Trying to Hold On by Becky Goldsmith
Many quilters make quilts for good causes—at risk babies and kids, women’s shelters, returning soldiers, and more. This is the first of what will be a series of postings about groups, organizations, and individuals who quilt for a cause.
The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) is a grassroots, volunteer effort to raise awareness and fund Alzheimer’s research through art. It was founded in January 2006 by quilter Ami Simms whose mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2001. The group is a registered nonprofit corporation with tax-exempt status—all profits are used to fund Alzheimer’s research. So far the group has raised $277,000.
Two of their efforts are:
- A nationally touring exhibit of quilts about Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece. It contains 52 quilts each interpreting Alzheimer’s in some way. So far, more than 190,000 people have seen this exhibit and it will continue to crisscross the country until 2010. A book and a CD of the exhibit are available for purchase.
- An on-going auction and sale of small quilts Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilts, so named for the urgent need for research dollars. They are small works of art no larger than 9” x 12” and are auctioned on the first day of each month, sold outright on the Internet, or sold at selected venues across the United States.
C&T Author Becky Goldsmith is one of the many quilters participating in this effort. Her quilt Trying to Hold On is part of the Alzheimer’s: Forgetting Piece by Piece traveling exhibit. Becky says “I gave a great deal of thought to the kind of image I would use in my quilt and decided that I would approach the quilt as if I had Alzheimer’s. I knew that if diagnosed, I would still quilt, but over time my sewing abilities would diminish.
“I used a traditional appliqué block for the quilt (a simplified version of one of the Aunt Millie’s Garden blocks). The center block is as perfect as I could make it. As I moved away from the center the shapes, colors, and stitching become much less precise. I didn’t use a pattern for the border. I randomly pulled scrap fabric from a pile and haphazardly cut stems and leaves. I used heavy black thread for the border appliqué. It’s almost hard to look at… but I believe this is one of the most interesting quilts I have ever made.”
Visit the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative website for more information about this important, on-going effort and learn about how you can make a quilt, make a donation, and spread the word.
Do you quilt for a cause? Share your story.
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