DianeDidIt Fiber Art - Stay At Home Challenge Priority Quilts

This was a challenge accepted by members of the Quiltart mailing list who needed a diversion from all the talk of going to H-town, since we were not going. The challenge was to make one or more Priority Quilts for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Emphasis was to be put on using scraps, new techniques or materials never used before. Here are the results! Click on the mage to get a better view then use the "Back" button to come back to the gallery.

The "Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts" project, is named for both the urgent need for research dollars and the requirement that these quilts must fit into a cardboard USPS priority mailer without folding. They are small works of art no larger than 9 inches by 12 inches, auctioned on the first day of each month at or sold outright on the Internet or at selected venues across the United States.

NEVER, NEVER FORGET By Paul E. (age 8) Size: 9” x 11.5” Paul is a very special child, he can draw the most incredible scenes, blows me away. We were talking about making book page size quilts for Ami and Paul said "I want to help." I told them that they could use ANYTHING that was open and in the house. Paul told me he knew exactly what he was going to make.... elephants and lots of them!!!! I asked him why??? "Because I am going to help people who forget, and elephants NEVER, NEVER forget!!!" Paul has a real gift and I am trying to encourage him in what ever he wants to do. Paul draws his own art work, I cut (sharp scissor still scare me in his hands), he uses the sewing machine (sitting in my lap), and he quilts. Paul said this quilt is about the elephant stopping to smell the flowers and is remembering. He did some bobbin work and free motion too.	A FAMILY NEVER FORGETS By Paul E. (age 8) Paul named this one A Family (elephants) Never Forgets. He also made sunprints (first time), but notice how he planned every color, and used chalk paint.
FISHING FOR HOPE By George E. (age 9) George named is quilt Fishing for Hope. This was his first time making sunprints(HE LOVED IT!!!!)	A message from Mom: We had sooooo much fun with this. Paul(8), George(9), Amal(4) (see Amal's below), all finished quilts. This gave us time to talk about what Ami is doing for everyone. How this, making quilts, can change people's lives and no matter how little we are we can make a difference. I am going to sign up for the $1,000 Challenge but I was so busy helping the kids that my three don't have the binding on it yet. Paul and I were talking the other day and he has decieded that he wants to share his story (Paul has autism and lives with a seizure disorder). Paul told me "If they find a cure for people who forget because their brain is not working right then maybe that will help them find a cure for my seizures." So Paul wants people to know so he can help raise more money. I am amazed how he thinks sometimes and am honored he is my son.
WHO COULD FORGET PINK AND PURPLE By Amal E. (age 4) Amal thinks that EVERYONE pink&purple. Amal made her own sunprint and picked out all her fabrics and the backs match too.	ALL TIED UP IN BOWS By Amal E. (age 4) Amal thinks that EVERYONE loves teddybears too. Amal picked out all her fabrics and used die cuts for the teddy bears.
DREAM OF PEACE By Jill Smith Size: 8” x 12” Cotton hand dyed fabric and commercial cotton fabric, printing using freezer paper in inkjet printer, floss and threads, back hand quilted cotton fabric.	IRIS By Ann Louise Mullard Pugh Size: 9” x 12” Iris, summer kimono fabric, thread painting, embellishments
HEARTS By Ann Louise Mullard Pugh Size: 9” x 12” Hearts, fusible appliqué, beads, metallic thread quilting	FLOWERS WITH DRAGONFLY By Ann Louise Mullard Pugh Size: 12” x 9.25” Flowers with dragonfly, summer kimono fabric, embellishments.
RED AND BLUE By Nancy Astle Size: 6.25” x 5” Pieced, hand quilted	DECO FLOWER By Nancy Astle Size: 7.5” x 7.5” Hand colored and embroidered, hand quilted.
UNTITLED By Carol Bruce Size: 9” x 12” Cat with butterfly wings amid butterflies and flowers, dimensional fabric collage.	UNTITLED By Carol Bruce Size: 9” x 12” Fairy in a garden, dimensional fabric collage.
