2012 Series on TV

During the NW Quilting Expo, our 2012 Series had a star turn on TV.  How enthusiastic is that reporter?!

20 X 12 Debuts at NW Quilt Expo

Terry and I just finished hanging the quilts at Quilt Expo. They look so beautiful and are already getting rave revues from those setting up at the venue. The show does not open until Thursday, but we are very happy to have them hanging and ready for the opening. The above photo was taken before I added the signage. You can click it to see a larger view.

On the other side are Maverick and Sweet.

Terry and I will be around some on Thursday. On Friday, we will do a floor talk at 12 noon.

2012 Series by Diane

Diane's painted Maverick work in the 2012 series, Art with a Needle and Thread , is in a sketchbook style and reflects her exploration with sketching, lettering and water colours.  You can read more about this meditative practice on Tea and Talk for Two, a trans-Atlantic blog conversation that she engages in with UK Twelve Helen.

2012 Series by Françoise

Françoise's 2012 series reflects her love of all things Japanese and she is continuing her Japanese studies in 2013: She also bought herself a loom as an early Christmas present.  See the beautiful results on Françoise's blog.

2012 series by Gerrie

Congratulations to Gerrie who has two articles in the Winter 2013 issue of Art Quilting Studio. 
 
Gerrie has made many aspen-inspired quilts, including her BrownSageBlue challenge and one of the articles showcases her aspen quilts.  The second article reviews Gerrie's creative process in Art Cloth Constructions.  There are lots of wonderful photos!

Gerrie has also been undertaking a personal 3x3 project in 2012.  It will be exciting to see what it looks like on New Year's Day!

2012 Series by Karen

Congratulations to Karen whose textile work, High Water Mark, was chosen from over 851 entries for Quilt National 2013, the eighteenth international juried competition for new innovative quilts, on display May 24 – September 2, 2013 at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio (USA).

2012 Series by Kristin

If you haven't already done so, check out Kristin's revamped website www.kristinlaflamme.com which include her Army Wives series. On her blog, Kristin has recently announced a daily self-portrait project for the next year..  Do you have something creative planned for 2013?

2012 Series by Kirsten

Kirsten is looking forward to seeing the Colourplay Series for the first time "in the cloth" at the Australasian Quilt Convention, Melbourne, Australia, 18-21 April 2013 and to sharing the collection with her local community in Townsville at Pinnacles Gallery, 29 April - 31 May 2013.

By the way, please contact us if you can help with our exhibition at Craft & Quilt Fair, Palmerston North, New Zealand 14-17 February 2013.  We are looking for someone to install the exhibit on Wednesday afternoon and take it down on Sunday so this is your chance to get up close and personal with the Twelve by Twelve work (and get a free pass to the show).

2012 Series by Terry

Terry looks forward to experimenting more with over-dyed shirtings in 2013  She is also giving a talk and slideshow presentation to two Guilds in Oregon early in the New Year:

• Mid-valley Quilt Guild in Salem, Oregon, 30 January 2013; and
• Northwest Quilters in Portland, Oregon, 11 February 2013.

2012 Series by Brenda

Working out design and technical issues in a small format builds skills for tackling larger projects. Brenda is indebted to the Twelve by Twelve project for sparking several series in her portfolio including:

Dreamlines

Desire Lines 

Shibori 

Brenda's new instructional DVD Improvising Using Stacks of Solids is now on sale with the special issue of Modern Quilts by Quilters Companion.  The magazine also includes an in-depth profile and images of some of Brenda's recent work.  Brenda is hosting a series of giveaways on her blog to celebrate.

2012 Series by Terri

Terri has a new line of stencil designs available from the Stencil Girl website and bags, art quilts and other creations for sale in Terri's Etsy Shop. You are all invited to join Terri on her new facebook page www.facebook.com/TerriStegmillerArtQuilts

2012 Series by Deborah

Throughout the 2012 Series and the entire Twelve by Twelve collaboration, Deborah has developed and refined her own personal set of  shapes, symbols and motifs using layering and collage techniques.  Deborah shares these techniques in her video workshop, Contemporary Fabric Collage: Design, Stitch and Finish which  includes chapters on fabric selection, composition, using sheer fabrics, stitching by machine and by hand, and unique finishing options. The workshop is available as a DVD and as a digital download.  Both are currently on sale (at least at the time of writing).

Twelve Times Twelve Times Twenty Times ?

Goodness!  When we started our Twelve by Twelve challenge back in the fall of 2007, we had no idea that it would bring us to where we are.  288 12-inch square quilts... 60 20x12 inch quilts... A book... Magazine articles ... Exhibits all over the world... Friends and fans who know our work and have emailed us and come up to us at shows to tell us how we've inspired them... Opportunities to lecture and teach... Challenge groups modeled after ours...  It has been an amazing 5 years.

I think all of us would say that, for all of the fun and inspiration we've experienced over this period, the best part has been the community we have formed together.  We've not just become art partners to share our creative passions, explorations and frustrations -- we've become fast friends.  Some of us haven't met in person, but we've discovered that that little fact hardly matters.  We KNOW each other, and we are well and truly bonded by this experience.

We've just concluded the five 12x20 inch challenge set.  As always, Brenda has done an amazing job of putting the images together on our website, and you can see them all together here.

After four years of working with a 12x12 inch square, I think we all enjoyed -- and were challenged by -- a different format.  Our color themed challenge set will be traveling for exhibits in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the US in 2013.  (You can see the schedule here.)

But that brings us to now, and the question we keep getting:

What next? 

Well, we're working on that.  We have decided a few things.  We do not want to do periodic challenges the way we have been.  We want to work in a larger size.  Some of us may not continue, needing to turn their creative energies to a different direction.  But many of us are dedicated to doing SOMETHING together. We just haven't yet nailed down the specifics.

So while Twelve by Twelve as you've seen us may be changing, rest assured that we don't plan on  disbanding or disappearing totally.  We're evolving.

Watch this space.  We will keep you posted.

2012 Series by Nikki

The Twelve by Twelve website has been updated* and now includes images of all of the works in our 2012 Series including the latest Sweet Challenge. The Artist Gallery pages have been updated too.  It's fun to see the art quilts of each Twelve all lined up together.

Here is an overview of Nikki's 2012 series: 
Nikki has been busier than ever this festive season and has Stocking Stuffer Art, Treasure Tea Boxes, Mixed Media Art Quilt Kits and other goodies for sale.  Check out Nikki's Etsy Shop.

* Please e-mail Brenda  if you spot any glitches or broken links on the website.