Healing Quilts Initiative at Auburn University

After two and half years of planning, the day has arrived! 

It's the debut of the Healing Quilts Initiative at Auburn University. 

Tonight there is a reception at the President's home. Then tomorrow the quilts will move to the local museum to be on display during the month of October - Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

After their time on public display, they will be framed and installed at local cancer treatment centers.

Here are some pictures of getting ready for tonight's reception.

The staff built a custom frame to hang the nineteen quilts.

Some of the quilts depict a plant or animal used to make cancer treatments.

Some quilts offer words of encouragement.

There are nineteen quilts in the collection. Twelve from Fiber Artists @ Loose Ends and seven local Alabama quilters.

Dr. Donna Sollie, Assistant Provost for Women's Initiatives, headed up this initiative. 

And behind the vision is Dr. Francesca Adler-Baeder. It was her personal desire to bring this comfort, education and warmth to the surrounding communities.

Prayer Wall Centerpiece

I have completed a new piece for my church. We are worshipping in a new location and have just installed a new prayer wall. This quilt will be the centerpiece. I have dedicated this quilt to all the prayer warriors at my church.

Quilters Take Manhattan - My Donations

 

I am excited to share my donations to the silent auctions that will take place THIS weekend at the Quilt Alliance event "Quilters Take Manhattan".  Come join us!

Full details on Quilters Take Manhattan here.

Vikki Pignatelli (founder of Sacred Threads) newest book
www.vikkipignatelli.com

My 12" x 12" quilt with chinese symbol for Love

International Quilt Study Center - SAQA Showcase

Members of the Quilt Alliance Board. Field trip to IQSC.

During the Quilt Alliance recent trip to Nebraska for our board meeting and Quilter's Take Omaha event, we had the opportunity to go to the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln. I was particularly interested in seeing the brand new exhibit SAQA Showcase. Here are photos I took from my phone. I wished to capture the essence of the exhibit as it appears to viewers. The work was a fascinating mix of styles.

Beautiful Space

Marin Hanson leads our tour

SAQA Showcase Banner

SAQA Showcase - Jan Myers - Newbury

SAQA Showcase - Susan Shie

SAQA Showcase - Deidre Adams

SAQA Showcase - Gay Lasher

SAQA Showcase - Michael Cummings

SAQA Showcase - Wen Redmond

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Priority Quilts Display

Vienna Chapter of Quilters Unlimited Priority Quilt Workshop

This weekend is the Quilters Unlimited (QU) quilt show in Northern Virginia. The Vienna Chapter of QU did a Priority Quilt workshop with me recently. In this workshop we made 9" x 12" pieces to be donated to raise money for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). The Vienna quilters decided to have this display at the quilt show to raise awareness of this wonderful project. I was very proud of the display. A great thanks to Karla Vernon for coordinating the group and getting them registered with AAQI. And a HUGE thank you to Janet Marney for collecting the quilts and doing this special layout.

Side View

Signage Explaining the Exhibit

"Home is Where the Quilt Is"

Still untitled piece for "Home Is Where the Quilt Is" auction

The Alliance for American Quilts has an annual auction to raise money in support of the organization. I am a member of the quilt alliance because I strongly support the mission to document, preserve and share our quilt stories. Pictured here is my piece for the 2012 auction. Trouble is, I can't come up with a title. It seems like a title with both words Flowers and Home, would be ideal. So far the best suggestion is "Flowers in the Attic". Anyone else have any ideas?

Click here to learn more about the auction and get the guidelines.

Liebster Blog Award

Suzanne Kistler has nominated me from the Liebster Blog award. This award is given to bloggers that inspire you and have less than 200 followers. Thank you Suzanne!

Here are the particulars:
As part of the tradition it is passed along to 5 bloggers that have motivated and inspired.
To accept the award you must:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value.
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.

Here are my five:
Cyndi Souder of Moonlighting Quilts.
Cyndi is multi-talented and reminds me to do my best work - at whatever I'm doing at the moment.

Donna DeSoto of Living in a Material World
Donna is thoughtful, warm and  inspires me to love. Oh, and she takes amazing photos and writes beautiful poetry.

Lisa Quintana of Michigoose's Gander at Quilts.
Lisa always has something interesting to say that makes me stop and think.

Sue Reno of Sue Reno Studio 
A true professional that teaches me about grace in the 'real world' of art quilting.

Fannie Narte
A like minded charity quilter motivated to make the world a better place through our gift of quilting.

Vienna QU Guild Show and Tell

Vienna Chapter Members of Quilters Unlimited hold up their Alzheimer's Priority Quilts at their January 17th meeting.

I was very pleased to receive this photo of the quilter's showing off their wonderful pieces from the Priority Quilt workshop.

Heartbreak to Hope will be at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival

I am excited to learn today that the Azheimer's Art Quilt Initiative traveling exhibit called Heartbreak to Hope will be at the Mancuso show, Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival Feb 23-26.

The Founder, Ami Simms, will be there, near the quilts, to meet and greet. Look for her at the Preview night on Wednesday and on Sunday.

My piece, "Running Out of Time" is one of the small 9"x12" pieces in the exhibit.

If you are going to the show, please stop by and check out this very moving exhibit.

Priority Quilt Workshop for Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

Today I worked with the Vienna Quilter's Unlimited quilter's to create Priority Quilts to raise money for Alzheimer's research. These will be donated to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Houston Purchases

 I had a wonderful time at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX. Like many of the 60,000 visitors, I spent some money. My treasures on this trip, besides spending time with dear friends, was supporting some favorite charities and bringing home some little quilts.

Jamie Fingal - Zippy Floral

The first is by Jamie Fingal. It's called "Zippy Floral" and was donated to the IQA auction.

Fannie Narte - Love Heals

The second piece is by Fannie Narte. It's called "Love Heals" and raised money for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI). I volunteered in the AAQI booth and enjoyed time with Ami Simms and her team. Ami is holding up a Priority Quilt made by Betty Bassett of Poolesville, MD. Betty made this piece in my Priority Quilt workshop last May.

Terri Stegmiller - Fresh Cut 2

The third piece is by Terri Stegmiller and is called "Fresh Cut 2". Terri donated this piece to the Texas Quilt Museum.

Texas Quilt Museum

Today I am mailing this little 12" x 12" quilt off to Karey Bresenhan to raise money for the brand new Texas Quilt Museum in La Grange, Texas.

I enjoy sending off my little pieces to raise money for good causes. I hope it finds a good home.

Vinescapes

My Fiber Artists @ Loose Ends group is working on an exhibit called Vinescapes. My piece is done!

We will debut our exhibit at the Philip Carter Winery in November. Our opening is November 13th from 3 -5.

Village Piecemakers Priority Quilt NOW UP FOR BID

My little priority quilt "Lazy Daisies" is up for bid in the September auction to raise money for Alzheimer's research. To check out the bidding, click here: Benefit Bidding for Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Village Piecemakers- Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Continued

Yesterday, Nancy McGrew and I were featured in Ami Simm's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative update blog. Click here to read the article. The post is called "Quilters Give in Many Ways".

The piece pictured here is from the Priority Quilt Workshop. I taught the students how to make this background and thread paint these cute flowers.

Since the participants are each donating their workshop pieces, I thought it would be fitting for me to donate this class sample.

So today, Lazy Daisies will be shipped to Diane Petersmarck, the dedicated volunteer that handles the Priority Quilts.

It is number #7302  if you wish to watch for it come up for sale or auction. I am getting very close to my $1000 promise. Perhaps this is the piece that will reach my goal!

I have appreciated the opportunity to interact with many of Ami's volunteers. Fannie Narte, an accomplished quilter, worked on the blog article. A big thanks to Fannie.

SAQA Donation

I have taken a break from working on the Sacred Threads exhibit to finish my 12" x 12" piece for SAQA. I used my lazy landscape technique for the background and then did the daisies with thread play.

Lisa's Menuet

Years ago my father, William Brehm, wrote the melody heard here in this video clip. I would hear him working on it while I was visiting. It quickly became one of my favorites and I learned to play it by ear on my own piano. Later when my dad finished it, he named it for me. I am quite pleased that it is the background for this charming video about the wonderful Mott's Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan. The pianist is Lisa Emenheiser, a talented musician who brings my dad's music compositions to life. The videographer is Andy Sacks, a long time friend of my folks.

Village Piecemakers Priority Quilts Show and Tell

As promised, here are photos of some of the resulting Priority Quilts from the workshop. Aren't they wonderful!

Judy McIntyre

Betty Bassett

Pam Klobukowski

Becky Carr

Dara Tokar

Nancy McGrew

Diane Beach

Village Piecemakers Workshop for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

Today I spent a wonderful day with the Village Piecemakers from Poolesville, MD. I did a workshop devoted to making Priority Quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  After teaching my favorite stripped piece background, I demonstrated some of my techniques to make trees and flowers.  In this photo you can see the works in progress. It was so much fun to see these little 9" x 12" quilts develop. I look forward to seeing the finished projects.

Worship and the Arts - Seminary Student Work

Dawn L. Stewart with her piece "Sing to the Lord"

A couple of months ago I was contacted by seminary student, Dawn Stewart, studying worship and the arts. She had an assignment to write a paper based on an interview with a sacred artist. She found my name on the internet. We spent the day together. I showed her my studio, shared my faith/quilting journey and even took her to my church where several of my pieces are permanently installed. Also in the class she needed to make a piece of art. Our conversation led to her coming back to my home for private instruction on how to make a praise quilt. After two sessions, this is what she created. I am very proud of her accomplishment. She is not a quilter and yet she quickly learned how to rotary cut, sew 1/4" seams, fuse, applique, and did the words with thread painting. She was a very quick and fearless student.