A call to action Quilt square project information

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Please everyone, send in your quilt square to the address below!! All you

have to do is dig up a plain old piece of fabric 12.5 x 12.5 and do

something as simple as putting your child's hand or foot prints on the

fabric with fabric paint; simply get a fabric pen and write your childs name

and state and a few inspiring words about your child; get some fabric glue

and glue some beads or sew some sequins on it........ anything!! it is so

simple! You don't even have to sew!! Just go to WalMart, get a small

piece of material, slap something on it, and mail it in! We need this

awareness quilt to be huge!!

PLEASE take a moment to participate in this project......... photo

transfer, picture transfer........

Thank you all! The deadline for squares to be turned in is March 1st so

that has time to assemble all the pieces into the finished product to

bring to the rally April 8, 2000.

If your child goes to a school with other autistic children, bring it up

with the teachers as a class project so we can collect multiple squares at

once!!

Thank you!

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A call to action...........

Autism can no longer be viewed solely as a brain disorder without hope for

medical treatment. Mounting evidence that autism has biological

determinants

across body systems (brain, intestinal, endocrine and immune) has prompted

the search for new treatment directions. In order to promote research in

these directions, we must first educate others about the prevalence of

autism. As a community, we must speak loudly about the rising incidence of

autism and the need to scrutinize our environment for cause. We must

inform, even as we ask for reform in vaccination policy, and demand that the

medical community work towards finding relief for the physical symptoms of

autism.

Fabric is an effective medium in which to relay our message. Fabric art

and/or quilt art is accessible to every level of talent and ability. Quilts

handed down from one generation to the next, attest to the durability of the

medium. Because fabric carries with it the associations of warmth, memory,

and tactile comfort, quilts evoke strong feelings of connectedness and

continuity. Imagine that all of us touched by autism join together to

create

a single statement of our intent to forge a new direction for our children.

Towards this end, I invite each one of you to submit a fabric square to be

stitched together into the first ever global Autism Awareness Quilt.

Participants are encouraged to incorporate any element of embellishment

(paint, thread, beading) suitable to the fabric medium. All levels of skill

are welcome. You may choose to interpret a traditional quilt pattern or

work

your design in applique or fabric collage. Use hand or machine based

stitching as it suits your needs. The only inflexible requirement is that

the unfinished (i.e. raw edges with 1/4 in. seam allowances) quilt square

must measure 12.5 in. X 12.5 in.. Squares are to be submitted without

backing or batting as these will be added upon completion.

Consider having your child's artwork transferred to fabric. It could then

readily be incorporated into a quilt square... and you would still own the

original art. For those interested in incorporating an image of their child

in their quilt square (photo-montage), the transfer to fabric will also work

well with photographs. There are many commercial shops that do this process

but I can recommend the following:

Innovative Imprints (888) 453-9617 (www.SewNet.com/Imprints). Direct

printing from home computers to paper backed fabric is also possible but may

require a fixative spray (follow the transfer medium manufacturer's

directions).

Through this quilt, we will join hands across the world in an effort to

direct the medical treatment of autism. The final date for receipt of

squares is February 15, 2000. The Autism Awareness Quilt will be carried in

Washington, DC during the " Hear-their-Silence " March on April 8, 2000.

Address for submissions:

LeGendre

P. O. Box 359

Prides Crossing, MA 01965-0359

Autobiographical note: I have recently focused my stitching efforts on

community based quilts aimed at raising awareness and involvement. I have

previously completed quilts connected to ovarian cancer survival

(www.ovarian.org), inclusive education for special needs children, and

Landau-Kleffner syndrome (www.homestead.com/lks). I anticipate that the

Autism Awareness Quilt will be my most significant " cause " quilt to date!

LeGendre (for questions, contact: NLeGendre@...)