IRIS WINDOW By PeggySue O. King Size: 9” x 12” I used an orphan block from a recent challenge, did quilt as you go on a foundation of batting and back layered, and machine quilted.	A CROOKED IRIS HOUSE By PeggySue O. King Size: 9” x 12” I used orphan blocks from a recent challenge, did quilt as you go on a foundation of batting and back layered, mimicking the binding of my challenge piece, and machine quilted.
BRICKS By Nancy Astle Size: 9.25” x 8.5” Pieced and hand quilted.	CHRISTMAS HEARTS By Nancy Astle Size: 8.5” x 8.5” Pieced and hand quilted.
WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN By Nancy Astle Size: 10” x 10” Appliqué, embellished, hand quilted	AUTUMN By Nancy Astle Size: 8.75” x 8.75” Pieced and hand quilted.
BEST FRIENDS By Nancy Astle Size: 6.25” x 9.25” Hand embroidered and quilted.	BASKET OF FLOWERS By Nancy Astle Size: 7.5” x 7.5” Hand embroidered and quilted.
ORIENTAL SCREEN By Nancy Astle Size: 6.25” x 9.25” Pieced, hand quilted.	CHRISTMAS DIAMOND IN A SQUARE By Nancy Astle Size: 5.75” x 9.25” Pieced, hand quilted.
CHRISTMAS By Nancy Astle Size: 9” x 9” Pieced, hand quilted.	RHAPSODY IN BLUE By Nancy Astle Size: 8.5” x 8.75” Pieced, hand quilted and embellished.
FEEDING FRENZY By Katherine McNeese Made from scraps laying around the studio. Alzheimer's Disease is such an overwhelming debilitating phenomena, that I have not be able to put it into fiber. It's not cancer; it's not a massive heart attack. But it destroys the life of it's victim, and puts massive burden's on the caregivers.	30's PINWHEEL By Nancy Astle Size: 10” x 11.25” Pieced and hand quilted.
UNTITLED By Dorothy Cochran	LORENZO HARD AT WORK By Mary Miller We visit with patients with Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases. 8 months ago I started bringing the kitten who adopted me. Lorenzo undergoes a personality change when his red harness and leash is snapped on. His normal male cat attitudes disappear. He allows cottage staff to handle him, moving him from patient to patient. Lorenzo especially likes to cuddle between patients on the green sofa and sleep. At just under 9 pounds he is the best size for lap sitting. This quilt honors those who serve as volunteers for this dreadful disease.
Ganesh, the Hindu Elephant Headed God By Lauren Fureymoore Size: 8.5” x 11.5” It includes fused cottons, beads of all types, wool felt, buttons, ribbons	TEA FOR YOU By Elaine Stone-Arthur Size: 9” x 12” Hand piecing, appliqué’, photo transfer, and machine quilting. Dedicated in honor of my Mother 1914-2007, whose favorite drink was tea.
BIRD IN A TREE #6 By Del Thomas Size: 9” x 12” The quilt was made from fused scraps retrieved from my scrap box.	RIDE THE PAINTED PONY By Diane Gregg Size: 8.5” x 6” Fused, stitched, beaded and a little glitter! My mother is a resident of a "special wing" in a wonderful nursing home... but, as she says, "It's not really home". So this was a wonderful opportunity for me to say "thanks" for all everyone does for Alzheimer's patients everywhere!
A FLORAL EXPERIMENT By Debbie Krueger Size: 7.75” x 8.25” I decided to play a little in making this quilt. I did some bobbin work and used some angelina film that I stamped on a flower stamp to get the impression.	PURPLE LEAVES By Vivien Zepf Size: 8.5” x 11” Fused snippets to create background; fused leaf abstract (based on photo taken by maker) created using techniques detailed by Liz Berg in Quilting Arts Magazine; beads; art glitter.
Remember the REAL ME By Christine Thresh Size: 8.25” x 10.25” The quilt is honors our Aunt Ginnie (yes, that's how she spelled her name). She had Alzheimer's for the last few years of her life. She was a favorite at the care facility because she was one of their most cheerful patients. She was, of course, vague, occasionally fearful, suspicious, and confused, but she retained her sweetness. She had been an expert needlepointer and an avid gardener. She maintained her 1/2 acre terraced garden all by herself until she was in her 80s. I took a nice photo I had of Ginnie and her daughter and isolated herimage and placed her on a scanned fabric background. I distorted the right side of the composite image using some tools in Paint Shop Pro. I printed the finished image on fabric and quilted it.	FORGETTING WORDS By Karen Bettencourt Size: ?” x ?” My father died from Alzheimer’s and I remember so well how he couldn’t find the words to say what he wanted, it was so frustrating for him. This quilt portrays the lost words tumbling from the mind like leaves from a tree. The “word” leaves were copied from an old dictionary and printed on fabric.

