$46,000 in 38 Hours

The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative did VERY well at International Quilt Festival in Houston! We’re getting close to confirming all the sales and updating the web page.

You can see photographs of the show as it unfolded along with the numbers of the quilts that sold at: http://twitter.com/AAQIUpdate.

AAQI board member Nanette Zeller also blogged about our success in Houston as did Lynn Koolish from C & T Publishing.

Special thanks to Bonnie McCaffery for creating this YourTube video at the show!

Please don’t forget to tell your friends that the World Quilt Federation Smackdown Challenge Auction starts November 1 in honor of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Please bid generously as all profits fund Alzheimer’s research. 

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WORLD QUILT FEDERATION SMACKDOWN*

A special request today! Please copy and paste this  into an email and send it to any quilters or quilt lovers you might know! Help me spread the word. Tell me how you helped in the COMMENT section below.

Thanks,
Ami :)

WORLD QUILT FEDERATION SMACKDOWN*
Four Quilting Heavyweights Face Off To Fight Alzheimer’s

In honor of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month four small quilts by world renowned quilters Hollis Chatelain, John Flynn, Becky Goldsmith, and Sue Nickels will be auctioned to benefit the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative(AAQI). The no-holds-barred, knock-down, drag-out, head-to-head, quilt-to-the-death (not really), grudge match will be held November 1-10 in the AAQI “Smackdown Auction Arena.”

The 10-day online silent auction is all about bragging rights—and raising awareness and money to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Chatelain, Flynn, Goldsmith, and Nickels created miniature masterpieces representative of their quilting style specifically for this head-to-head challenge. The quilts range in size from 16″ x 16″ to 18″ x 18″.

The World Quilt Federation Smackdown quilts will be shown prior to the auction, for the first time anywhere, at the International Quilt Festival (IQF), Booth #4660, in Houston, October 14-18. In a gutsy move Smackdown promoter Ami Simms (a.k.a. Founder and Executive Director of the AAQI) will allow the Smackdown quilts to be purchased at the IQF. Each quilt carries a price tag of $10,000.

 

“I’m fully expecting all four quilts to be available for the November 1st auction,” said Simms, “but I’m pretty sure the George R. Brown has a defibrillator on site just in case.”

A Viewers’ Choice component to the “Smackdown” will also be offered. Anyone wishing to support the work of the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative can make online donations to the nonprofit in amounts as little as $5 beginning immediately, assigning their donation to one of the four quilts. One dollar equals one vote. The quilt amassing the most votes will win the Viewer’s Choice Award. The Viewer’s Choice Award donations have no bearing on the sale/auction outcome whatsoever.

About the AAQI
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 $316,000 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.

*The World Quilt Federation is totally fictitious. Any similarity to professional wrestling is obviously intentional and all in good fun, although the winner will receive this cute belt.

WQF Smackdown Champion Belt made by John Flynn.

###

Contact:  
Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative
1200 Creekwood Trail
Burton, MI  48509
www.alzquilts.org

I Was On The Radio

I had the honor and priviledge of being interviewed by ArtScene host and producer Erika Funke at NPR affiliate WVIA in Pittston, Pennsylvania this past June. 

I was teaching for several guilds in the area. Erika was willing to stay late at the station, and the quilters toting me around were willing to make a detour so that I could talk about taking care of Mom and the Alzheiemer’s Art Quilt Initiative.

I’ve been interviewed a couple of times over the phone where I can pace and perspire in the comfort of my own home, but actually being in a radio studio, an NPR studio, was so exciting, and thrilling! It was also just a little terrifying. 

In addition to worrying what Erika would ask, what I would say, and who would hear it, I also worried about uncontrolled coughing, sneezing, hiccupping and other embarrassing bodily noises that might be released in my nervous state.

As soon as we began talking, Erika put me at ease.  I knew she was genuinely interested and she was going to help me through this.

Yes, the microphone has to be right in front of your nose. We peered around our respective obstacles as we chatted.

Erika is part mime, part actress, and part mind reader. Without speaking (with just facial expressions, body language, and hand gestures) she let me know if I was on track, or if I needed to expand on a thought, offer clarification, or leave it and move on. 

