Book Review: Twelve by Twelve
December 18th, 2011 by Morna
Twelve by Twelve
Deborah Boschert et al
Lark Books; $22.95
What happens when 12 international quilt artists challenge each other to create a 12- x 12-inch quilt every two months for two years based on a specific theme? You get a lot more than 144 quilts. I was really entranced by this book and its personality. It is so much more than covering a challenge project. Each of the 12 chapters covers one of the challenges, the theme of which was suggested by one artist. Themes ranged from Dandelion to Mathematics to Twelve. The chapters feature a full-page sized quilt by one of the 12 members (the theme suggester) along with that artist’s narrative about how she approaches her work, where she finds her inspiration, and her journey in the art. We also get a glimpse into her studio. Each chapter includes smaller photos of the other 11 artists work on that particular theme with an artist’s statement about her work. Each artist additionally contributes a sidebar to her chapter. Topics included Finding Inspiration Online, Demystifying the Thermofax, Creating Time and Space for Art and Twelve Reasons to Blog. The twelve artists are diverse in age, locale, and style, and their unique personalities shine in this book. It was a treat to learn more about these artists and I came away richer for knowing them and the community they created. If you are looking for a holiday gift for yourself, or someone else, I’d put this high on the list.
Look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.
Brenda Gael Smith, one of the "Twelves" said:
Thank you for your kind review. We are thrilled to be able to share the Twelve by Twelve International Art Quilt Challenge in the form of a book. Also, all 144 art quilts featured in the book along with 144 works in our Colorplay series will be on exhibition at International Quilt Festival in 2012:
– International Quilt Festival, Cincinnati 13-15 April 2012
– International Quilt Festival, Long Beach 27-29 July 2012
Morna said:
Brenda, you are most welcome. I’ll definitely look for the exhibit at Quilt Market this fall. One thing I didn’t mention is that your challenge so makes me want to be a part of a similar challenge.