Introducing Ashli…

Today I am putting the finishing touches on a very special presentation – well, very special to me, that is.

Last January, I launched a non-profit called Quilt 2 End ALZ. Its mission is its name: to connect the quilting world with the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease by creating a family of passionate quilters.

I – with massive amounts of help from my family – spent 2019 getting established…incorporating with the state of Oklahoma, obtaining 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, designing logos and websites, selecting color palettes and a tagline, and simply working to exist as a non-profit.

In addition those “behind the scene” hoops to jump through, we designed our first block pattern to sell for fundraising along with several super cute Q2EA t-shirts, we hosted our first event, and we made a lot of blocks and quilts.

It was fabulous!

And yet, I ended the year feeling as though we didn’t do much to educate others about Alzheimer’s disease nor connect people with the fight to end it.

I really struggled with this for a few weeks, reading business books, listening to podcasts, sitting through webinars, and asking successful friends for their advice. I came away with this ah-ha:

Do less to do more.

I know there are a million directions I could go with Quilt 2 End ALZ, Inc. Literally, millions of fabulous ideas out there! The problem is that in trying to do too many of them, I am limiting my ability to impact at all.

So, I dialed it back. I determined that my vision for 2020 was to focus on three areas that feel most important to me:

1. Spreading the word through presentations that educate on the basics of ALZ, inform quilters on how we use our craft as a platform for Alzheimer’s advocacy, and share my love of quilting. My goal is 20 programs in 2020.
2. Collaborate with fabric and pattern designers, manufacturers, and sellers to learn new ideas, meet new friends, and broaden our footprint. I’m not exactly sure what to ask them when I call, but I’m calling anyways, and we will figure it out as we go!
3. KEEP QUILTING. Share projects and fabric pulls, create and tackle new patterns, and engage more quilters. Finish quilts and projects so that we can sell them to raise funds to do more of the above.

Well, friends, #1 is just about to happen!!

This Thursday and Friday (January 16th and 17th) I will be the guest speaker at the Green Country Quilters Guild here in Tulsa.

I typed that calmly, but I’m here to tell you that I am excited, nervous, eager, fired up, and ready to go.

I’ve been giving Alzheimer’s education speeches on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter for a few years, and I’ve even had a couple of opportunities to speak to groups about my quilting, but this feels different. It feels really, really awesome!

Did I mention that I’m elated?

If you’re in the Tulsa area Thursday evening or Friday morning, guests are always welcome to visit the Green Country Quilt Guild meetings, and I’d love to see you there! I’ll also be with the McKinney Quilters Guild (McKinney, TX) on January 21st and the Lone Star Heritage Quilt Guild (Sulphur Springs, TX) on January 27th. Again, I’d love to meet you there, tell you about my quest to end Alzheimer’s disease, and show you my most favorite quilt projects.

I’m off to proofread my slideshow one more time…have a terrific Tuesday!

With love and hugs,

Ashli