BLUESY TULIP

By Linda Edkins Wyatt

GOLDEN RAINBOW SPIRAL

By Linda Edkins Wyatt

KIDS OF COLOR

By Linda Edkins Wyatt

PINK ROSES IN MY HEAD

By Linda Edkins Wyatt

YELLOW ROSES IN MY HEAD

By Linda Edkins Wyatt

BEFORE ALZHEIMERS By Jenny Williams Size: 9” x 12” This depicts life before Alzhimer's - vibrant, clear as the night sky, and still dreaming/reaching for the stars. It's very simply free motion machine applique' and quilting. The star is Angelina fiber. Variegated zigzag stitching.	AFTER ALZHEIMERS By Jenny Williams Size: 9” x 12” This was done from a pen and ink drawing I did in the car on the way home from QSDS in June. I had just finished Esterita Austin's workshop and was really psyched to doodle. It's very simply free motion machine applique' and quilting. I have always wanted to do a black and white quilt and this seemed to be perfect for what I wanted to express about Alzhimer's. My dad was a victim of Alzhimer's for 4 years and died from pneumonia in the VA hospital, but we were thrilled with the care he received while having to spend his last year alive there. This picture epitomizes the perplexed look I used to see in his eyes when he was trying to tell you something - you could almost see the words/thoughts "out there", just beyond his reach. And the hearts on the fiber represent all the heart strings that are being tugged when you go through something as devastating as having a loved one with Alzheimers.
A MOTHER'S LOVE By Laura Krasinski Size: 8.5” x 10.5” (without the beads) I used mainly cottons and did a raw edge (Lesley Riley technique) applique. I just layered the fabrics and stitched them down. I printed the photo onto fabric paper and fused it down. I stamped the words onto fabric paper and fused it down. I added the fibers, flower and heart buttons. And used a pillow case turn for the binding. I have a dear friend who's mother has alzheimers. She lives in D.C. and her mom lives in Wisconsin. She spends a lot of time traveling back and forth. Her mother is so wonderful. It is hard for me to see how she has become so unaware of her surroundings. It is really sad. I had gotten the I Remember Mama book when it first came out. I showed my girlfriend the quilt called Rosemarie - now and then by Pat Moormann Kumicich and we both broke down in tears. What an amazing quilt. I wanted to do this quilt for my girlfriend and her mom. The photo represents my friend and her mom years ago. Moms are so special. I used the photo along with vintage looking cotton fabrics. Her mom loved flowers so I wanted to add a flower. And the hearts on the fiber represent all the heart strings that are being tugged when you go through something as devastating as having a loved one with Alzheimers.	THE WHITE TREE By Jacqueline Campbell Size: 8” x 11.5” I used cotton fabrics, which were fused onto the background, and rayon thread for the quilting. Last spring, at a park near my house, I noticed that all of the trees were beginning to bud, except for this one magnificent white tree. It's probably dead or dying, but it sure was beautiful against the other brown and green trees. Fill in your own metaphor.
MISSING PIECES AND FADED FLOWERS By Sue Andrus Size: 9” x 12” This piece includes pieces of sunprinted fabrics along with some inkjet transfers that came out very pale and faded looking- a rose in the bottom section, and pink strawberry flowers in the center. Quilted hearts and butterfly are painted with sparkle paint. The holes are backed with a shimmery white organza.	MISSING PIECES AND BUTTERFLIES By Sue Andrus Size: 8.5” x 11.5” This piece is made from pieces of painted and sunprinted fabrics, along with a couple commercial fabrics. Echinacea flowers printed on cotton are fused applique. One flower is missing a couple petals, that have fallen. I added a couple butterflies, that always seem to be signs of hope.
