AAQI: New Auction Beginning!

The January auction quilts are up and the January auction begins...well, in January ;)

Take a look at the homepage list of quilts in the auction and then join in the bidding of the most awesome quilts, ever! January 1-10th!

See them to believe them!!!

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Quilt Shop is open 24/7--buy a quilt and help fund our next research grant! Our Liberated Quilting Challenge group has lots of quilts included on this page that are wishing for forever homes! And do check out our newly updated page of quilts for our Liberated Quilting Challenge

You are all so amazing....creative quilt creators and all of you lovely people who buy them, as well!

shown above:

Jean Baardsen
Morehead City, NC USA

Width: 20" Length: 27"

Designer: Original design

Materials/Techniques: Silk fabrics, textile paints, inks, thread.

Michele Bilyeu Quilts With Heart and Hands for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) Join in my Liberated Quilting Challenge...and buy or donate a quilt, today!! We are changing the world...one little quilt at a time.

AAQI Donates $30,000 to the University of Michigan

Volunteers from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) presented a check for $30,000 to Dr. Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova at the Life Sciences Institute of the University of Michigan on Monday, December 19, 2011

AAQI volunteers create and donate small art quilts, with profits from the sale or auction of the quilts used to create grants for a variety of research organizations. Dr. Garneau-Tsodikova and her research team will be using the money from this grant to develop multifunctional drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

Pictured above (from left to right) are: Jacob L. Houghton, Todd J. Eckroat, Wenjing Chen, Keith D. Green, Rebecca A. Reed (kneeling), Joshua J. Bornstein, Dr. Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova, Ami Simms, Pat Holly (kneeling), Sue Nickels, Debbie Chenail, and Ruth Langdon.

This is the third time that AAQI has donated funds for Alzheimer's research from the profits of these Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts to the University of Michigan.

It is especially touching to know that both Dr Garneau-Tsodikova's grandmother and her aunt have Alzheimer's Disease, so the desire to discover a cure is of personal, as well as professional, involvement and motivation.

Dr. Garneau-Tsodikova explained the work of her research team to quilters Pat Holly and Sue Nickels using a quilt from the AAQI traveling exhibit ("Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope") made by Mary Andrews. In the background are exhibit quilts by Mona Fallis and Gay Young Ousley.

As Ami Simms, founder of AAQI says: "To everyone who supports the AAQI by making quilts, buying quilts, and through financial contributions to our nonprofit, please accept my personal and heartfelt thanks for the work you do to make the AAQI a reality. Together we have raised more than $679,000 since the AAQI began in 2006. This is the 10th research project we have funded."

Michele Bilyeu Quilts With Heart and Hands for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) Join in my Liberated Quilting Challenge...and buy or donate a quilt, today!! We are changing the world...one little quilt at a time.

Amazing AAQI Volunteer, Nancy Astle

We have Alzheimer's Art Quilt stories that are so uplifting and amazing...stories about our record breaking news that AAQI Raised $62,000 in Houston, for example. But we also have amazing quilters who have challenging lives of their own, who still manage to rise above their own circumstances and problems to do wonderful things for others.

Ami Simms just recently shared with us the story of AAQI quilter, Nancy Astle of Las Vegas, Nevada. In spite of her challenges with ALS, Nancy not only made and donated quilts to AAQI, but was fulfilled her $1,000 Promise by creating 31 quilts...all of which have sold...and earning $1,193.26 towards research funding.

Unfortunately, Nancy recently passed away, but she leaves behind a legacy of love and of quilts and quilting. That she could reach beyond the boundaries of her own life and illness to still help others is a testimony to the spirit of this amazing woman. How can we not be inspired by such a story?

As Nancy wrote in her $1,000 Promise statement:

"Statement: I have always loved making miniature quilts. When Ann Pugh told me of Ami Simms fund-raising for Alzheimer's research, I knew I would join her cause. My father and my mother-in-law both died of Alzheimer's. I make these small hand quilted pieces in their memory. The shop where I worked did a lot of die-cutting and there were always tiny strips too small to use. So I brought them home and turned them into beautiful little quilts. Alzheimer's takes away bits and pieces of a person. To me, the bits and pieces of cloth I use become whole-as I know that someday my loved ones will be whole again as well. I fight a battle with ALS but, thankfully, my hands have not been affected, so I will continue to piece and quilt and help Ami with her cause.

Nancy's beautiful quilts may be viewed on this Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative web page:
Nancy Astle
Michele Bilyeu Quilts With Heart and Hands for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) Join in my Liberated Quilting Challenge...and buy or donate a quilt, today!! We are changing the world...one little quilt at a time.