We are so excited to have such wonderful sponsor for the Forget Me Not Quilt Along (QAL)! The QAL is scheduled to begin July 6th! That may seem to be a long time, but it really isn’t.
This QAL is unique as it is designed not only to help you make a beautiful quilt, but also to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association of America. During the QAL, you will receive directions for quilt assembly one week and information you can use about Alzheimer’s the next week. This biweekly rotation will continue until November, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, when you hopefully will have a finished quilt top!
The quilt pattern includes seven different blocks. The memory themed blocks are colorful and complicated in the center then get paler and simpler toward the edges – like the memories of Alzheimer’s patients. The quilt border is surrounded by forget me nots, the symbol of the Alzheimer’s. The pattern is traditionally pieced (no paper, templates or foundations), no curves, no y-seams, no partial seams, and no applique. So it is free of many of the more challenging sewing techniques. It is primarily half square triangles, flying geese, and similar basic elements. During the QAL, the pattern will be free for participants. Once the QAL ends, the pattern will be removed from the website and made for sale in our shop. Proceeds from the sale of the pattern will go to the Alzheimer’s Association of America. Kits can be pre-ordered for this QAL or you can use fabric from your stash. If you use your stash, it is important to keep the colors as close to the pattern as possible to achieve the forget me not effect.
Our first sponsor and partner is Quilt 2 End ALZ. Ashli Montgomery is the founder and CEO of Quilt 2 End ALZ. She also serves as a Board Member for the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter and several other charitable organizations. Through Quilt 2 End ALZ, donations will be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association of America. Ashli will also be providing the information you can use about Alzheimer’s. She is a national speaker and has loads of information to share with us.
Hoffman California Fabrics is our next sponsor. They will be donating fabrics as prizes during the event. This quilt is designed with twenty-one fabrics from the Hoffman Watercolor collection (1895) to create the forget me not effect in the center. Personally, I love working with these tone on tone batiks as they have such depth and range of colors.
Hobbs Bonded Fibers, makers of Hobbs Quilt Batting, is another sponsor. They have generously donating batting as prizes during the event. Hobbs batting is wonderful to work with while quilting. It is my “go to” batting. Remember, you will need batting to finish the quilt!
Finally, Stitchin’ Heaven Quilt Shop, one of the largest retailer of Block of the Month patterns, is our fourth sponsor. They will be assembling and selling the kits for this event. They will donate 10% of the total sales to the Alzheimer’s Association of America. The kits will retail for $169.99. Kits must be ordered by May 1st to ensure they are assembled and mailed no later than June 15th. This is a great way to ensure you have the right fabrics, as there are twenty-one in the pattern.
During the event, there will be several opportunities to donate your time, talent and treasure to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s. In return, you will be creating a beautiful quilt and have the opportunity to win some prizes along the way. We are still working with a few other companies to help sponsor the event. We will announce those as soon as they are finalized.
If you haven’t signed up for the Forget Me Not QAL yet, please do! We are already chatting in Facebook (Forget Me Not Quilt Along | Facebook) and would enjoy having your input. We are also providing background and some quilt basics so you will be ready to go when the first section of the pattern is released.
We hope you will join us for this amazing event.
Happy Quilting!
Laureen