The group was organised by Buffy Beggs who also was the moderator for this journal quilt challenge. The Australian and New Zealand Art Quilters group has 204 members and is part of the larger on-line Southern Cross Quilters.

Thirty-six quilters entered the challenge which took twelve months to complete. Each quilter was to produce one journal quilt each month in an A4 portrait format. The quilts could be executed in two ways - either as a personal journal or a creative journal exploring different techniques. If desired, the quilt artists could combine both methods.

At the end of 2006 each of the 36 quilters were asked to select five out of their twelve completed journal quilts and to write something about each one. The resulting exhibition of 180 quilts has travelled to Melbourne, Townsville, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Adelaide. And over the weekend of November 24 -25, visitors to the Quilt Event will have the pleasure of viewing this fabulous exhibition.

This year, in addition to the 180 journal quilts from Australia and New Zealand, guest quilt exhibitions will travel from Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Victoria (the "Zigzag' group). Quilts from the "Women's Words & Stitches" exhibition will also be curated as a special treat for art quilt lovers.

Contributed by Jill McLeod