THANK YOU FOR VISITING THE BEAD-IT-FORWARD AUCTION SITE!

Over 1200 squares were donated from all over the world for the 2015 animal theme.  The value of each item in this auction has been marked "priceless" because each square is individually hand-woven or stitched and each square can take anywhere from 30-90 minutes to create.  Every square is a labor of love, with every beader having their own reason for contributing.  

All 2015 Bead-It-Forward items will be sent with a certificate noting where each beaded square was made. All proceeds from the 2015 Bead-It-Forward auction will be donated to The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden in Harvard, Massachusetts, and Rays of Hope Breast Cancer Research Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

A special thank you to Knit One, Quilt Two in West Boylston, MA for organizing and donating blank quilts for the 2015 Bead-It-Forward quilts! 

Interested in seeing some of the quilts in person?  Visit one (or all!) of the participating stores in the NH Bead Bop taking place September 23 - September 26, where some of the Bead-It-Forward products will be on display!  Visit www.nhbeadbop.com for more information on NH Bead Bop! 

Please visit Bead-It-Forward.com for more information about Bead-It-Forward!

The Bead-It-Forward story

In 1985, beader Jeanette Shannigan of Alaska lost her mother to a 15-year battle with breast cancer. Naturally, Jeanette wanted to do something to honor her mother’s memory and further the search for a cure.

In 2005, Jeanette called for stitchers to donate squares of beadwork based on a specific theme, and 24 beaders answered the call. Jeanette then worked the squares into a quilt, which sold in an online auction held by Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer.

She did it again in 2006, this time enlisting 31 beaders for the squares. Building off her relationship with Bead&Button magazine, the quilts were auctioned at the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, Wis. All proceeds went directly to breast cancer research.

From there, Jeanette’s endeavor became known as the Bead-It-Forward project, and it quickly morphed into an international phenomenon. Just two years after its humble start, the 2007 Bead-It-Forward project brought in 374 squares from around the world. Each year, that number grew. As the squares poured in, Jeanette transformed them into quilts, which continued to be auctioned at the annual Bead&Button Show.

By 2011, the Bead-It-Forward project had grown so large that Jeanette turned it over to Bead&Button magazine. Under its new management, the 2012 Bead-It-Forward project brought in 900+ squares, which the Bead&Button staff assembled into quilts, shadowboxes, ornaments, cards, and other items. All were auctioned at the Bead&Button Show to further breast cancer research.

After three years of Bead&Button hosting the Bead-It-Forward project, the number of squares donated annually was approaching 2,000. It was time for the project to find a new home with more dedicated hands. That’s the home you’ve found here at www.bead-it-forward.com, under the direction of Amy Severino.

Each chapter of the Bead-It-Forward story evolves the project in new and exciting ways, but the goal is always the same—to rally our gifts as beaders to benefit breast cancer research, treatment, and ultimately a cure.

The beneficiaries of the 2014/2015 Bead-It-Forward cycle are: The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden and Rays of Hope Breast Cancer Research Center.

Past & present Bead-It-Forward themes

2007 – Butterflies

2008 – Roses

2009 – Hearts

2010 – Turtles

2011 – Hands

2012 – Birds: Flocking together to find a cure

2013 – Flowers: Stitching to find a bloomin’ cure

2014 – Ocean: Turn the tide on breast cancer

2015 – Animals: Wild about finding a cure

2016 – Space: Somewhere out there, there's a cure