After I returned home I sent Erika digital files I had made of Mom and I singing together. You’ll hear those at the end of the interview.  

Please listen to the podcast of our interview, made available by WVIA on their website. Here is the direct link: http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wvia/local-wvia-863892.mp3

There is information at the end of the interview about the Susquehanna Valley Chorale. They have just hosted “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece” and will be performing “Alzheimer’s Stories” for the very first time on October 9 in Bucknell University’s Weis Center for the Performing Arts in Lewisburg, PA.

Composer Robert S. Cohen and librettist Herschel Garfein created a stunning 30-minute, three movement choral work with chamber orchestra accompaniment from the comments about Alzheimer’s posted gathered on the Chorale’s web site. If you are anywhere near Lewisburg, don’t miss it.

This interview was first broadcast on October 1, 2009.

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“Oversized” Alzheimer’s Quilt Finds New Home

Quilt artist Nanette Zeller, from Southern Pines, NC, created “Juggling The Chances” also known as “The Juggler” ( 48.5 ” x 70″) for the traveling exhibit, “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece” back in 2006. In her excitement to complete the quilt, she forgot to check the size requirements in the prospectus. The quilt was too big and wasn’t selected for the traveling exhibit. 

Her quilt is really special. It presents a visual interpretation of a Gallup Poll commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association. The poll found that 1 in 10 Americans have a family member with Alzheimer’s (light purple ball) and 1 in 3 know someone with the disease (dark purple balls). The silhouetted juggler represents any one of us as we face the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The Juggler hasn’t been folded up in a closet somewhere. Nanette has been showing her extraordinary quilt at various venues to promote Alzheimer’s awareness.

It was hanging at Linderella’s Quilt Works in Pinehurst, NC when Gretchen W. of Alexandria, VA saw it and wanted it. An arrangement was made that the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative would receive a substantial donation, and Nanette would give Gretchen the quilt. It was a win, win, win for everyone involved.

Here is Nanette with her masterpiece.  (Yes, she is VERY tall and has three arms! Just kidding. Gretchen is holding the sign Nanette created to tell about the quilt.)

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August “Small Quilt” Auction Ends Tonight

Monday, August 10 at 10:01 p.m. EDT the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative’s “Slow & Silent” on-line auction will be history. Don’t miss a chance to win a beautiful little quilt for you or for a friend as you  help raise money for Alzheimer’s research.

Great quilts! Good deeds! What could be better?!

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

Please tell all your friends.

Thank you for your help!
Ami :)

Who Are The Best 182 Quilters In The World?

I”m looking for the top quilters on the planet? And by quilter I’m very limited  in my request for information. For my devious purposes I am NOT interested in piecing or applique skills nor color or design,  just the quilting part.  Hand or machine. I’m interested in just THE STITCH.

Who does it the best? Who is inspired? Magical? Unbelievably talented? Professional or amateur. World famous, or unknown. Domestic machine or long arm. Left-handed or right-handed. I don’t care how they do it, they just have to be phenomenal quilters!

Why? I want to hit them up to quilt a top for the AAQI’s next traveling exhibit— ”Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope.”

I have (or soon will have) 182 quilt tops emblazened with the names of 10,000 people who have or had Alzheimer’s. Friends and family have written their names to honor and remember them. The people whose names appear on these quilts represent the 5.3 million Americans (26 million worldwide) who have Alzheimer’s. They simply deserve our best effort.

These incredibly talented quilters you’re going to tell me about would only have to quilt one top, six inches wide and about seven feet long. They can quilt it any way they want. They won’t even have to do the binding. And they’ve got lots of time in which to do it. This is a totally volunteer effort; nobody gets paid. They don’t get to keep the quilt either. The quilt they stitch on will travel around the country helping to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s, and then it will be auctioned or sold outright when the exhibit is retired. All profits from the sale will fund Alzheimer’s research.

So, who should we ask?

Write down the names of quilters I should ask in the comment section. Give me their full name and contact information if you know it. If somebody already “nominated” who you were going to suggest, you can second the motion. Everybody get’s their say. Don’t just stop with one name either; we’ve got 182 quilt tops!

To make this work, I need you to tell every single quilter you know to come to this page and leave a comment sharing who they feel should be asked to quilt a top for the AAQI. I want thousands of comments. The more comments, the harder it will be for these special quilters to say ‘no.’  (Sneaky, huh?)

There’s another way you can help, and that’s by collecting names of people who have/had Alzheimer’s. Click here.  And if you want to create a quilt for “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak To Hope,” click here.

Thank you for your help!
Pass it on!
Ami Simms

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Subversive Stitchers

Today I am guest blogging at Subersive Stitchers. I answered questions about the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative.

Enjoy,
Ami

Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt Challenge

Jannett Caldwell and her daughter Sandy Powers came up with one of the best ways I’ve seen to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. Not only did they challenge their guild, the Ladybug Quilters of Newark, DE, to create Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts for us, but at the guild meeting I attended last month they displayed the quilts pinned to a clothesline at the front of the room. They didn’t stop there. They wanted to award a Viewer’s Choice for the best quilt donated. Guild members voted with dollar bills (and some higher denominations too)!

You’ll notice that there is a small paper lunch sack clothes pinned behind each Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt. Guild members stuffed dollar bills into these clever “ballot bags” and raised a tidy sum for the AAQI.

Thank you for the beautiful quilts (some not shown in photograph),  for the additional funds you raised for Alzheimer’s research, and for this great idea!

Vintage Quilt Auction Ends Tonight!

Today is your last chance to bid on the 37 vintage quilts (translation: “old and used”)  in an online auction that ends tonight. The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative is holding a special mid-month auction to turn these quilts into research dollars. Can you help?

Bidding is easy, albeit slow. It’s a silent auction, and each bid is read by a real person. Her name is Diane. And I’d like her to get a boatload of bids on the last day of the auction which is today (Thursday, June 25th)! You’ve got until 10 p.m. tonight EDT time. (We have clocks on the web page so you’ll know exactly what time that is.) All profits from the auction will be used to fund Alzheimer’s research.

Here’s where you bid: www.alzquilts.org/viquac.html

If you already have enough quilts send this post to someone who could use one or two more. If you send it on, leave a comment on the blog with the number of people who you told about this auction.  Let’s see how far afield this little announcement can get. Thanks for spreading the word!

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The Flint Journal

The Flint Journal ran a very nice article about me last week AND the week before.

I spoke with the reporter at the beginning of June before I left for Delaware and Pennsylvania. The photographer came out to the house to shoot the photographs before I left too.  The article was supposed to run in the June 12th edition but our paper has now gone from 7 days a week to just three. My article got lost in the shuffle and wound up on-line before it came out in print. They used different photographs and a different title. Either way, if your Flint Journal from June 19th is already at the bottom of the bird cage, click here to read the online version (with the better picture of me, thank you very much).  Please add a comment to the online article. If you let them know you’re out there they will be more inclined to write about Alzheimer’s. And we need them to do that now more than ever.

You can also click here for a link to the article on the AAQI web page.

Debbie’s assignment during the photo shoot was to take a picture of the photographer taking a picture of me!

The photographs were taken upstairs in my mom’s apartment, now my @Home Classroom.  A basted quilt is on the design wall behind me made from images Mom hand stamped and dye-painted for me. Most were made before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It’s been basted for years, but I just haven’t gotten around to quilting it yet.

Next to the quilt are some Journal Quilts and duplicate Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts I’ve made.

My trusty Bernina is in front of me and Oscar, the photographer, is leaning on the vintage quilts now up for auction. (Hurry, you only have until 10 pm on the 25th to bid. Did you see how cleverly I snuck that in there?)

I think the body language on this photo tells you exactly how nervous I really am staring into that long lens of his. Could I possibly lean back any further without falling off the chair?! I don’t think so.

Despite what the poor guy had to work with (me) I think he did a great job!

You can see one light by Oscar’s right shoulder and the other is in the bathroom. Yes, you can tell it’s the bathroom because that’s where I keep the treadle sewing machine. It has a quilt on top of it because I have no other place for the quilt either!

Among other things, the article talks about a new traveling exhibit that will eventually replace “Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece.” The new one will be called “Alzheimer’s Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope.” Not all the details are available yet, but click here to read at least a little bit about it. Please let your friends know about it too. I’ll be updating here on the blog and also in the AAQI Update.

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