reports this summer of elderly people losing their way while driving to familiar places. Often they have been missing for days or more, creating heartbreak and fear among their loved ones and putting themselves in grave danger.

So, it was a blessing to receive the following information from Ami Simms this morning. I hope that you will also do what you can to support AAQI.

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative has just funded two more research grants!

The official press release is here: http://www.alzquilts.org/aaaw1foralre.html

And, the blog post is here: http://aaqiupdate.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/aaqi-funds-two-more-research-studies/

Snag anything you like for your blog from either sources.

What's on the horizon?

Well, bidders in the September auction just raised $3,154 for the AAQI. We will continue to fund grants until we have no more money!

The October online auction features quilts from "Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope" as does the December online auction. The November auction is the Celebrity Invitational Quilt Auction and then of course we will be making noise in the exhibit area at International Quilt Festival in Houston, October 30-November 3. We hope to offer more than 2,500 quilts. If things go as planned, we may reach the $1,000,000 mark in funds raised for research in Houston.

Please invite your readers to join support us by purchasing a small quilt online: http://www.alzquilts.org/quiltsforsale.html

Until next time, I wish you peace and all good.

Strawberry Jazz Festival & More

It has been a fairly quiet month around here, though that doesn't mean it hasn't been busy. I have been spending much of my time recently doing research for a book I am working on. It means I am on the computer a lot and not spending much time in the studio. I did get out to the Strawberry Jazz Festival, though the weather that day was quite cold. They have a variety of musicians, vendors, and organizations represented each year, and the grounds are lovely.

One of my friends, an artist who was a vendor at the event, designed a line of fabric with In The Beginning Fabrics that will be coming out in December. You can see more of her work at
http://www.mooncookiegallery.com/.

I also wanted to remind everyone that time is running out to donate Priority Quilts to the Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). Michele Bilyeu has a great reminder about that and information on other ways you can still help.

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative News

I received the following information from Ami Simms about the AAQI and want to share it with you. As I posted in this important announcement from AAQI, this will be the last year for this fund raising effort. Please check out the links and help if you possibly can.

 

1. The May auction quilts are up! AAQI is offering 27 beautiful quilts from the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt project. The online auction starts on May 1st and runs to May 10th.

http://www.alzquilts.org/quiltauction.html

2. Participants in the AAQI's annual Celebrity Invitational Quilt Auction are confirmed for the November online auction. They are Charlotte Warr Andersen, Alex Anderson, Karen Kay Buckley, Linda Carlson, Pepper Cory, John Flynn, Diane Gaudynski, Renae Haddadin, Pat Holly, Libby Lehman, Patrick Lose, Marsha McCloskey, Sue Nickels, Barbara Shapel, Virginia & George Siciliano, Mary Sorensen, Ricky Tims, and Laura Wasilowski.

Whose quilt do you think will go for the highest amount?

http://www.alzquilts.org/ciqa.html

3. The AAQI will return one last time to International Quilt Festival in Houston (Oct 30-Nov 3). They hope to bring 2,500 little quilts to sell and still need help reaching that goal. There is still time to make a quilt. The deadline isn't until August 1st. Details are here:

http://www.alzquilts.org/paq.html

Be a part of the fight against Alzheimer's!

 

 

On another note, the Brown Thrasher returned yesterday and I was actually able to capture a few pictures.

 

 

Looking for a hiding place

 

Hiding out in the bushes

 

Finally, a clear view.

 

As always, until next time,  I wish you peace and all good.

 

Important announcement from AAQI

The following information from Ami Simms arrived in my inbox today.

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative will most likely reach the $1,000,000 mark in money raised for Alzheimer’s research some time in 2013!
The work of your hands and the compassion in your hearts has brought us to this milestone. I will be forever grateful to each and every one of you for your support and dedication.

Ami and her mother, Beebe, in 2006 shortly after the AAQI began.

