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Sunday

Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer's Patients




A "Fidget, Fiddle, or Busy" Quilt or Activity Blanket  is a small lap quilt, mat or blanket that provides sensory and tactile stimulation for the restless or "fidgety" hands of someone with Alzheimer's or related Dementias. 

If you are not a a quilter, these can easily be made with a variety of scrap fabrics simply sewn together in any random pattern and simply quilted with tied crochet cotton, or machine sewn straight line stitching around the blocks. But they can also be made as lap sized blankets using fleece or other fabrics not needing to be quilted down with tactile elements attached on top.


Fidget Quilts or Blankets provide sensory or tactile stimulation through the use of fabric choices, colors, value of colors next to one another, textures, and the use of accents or simple accessories such as pockets, laces, trims,  appliques, buttons, secured beads, ribbons, braids etc.

Ideas and suggestions are shared through a variety of photos of all kinds of fidget quilts, blankets, mats, aprons, or even bags that I or others have made.





For basic directions, suggested sizes, and lots and lots of ideas and inspiration, please check out my primary blog where I post about the making of these wonderful little quilts, my history with my family's journey and my care giving for Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia and the work that I did for AAQI ..the Alzheimer's Art Quilting Initiative ..AAQI...from 2006 through its closure in 2013. As a proud member of this organization and the founder of my own small group..the Liberated Challenge Quilters, we raised many thousands of dollars towards the founder Ami Simm's final total of ONE MILLION DOLLARS towards Alzheimer's research.

 It was long, hard work for many of the primary group members but a labor of art, quilting, and love as well. Once our goal was reached, each of us went back to our own lives whether that was blogging about our journeys, caring for loved ones, or continuing to make quilts for Alzheimer's patients, as I have done.

So, I began this new journey of making small fidget quilts for donation to various organizations. They are also for sale at a variety of places for those that do not sew. They are all made with love and love and prayer are infused with every stitch but it takes time and supplies to create them so it is not possible for one person to just make them for entire nursing homes as I have been asked to do and had to turn down.




Instead I teach and encourage others to make them as I continue to make what I can, when I can. And you can too!!!


Here is the link to my huge post with many, many photos of fidget, fiddle, sensory, tag quilts, aprons, mats, bags, and pillows..all are wonderful  tactile busy quilts and other items for your loved ones or for donation.

Making Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer's Patients: Free Tutorials and Ideas 




Saturday

Alzheimer's Awareness Quilting Inspiration: Make a Fidget Quilt!



Now, that the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is a beautiful memory of thousands of quilters, multiple thousands of small format art quilts, and a wonderful founder, president, and inspirational leader Ami Simms, it's time to put this blog back to work!

So, I am now using this blog as my Alzheimer's Awareness Inspirational Quilting backup blog for my own ongoing work for raising Alzheimer's Awareness and quilting, teaching, and hopefully inspiring others, as I have with my original donation of lap quilts for those in care homes, to creating small format art quilts for donation to Ami Simm's "Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative" and now by creating, teaching, donating, and selling my Fidget Quilt Projects to spread awareness and my caring energies of 'heart and hands' to others.



  With Heart and Hands

All original posts are on my own personal and primary blog. And as it nears 8 million reader views, it is finally hitting me that in my own little way, not a big, huge wonderful way like Ami, but my own simple Michele Bilyeu way, I am making a difference.


Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer's and Related Dementia 

Making Fidget Quilts ,Blankets, Mats, Aprons, Bags:

 Updated 2016 

Alzheimer's Fidgeting and Mojo Uprising



My Fidget Quilts blog posts have earned me a spot at the top of the search engines and I am being told that I have inspired church groups, girl scout and other civic minded community groups, nursing homes, etc. to create these small lap quilts for others.



Nothing could please me more than to know that somehow all of this hard, hard work with my blogs and blogging has made a difference.







Thank you for coming to visit, for reading, and for going back into your own sewing rooms, homes, and communities to do good!!!




Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer's and Related Dementia 

Making Fidget Quilts ,Blankets, Mats, Aprons, Bags:

 Updated 2016 

Alzheimer's Fidgeting and Mojo Uprising

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska.