Beading for a Cure

Every year for the past three years I've participated in a wonderful project. Jeanette Shanigan, a beader from Alaska, organizes people from around the world to stitch tiny beaded squares (1 1/2" x 1 1/2") that she assembles into quilted wall hangings. These quilts are auctioned at the Bead & Button Show each year and the proceeds go to breast cancer research. Each year she has a theme and this year's theme is "Caring hands beading together to help find a cure for breast cancer."

Beaders from around the world stitched over 500 squares for last year's "turtle" quilt project. and their efforts raised nearly $3,000. Linda Davis (my friend and one of the co-owners of our gallery) donates her time and beads so that Albuquerque artists can participate. I am proud to say that 90 of the squares from last year were stitched by our local beaders. An anonymous donor purchased the quilt that was made from the New Mexico beads and it is now proudly displayed at local bead store Lodi's Beads.

The past two years I have participated and made a quilted square, but this year I've been overly ambitious and have made five so far!! Here are photos of four of them.