LOVE By Robin Koehler Size: 11” x 8.25” Commercial variegated fabric with free motion quilting and beadwork. Tapestry fabric with hand embroidered wording and beads that was attached after quilting was done. Love is what helps caretakers of Alzheimers victims get through the many long hours, days, years of seemingly endless suffering. We have lost 3 Great Aunts to this disease and watch closely that it ends there.	YALE GUYS By Jan Pitcairn Size: 9” x 11” Intrigued by the techniques used in an article in Quilting Arts Magazine by Mary Ann Tipple using old black and white photos, I had to try it. A toner copy of a photo from my family archives was applied with gel medium to cotton duck cloth painted with acrylic paints and glazes. Couched yarn and outline quilting attach the duck cloth to the quilt. The quilt has a nostalgic look, reminiscent of the Priority: Alzheimer’s Quilt theme.
AND THE DAYS GROW SHORT . . . By Judith Kessler Smith Size: 8” x 10” The background is a digital photo I took and printed on fabric. Machine pieced, it has hand-dyed and commercial fabric three-dimensional leaves appliqued on top.	HOPE IS ALWAYS ON THE WING By Judith Kessler Smith Size: 8.75” x 11.75” This quilt is composed of fibers laid on a fabric background, covered with tulle, machine-stitches with various butterflies appliqued on top.
BEDTIME SNACK II By Roberta Ranney Size: 9” x 12” Materials used: hand-painted background, cotton duck, variegated thread. Artist's Statement: The elephant is known for its memory. My small piece is to support the efforts to keep us all remembering. Without memory we really don't live; we merely exist. I didn't do anything new with this piece - I had made a similar work in the past and had lots of positive comments about it so decided to try it again. I used only supplies I had on hand.	LAND AND SEA 4 By Patty VanHuis-Cox Size: 10” x 8” Strip pieced background, rocks colored with Pentel fabric crayons. Water created using tinsel and turquoise netting and then FMQ in place. Rocks were thread painted and some details of the water were also thread painted.
AUTUMN OAK By Lauren Fureymoore Size: 8.75” x 11” Pieced cottons, hand dyed fabric, fusing, beads, real leaf from my front yard traced on to the fabric, pop top hangers.	AUTUMN MAPLE By Lauren Fureymoore Size: 8.75” x 10” Pieced cottons, hand dyed fabric, fusing, beads, real leaf from my neighbor's yard traced on to the fabric, pop top hangers.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW By Lauren Fureymoore Size: 11” x 8.75” Hand dyed cotton, Prismacolor pencil, glass beads, vintage & new buttons, ceramic Bluebird beads, chiffon, pop top hangers.	DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME By Lauren Fureymoore Size: 8.75” x 12” Dupioni Silk, silk upholstery fabric, pearls, beads, vintage closure, reclaimed silk tie fabric, vintage hankie, retro buttons.
I WANT TO BE AN ELEPHANT By Ren Size: 10.5” x 9.5” Because Elephants are symbols of memory, of course they came to mind when this non-challenge was issued. So, here they are, elephants and scraps from my stash. This piece is 10.5" x 9.5", counting the fringe. It's a little piece to help fix a big problem.	LAND AND SEA 3 By Patty VanHuis-Cox Size: 9.75” x 8” Strip pieced background, colored rocks with Pentel fabric crayons and then thread painted. Turquoise netting with tinsel trapped underneath and the FMQ in place.
