Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Challenge [Paperback]

Brenda Gael Smith (Author), Deborah Boschert (Author), Diane Perin Hock (Author), Helen L Conway (Author), Nikki Wheeler (Author), Terri Stegmiller (Author), Terry Grant (Author), Gerrie Congdon (Author), Karen Rips (Author), Kristin La Flamme (Author), FranCoise Jamart (Author), Kirsten Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Twelve by Twelve examines the two-year-long international collaboration between twelve art quilters, during which they created a total of 144 quilts based on twelve different themes. Not only does the book showcase the quilts themselves--a feature quilt from each theme receives an in-depth chapter, written by one of the quilters--it also examines the dynamics of developing a vibrant online community of artists. The result is a very personal and unique blend of technique-based text and discussions on challenge, collaboration, and inspiration.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The TWELVE BY TWELVE group is composed of 12 art quilters, each with numerous awards, articles, and publications among them. Works from several members have been included in a variety of Lark Books, as well as Quilting Arts Magazine. They are: Brenda Gael Smith (Copacabana, NSW, Australia); Deborah Boschert (Lewisville, TX); Diane Perin Hock (Healdsburg, CA); Francoise Jamart (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium); Gerrie Congdon (Portland, OR); Helen L Conway (St. Helens, Merseyside, UK); Karen Rips (Thousand Oaks, CA); Kirsten Duncan (Townsville, QLD, Australia); Kristin La Flamme (Waipahu, HI); Nikki Wheeler (Poulsbo, WA); Terri Stegmiller (Mandan, ND); Terry Grant (Beaverton, OR).

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Lark Crafts (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600596665
• ISBN-13: 978-1600596667
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it, buy it!, March 1, 2011

By 

Reader AZ "skb2000" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Challenge (Paperback)

Wow! Ok, I have to admit that I love art quilt books. It's the eye candy that calls out to me. However, I don't always have time to really delve into a book before I buy it so what happens is that I get it home and somewhere past the first chapter I wind up flipping through the rest of it until something strikes my fancy. Many of these books wind up in the bookcase collecting dust and not looked at again because there really was nothing past the first chapter that spoke to me.
Twelve by Twelve is not like that. This is a book that has lots in it for all of us. It is the coming together of twelve artists who, over time developed a special relationship with each other and their art. This group made a commitment to create 12 pieces of art each based on 12 themes over the course of 2 years. Each piece was 12" x12" and had a deadline of 2 months. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a theme and we get to visit with the artist who chose the theme. We find out why the subject was chosen and get to see how the piece developed. We also get a real in depth interview about each artist and a "tour" of their studio's. Some are large, some are closet sized. Each other artist has a short explanation of the piece they created for that theme's challenge. There are also extra pages on some of the techniques used and other useful information. There are 144 quilts to drool over.
The Twelve artists are: Deborah Boschert, Gerrie Congdon, Helen L. Conway, Kirsten Duncan, Terry Grant, Diane Perin Grant, Francoise Jamart, Kristin La Flamme, Karen Rips, Brenda Gael Smith, Terri Stegmiller, and Nikki Wheeler. Their website/blog is [...]

Run, don't walk and pick it up. You will not regret it.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two word summary of my review: Buy It., February 27, 2011

By 

Virginia A. Spiegel - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Challenge (Paperback)

I have had the book here awhile, thanks to Lark sending a preview copy, but it has taken this long to work my way through it. That's a good thing! Twelve artists from around the world challenged each other every other month to create a 12×12" art quilt with a theme chosen by one of the members of the group.

Sure the whole group challenge thing has been done before, but what makes this group and their art stand out is the joy and camaraderie revealed in this book. Each chapter features one of the twelve artworks almost full-page sized and the artist of that artwork writes the chapter. Running along the bottom half of each page of the chapter is one of the other artworks with a short artist statement.

Either (or maybe I should say either/or) these are twelve of the best artist/writers around or they had a superlative editor in Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader. Each chapter is unique, personal, useful, engaging, and just down right interesting. I kept being distracted by the other artworks on the bottom half of the pages until I finally worked out a system.

First I went to the back of the book and read all the artists' biographies. Then I read all twelve small sidebars listed in the back. The sidebars are full of useful stuff such as Demystifying the Thermofax, On Sketchbook and Journals, and Twelve Reasons to Blog.

THEN I looked at and read about all twelve art quilts for each theme and THEN finally I read the chapter by the one featured artist straight through. That's why I gave such a hearty thumbs-up to this book; it's just full of interesting information and insight.

The chapter written by each featured artist clearly points out both the why and how of working in many different styles. Some artists looked to traditional patterns, some researched word associations, and some looked to contemporary and historical issues related to the theme for inspiration. Each chapter points out the richness and detail of the featured artwork that might have escaped our first perusal.

At first glance you might think some of the artwork is a bit traditional to be called art quilts. But it is so disarming to read the artists' own critiques of their artworks and to see how artists progressed throughout the challenges. I think Terri Stegmiller said it best, "A major benefit I have gained ... is the drive to try and push myself beyond my normal limitations."

I hear again and again that people just want how-to books. I beg to differ. I think many readers delight in insights about how fiber artists work, what their studios look like, how they came to be artists, and their joys and challenges in life and in the studio. I felt as though I came to know each of these artists through their sharing this two-year-long online collaboration.

Visit the Twelve by Twelve artists' group website at [...]and their blog at [...] for more information about the group. The twelve artists include Deborah Boschert, Gerrie Congdon, Helen L. Conway, Kirsten Duncan, Terry Grant, Diane Perin Hock (founder of the group), Francoise Jamart, Kristin La Flamme, Karen Rips, Brenda Gael Smith, Terri Stegmiller, and Nikki Wheeler.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Feast For The Eyes, March 22, 2011

By 

Marie "ZQuilts" (Friday Harbor, WA, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twelve by Twelve: The International Art Quilt Challenge (Paperback)

In my heart of hearts this is the sort of challenge I would love to be a part of! I was truly grateful when I was offered the opportunity to review this book. I know several of the artists whose work is beautifully portrayed and I applaud the wonderful job they have all done in the creation of their art and the design of this simply "must have" book.

The book, is course, about the artwork, but it is also so much more. The idea was that twelve themes were chosen and each member of this 12 person group would make a 12 inch X 12 inch interpretation of the theme. All I can say is "WoW"! Themes included things such as chocolate, community, window, passion, shelter etc. The book is arranged so that one page provides small images of all twelve quilts with more in depth information about the quilts on the pages that follow. Each chapter also includes so much more information though - about meeting each other, how they explored the theme, how they approach the design process, their creative spaces and small, significant highlights about the inspiration for their designs.

The book also includes wonderful tutorials,inspirational glimpses, method/process information as well as tips and tricks about the artist's creative tools, paints, brushes and process. I believe that this book will hold great appeal for art quilters and textile artists of course - but also for artists in general because it really highlights the creative process and will spark your own imagination providing you with creative ideas that will apply to whatever medium you choose to work in. You could follow the themes yourself and see what your interpretation would be. Explore the some of the tools and instructions and make them your own. Feast your eyes on the artwork. Sit back, relax and get your creative mojo going!

As with all Lark books, the design of this book is a knock-out. The photographing is perfection. I have to give to Lark. When they do a book- they do it right.