These Beadweavers Really Have Hearts!

Last year Susan Clinkscales read about the Bead and Button show and their auction to help fight breast cancer and came across Jeanette Shanigan's website and her beaded quilts. Jeanette asks beaders around the world to donate individual beaded squares based on a theme. She then sews the squares together to make gorgeous quilts, mounts them in shadow boxes and donates them to be auctioned at the Bead & Button show. In 2008, these quilts raised nearly $4,400 for breast cancer research.

Being a member of the Etsy BeadWeaver's team (EBW), Susan knew there was a lot of talent in the EBW group so she asked the members if they would like to make squares to be included in Jeanette's quilts. Susan collected all of the squares and submitted them at one time in hopes that they would all be included in one quilt. Fifteen EBW members stepped up and created 35 squares to be included in a 2009 quilt. The theme for 2009 is "Bead artists have the heart to take on breast cancer" and the EBW contributors did a magnificent job representing the theme.

Below is a mosaic Susan created of all of the EBW squares. This is not the actual quilt, only a digital version using photos she took of each square. Please visit the Bead & Button Show website to find out more information about the auctions, which will be held June 6, 2009. Below the mosaic is a list of contributors. Click on their name and you can visit their Etsy shops.


First row (l to r): Susan Clinkscales, Eddy Downing, Eddy Downing, JoJo Curley, Swanee Hielscher
2nd row: Swanee Hielscher, Swanee Hielscher, Swanee Hielscher, Linda Davis, Smadar Grossman

3rd row: Smadar Grossman, Smadar Grossman, Smadar Grossman, Lisa Savoy, Lisa Savoy

4th row: Lisa Savoy, Jama Watts, Jama Watts, Jama Watts, Kerrie Slade
5th row: Kerrie Slade, Kerrie Slade, Kerrie Slade, Victoria Thompson, Victoria Thompson
6th row: Victoria Thompson, Kim Shaver, Dawn Nelson, Melody Murray, Melody Murray
7th row: Ileana Munteanu, Ginny Bracht, Ginny Bracht, Ginny Bracht, Ginny Bracht

These beadweavers really have hearts! Don't you agree? I wasn't able to participate this past year, but I'm looking forward to next year and I hope you will join in the fun too.