MEMORY FAILING, PIECE BY PIECE By Lisa Konkel Size: 9” x 12” It is both machine pieced and fused, with some of the pieces frayed. I have never combined frayed applique with pieced work before so this was a new experience. I did use scraps for everything except for the main fabric and the back, and even those were things I had already. This quilt is dedicated to my grandma, Etta.	LAND AND SEA 2 By Patty VanHuis-Cox Size: 9.75” x 8.5” I strip pieced the background. Added tinsel under turquoise netting and FMQ in place. Thread painted the rocks and some areas of the water.
LAND AND SEA By Patty VanHuis-Cox Size: 9.75” x 8.5” I used scrap pieces of browns, oranges and blue fabric and sewed them down to batting and backing. I used Pentel fabric crayons to add more dimension into the "rocks and water". I trapped tinsel under netting to create water. Then I thread painted all the rocks in various colors used in the fabrics. I decided I didn't like my water and added more tinsel and white netting to trap it and then free motion stitched it in place to give the feeling of movement. I fused small bits of Angelina fibers to create sprays and then small seed beads to add more details around the rocks.	A FLOW OF FLOWERS By Tobi Hoffman Size: 8.75” x 11.5” The fabric for this piece comes from Belize, scraps given to me by a Mayan seamstress in January 2007. The brown flowers are part of the background material, with pieces cut from other remnants. I used eyelash yarn with gradations of blue-green to light green to outline the pieces and the edges of the quilt.
GLITTER OF MICA By Angela Wiseman Size: ?” x ?” 4 layers of sheer & organza over a rather snazzy rainbow lame, distressed with gas flame soldering iron, to revel mica studded sheer layer in places, pieces of heat treated gold shim added some more sparkle & texture interest. It started life as a piece double the size to make it easier to handle with the soldering iron, then trimmed down & the excess is now ATC's & Inchies.	? By Angela Wiseman Size: ?” x ?” My first ever attempt at something Purely quilt (no mixed media allowed) that didnt involve pre pattern desgin & research or perfect points ! After so many years of making commission based traditional quilts, i found this really hard going ! esp after hubby stole my sketch books so I couldnt even doodle idea's !
MISS MILLIE By Chris Predd Size: 9” x 12” I made this in memory of my grown sons preschool teacher who died with Alzheimer's. I depicted a column of building blocks, and then they are falling down.... it says "and the blocks came tumbling down". Blocks are fused, background is pieced and machine quilted. The middle is a commercial fabric, and I couched some gold threads on the slope to highlight it's downward line.	BLACK EYED SUSAN, A MEMORY By Rene Orgeron Size: 8.5” x 10.5” I have a fear of Alzheimer's and each time I forget something , I wonder is it ME. The quilt started out as a photo of the Black Eyed Susans; that are in full bloom, along the country roads. From a photo I printed on white cotton. The hand is cotton, with oil pastels. The flower is decorated with brown square sequins for its center. leaves and stem are upholstery fabric scraps and yarn. Over the whole quilt I placed a layer of bronze tulle, with some tear spots. For me entering the challenge was a first!
THINK SPRING By Jan Johnson Size: 10.75” x 8.75” The quilt was made entirely of previously fused fabric left over from other quilts. Some, the bird nest, was entirely very small scraps I’d for some reason kept. In lieu of a regular binding I chose to satin stitch around the edge leaving thread to tie at each corner.	BABY STEPS By Diane Petersmarck Size: 12” x 9” Scraps of fabric laying next to each other in a scrap basket gave me the inspiration. Background is pieced and straight line quilted with variegated thread. Tree is a hand dyed cotton fused down with fiber "leaves". Elephants are made of craft weight leather suede, with the markings drawn on with Sharpie fine tip markers.