Art Quilting for the Common Good

Every now and then you get to make a small contribution to a good cause and see much larger good come from it. Last year I donated a little art quilt to Ami Simms AlzQuilts project. It ended up going to the big Houston quilt show, helping to raise over $30,000. That money was awarded as a grant to the University of Michigan for research into Alzheimer's and its causes.

Yesterday, there was a press release about some very promising positive results created because of that grant. You can read the whole story here: Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

I'm delighted to have my small efforts joined with many others to help make the world a better place and give hope to those who are suffering with this disease --- like little drops of water a mighty river make!

and here are pictures of yesterday's activities in the studio

the front of the handbag, where I have stitched together the three panels I needed to create the front

and the very first bit of embellishment

before I get too carried away with the embellishing, I need to figure out exactly where I will place the pocket for the cell phone (no point wasting fancy braid or embroidery work in a spot that I'm just going to cover up with the pocket!)

the first of the three leaves I'm working on is ready for the quilting

I decided to use a fabric for the framing that looks like old barn wood

and how did I find that fabric? by looking at the back of a piece left over from another project

last night I started the quilting on this while the TV was tuned to PBS for the Concordia College Christmas special (I love TV this time of year, there are so many really great music shows to listen to -- also a few not so great ones, but at least I have choices!)

along with starting the quilting on this, I've started working on the applique of another of the leaf blocks too -- I'm doing the maple next

this morning the hat and the flowers went into the washer for the second round of felting -- I've found that because I have an old washer it sometimes takes more that one trip through to get something properly felted -- so tomorrow there should be pictures of the hat on the form and the flowers all laid out on towels -- nice to have this all coming together

who knows what kind of stuff I'll be able to stir up in the studio today!