What began as one person’s response to sorrow and frustration has grown into a national charity embraced by a large portion of the quilting community. More than 13,000 quilts have been donated, turning sweat equity into over $883,000 for research so far. For many donors these quilts were healing works of art which helped them grieve as they stitched for the greater good. Hundreds of thousands of people have seen the AAQI’s two traveling quilt exhibits about Alzheimer’s. Through this artistry came the realization for many that they were not alone on this journey of heartbreak; others understood, perhaps for the first time, what a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s really means. Together quilters have funded 11 research studies at six universities and a medical school. Three more studies will be funded this month and hopefully more throughout 2013. Because of the AAQI, scientists know a little bit more about Alzheimer’s than they did before. Hopefully this understanding will bring us all closer to a cure.

When I created the AAQI back in 2006, I never expected it to become so successful! I also never imaged how much work it would take to keep it going. As the AAQI blossomed, board members and core volunteers have had to increase our hours and pace to keep up. While I find enormous satisfaction in nurturing the AAQI, I much prefer sewing to administrating. I miss just being a full-time quilter.

For this reason, 2013 will be the last year of fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. I hope you will help the AAQI reach our goal of One Million Dollars for research and then at the end of 2013 celebrate with everyone who made this tremendous achievement possible. Please review the important dates below:

February 15, 2013: All bookings for the traveling exhibit “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope” must be finalized.

March 1, 2013: First online auction of quilts from “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope” traveling exhibit. Twenty-six Name Quilts will be auctioned during the first 10 days of March, April, May, June, July, August, and September. Payment will be required at the conclusion of each auction with shipping in October 2013 after the exhibit retires. The 54 Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts from the traveling exhibit will be auctioned during the first 10 days of October and December.

July 2013: Last month to participate in the Quilt-A-Month Club.

August 1, 2013: Last day to register Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts. Quilts delivered to scanners after August 20 will be refused.

October 29 – November 3, 2013: International Quilt Festival. We hope to be invited back one last time to sell quilts in Houston, TX.

November 1-10, 2013: Celebrity Invitational Quilt Online Auction

December 30, 2013: Last day Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts can be purchased online.

December 31, 2013: Quilts For Sale and Donation pages will be removed from the AAQI website and all solicitations will cease.

2014-2015: The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative will monitor research grants awarded in 2013. The AQQI web page will be left intact for at least six months. Any funds not needed to sustain the AAQI’s final expenses will be donated to research. Remaining assets will be disposed of according to IRS regulations after which time the corporation will be dissolved.

There is still much work to this year as we sprint to the finish line. I hope everyone who reads this will join in, either as a seasoned veteran or a first time quilt donor or quilt buyer. We will continue to make a difference until the very last quilt is sold. Let’s make 2013 the best year ever!

I hope that you will find some way to help make the goal a possibility, whether by donating a quilt or quilts, bidding on an auction, spreading the word, or purchasing a quilt.

Until next time, wishing you peace and all good.

AAQI at Houston

I got an e-mail from Ami Simms recently with the following information about the Alzheimer Quilts exhibit and sale at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. I would like to share it with any of you who might be able to make it to the show.

 

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is offering more than 2,100 Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts for sale at International Quilt Festival in Houston. Please head over to the front of the Exhibit Hall, Row S and buy a few quilts (Oct 31-Nov 4). All profits fund Alzheimer's research.

See the quilts: http://www.alzquilts.org/houston2012.html

If you would like to help sell quilts, rope people into the booth (it is Texas after all) or generally lend a hand, they need you. Sign up for a 2-3 hour time slots (and get free admission on the days you volunteer) or join their Text Brigade and help "as needed." Learn more and sign up here:

http://aaqiupdate.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/houston-helpers-the-aaqi-text-brigade/

 

Win this quilt! The AAQI is launching a newsletter to keep supporters informed. One lucky subscriber will win a beautiful little quilt made by Martha Wolfersberger. Sign up here for a chance to win and keep tabs of what the AAQI is up to. The newsletter is free. http://www.alzquilts.org/newsletter.html

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative® (www.AlzQuilts.org ) is a national, grassroots charity whose mission is to raise awareness and fund research. The AAQI auctions and sells donated quilts, and sponsors a nationally touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer's. The AAQI has raised more than $773,000 since January 2006.

Ami Simms of Flint, Michigan is the founder and executive director of the AAQI, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operated entirely by volunteers. She is a quilter. Her mother had Alzheimer's.