Quilters can make a difference.

I watched with interest this week's installment of an online broadcast of "The Quilt Show", featuring Ami Simms. http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/shows.php

Ami's mother died of Alzheimers, and for her, quilting is coping. For the past five years, she has used quilting as a way to promote awareness and raise money for research to cure Alzheimer's disease. She collects "Priority Quilts", little 9" x 12" quilts made by quilters around the globe, and sells them either by auction on her website or at the International Quilt Market in Houston every year. She has helped to raise over $412,000 for this cause.

Right now, there is also a traveling quilt show of 180 quilts with the names of people who have suffered this disease. I was privileged to be able to quilt one of these special 6" x 80" quilts, and to add a few names to it as well. At the end of today's Quilt Show episode they showed one of my blocks that contains the name of my husband's three uncles, Elden, Ben and Laural, who died with Alzheimer's. Of course it makes me concerned that someday it may affect my husband. I also included the name of my father-in-law's wife who has just been diagnosed.

The other names are loved ones of a few of my friends, including a classmate from high school.

What can you do? Make a quilt, buy a quilt, support this cause. Ami's website gives a list of 35 ways that you can help to raise awareness and fight this disease. http://www.alzquilts.org

Many quilt shops are doing the Rose of Sharon BOM with part of the proceeds going to alzheimer research and awareness. It starts in January.

Thank you for sharing this, Alzheimers has touched so many of our loved ones lives. This is a great cause :D:D:D

I've been involved with this group, making quilts, for several months. My avatar sold for $72.92 at the Houston International Quilt Festival where AAQI had a booth. I love doing quilts for them. I have two more planned that I haven't started yet.

That is so wonderful! Do you have pictures?

Here is my page for the $1,000 promise on the AAQI website. These are the three quilts I've made and what they sold for. The first two were sold at auction:

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

If you click on the picture, you can see it larger.

Beautiful work.! i know alot of women who make mini quilts for Ami simms Project

i made a panel in memory of my grandmother who was taken from us, from complications of this disease.
the panels were put together and taken all over the USA. (imagine the Aids quilt project) same idea.

These are all beautiful, my Grandma died from complications on 3/1/106, (miss you every day Grandma) my Dad was diagnosed in his early 50s and is still completly functional today & one of my sister's mother in law is in very advanced stages currently - will definitely be making some time work on some quilts for this and help in other ways too - have seen 1st hand the devastation this ugly disease can create in a family --- thanks for sharing this opportunity!!!

oops meant to put 3/1/06 -

I will pray for your husband's deliverance. Dr. Oz said today, on his show, that Curry powder, of all things, can help prevent alzheimer's! Couldn't hurt. Alzheimer's is virtually unknown in India! Happy Holidays!

(Ami was a member of my first online quilt group, fairygodessmothers, unfortunately, it is disbanded now. I miss them all.)