The quilting charity I chose to begin with and have continued to highlight is the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. 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 $570,000 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 AAQI currently sponsors two major programs:
Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope
The first is a nationwide traveling quilt exhibit called "Alzheimer's Illustrated: From Heartbreak to Hope." It features 182 "Name Quilts" six inches wide and seven feet tall, containing the names of more than 10,000 individuals who have or had Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Hanging among the Name Quilts are 53 small format art quilts (9" x 12") that each interpret Alzheimer's in some way. The exhibit will tour the United States for 5 years.
Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts
The second is the "Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts" project, so named for the urgent need for research dollars and the hope that quilters across the country would make participation in this project a priority. These small quilts fit inside flat rate cardboard priority mailers from the USPS, which the group uses to ship quilts to winning bidders after monthly online auctions.
MAKE A DONATION QUILT
Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts. Make finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease a priority — create mini art quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative!
Your quilt will be sold or auctioned to raise awareness and to fund Alzheimer's research. How your quilt will be sold, and at what price, is it at the discretion of the AAQI. Each quilt will have its own web page and when it sells the purchase price of the quilt will be listed there.
Each quilt must be registered individually. The process assigns certain rights to the AAQI and it helps us create a web page for each of your quilts. Please tell us as much as you can about your quilt and your reasons for making it. Many people purchase quilts based on what you write, please don't be shy!
This Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt project is administered by volunteers and only possible if everyone follows the rules.
Here Are The Rules
- Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts must be no larger than 9" x 12" No exceptions. Anything that hangs off the quilt (fringe, tassels, cording, handles, feathers, loops, etc.) must not extend beyond the 9" x 12" maximum size allowed.
- Quilts may be Alzheimer's-themed, but don't have to be. They DO have to be quilts: that's three layers, and the middle one is batting of some sort.
- Embellishments that can not withstand frequent stacking, sliding, shuffling against other quilts (or may harm other quilts that come in contact with them) are not allowed. No framed or mounted pieces.
- Fast Finish Triangles are the preferred "sleeving" method.
- Designs from patterns, books, magazine, web pages, etc. require, permission of the copyright holder in writing. When registering, indicate written permission has been secured. Send it in with your quilt.
- All rights to the quilt are retained by the designer except the rights to exhibit, sell, and publish the quilt you donate with/or without accompanying information (anywhere, everywhere, and in all media, in perpetuity) for the purposes of awareness, publicity, and fundraising. These rights are given to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative by the act of donating a quilt.
- Quilts must be registered by the maker(s) or by a Temporary Quilt Registration Goddess.
- Quiltmakers will not be notified when their quilts sell nor who has purchased it. Messages for future owners may be attached to the backs quilts as long as they don't interfere with photography.
- Each quilt must be registered, individually, AFTER it is completed. An AAQI volunteer will assign a number to your quilt and email shipping instructions to you within 3 to 7 business days. Please do not register your quilt until it is ready to be shipped.
- The system we use to process quilts is numerical. Parts of this system are handled by three volunteers who are not in geographical proximity. It is really important that the quilts not be registered until they are ready to ship. Once registered, we ask that you mail the quilt in right away.
- Quilts do NOT need to be mailed separately, nor do they need to be shipped priority mail. Put as many as you can in a box and send them any way you want.
register your quilts at the AAQI Update blog.
To read more about this project or to register or to participate in this project go to www.alzquilts.org.
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