Squaring Up When It Counts
07-20-2020, 03:23 AM
#21
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Location: Sunny Florida
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07-20-2020, 06:18 AM
#22
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 16,278
For the local fair it depends on the judges. Most are older and set in their ways about what a quilt should look like. No matter how well made example: if the binding isn't mitered it's counted against the quilter, one beautiful machine quilted quilt loses to the not so perfect quilt that was hand quilted. I have won two Viewer's Choice in local quilt shows and the quilts were not that well made compared to the others. The colors and patterns of the the quits caught the viewer's eye. Quilt show judges are usually fair and the best quilts do win ribbons. Enter quilts and get the feedback but do not get discouraged with what anyone says about your quilt. If I listened to others when they knew I was entering the quilt that won Viewer's Choice that quilt would have been in the dog's bed. LOL. I thought to my self, I like it so why not enter. I didn't get a judge's ribbon but I got the best one!
07-20-2020, 06:38 AM
#23
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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I was thinking about this some more yesterday, and wanted to say that if I wanted to make an award winning quilt, I'd be hiring someone with much better quilting design sense and skills than I have to finish my pieced top. My typical response to my finished project is "another adequate project ruined by mediocre quilting". I think most judges would agree. I just don't get the art aspects of the quilting. I can be functional with a pattern, but I don't really enhance my tops I just put them together.
I do grade/evaluate my projects with a pretty harsh list of judging criteria with 10 points possible in certain areas. Workmanship I always expect to be sufficiently high, that's the pointy points, the matching seams, and the good solid seam allowances, cutting, all the things that go into workmanship. At this stage in my quilting career, nothing should ever get out of the house under 7-8 points even if I wasn't wearing my contacts and was practicing a new technique...
My key concern is "how closely does this match my mental image". Sometimes that is a lot closer than others. Some quilts that may be rather taste-specific and harder to love than others but come out exactly as I had thought... My "Wonky Bright" project came from a bag of thrift store scraps and from the interactions I have of a very improvisational quilter. I get a 10 out of 10 in this category for that project, even though that may not be apparent to others. (That one also got a 10 out of 10 for workmanship, it was all straight lines cutting and sewing, it was very simple.)
https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...16-621721.html
The other thing to consider is that award winning quilts can be, but very often are not, "one and done". Just like painters may make many canvasses before getting the known one, or that a fashion photographer can take hundreds/thousands of shots even for that one cover shot. I know for me, each time I make a quilt I learn ways to make that quilt better, even if it is my 20th log cabin, if I had done this or that, the end project would be better. I try to remember the improvements, but mostly I want to move on to my next project before completely perfecting the last project. Award winning quilters take the time to redo, whether that is one sub-unit piece or an entire top.
Recently I decided (because I have some Lone Star variations coming up on my to-do list) that I wanted to do some practice in setting in corners. For me that means making a donation baby quilt out of test blocks, so I put together a few LeMoyne Stars, got my practice in, and feel more confident that I will do a good job when it is for a keeper project.
I do grade/evaluate my projects with a pretty harsh list of judging criteria with 10 points possible in certain areas. Workmanship I always expect to be sufficiently high, that's the pointy points, the matching seams, and the good solid seam allowances, cutting, all the things that go into workmanship. At this stage in my quilting career, nothing should ever get out of the house under 7-8 points even if I wasn't wearing my contacts and was practicing a new technique...
My key concern is "how closely does this match my mental image". Sometimes that is a lot closer than others. Some quilts that may be rather taste-specific and harder to love than others but come out exactly as I had thought... My "Wonky Bright" project came from a bag of thrift store scraps and from the interactions I have of a very improvisational quilter. I get a 10 out of 10 in this category for that project, even though that may not be apparent to others. (That one also got a 10 out of 10 for workmanship, it was all straight lines cutting and sewing, it was very simple.)
https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...16-621721.html
The other thing to consider is that award winning quilts can be, but very often are not, "one and done". Just like painters may make many canvasses before getting the known one, or that a fashion photographer can take hundreds/thousands of shots even for that one cover shot. I know for me, each time I make a quilt I learn ways to make that quilt better, even if it is my 20th log cabin, if I had done this or that, the end project would be better. I try to remember the improvements, but mostly I want to move on to my next project before completely perfecting the last project. Award winning quilters take the time to redo, whether that is one sub-unit piece or an entire top.
Recently I decided (because I have some Lone Star variations coming up on my to-do list) that I wanted to do some practice in setting in corners. For me that means making a donation baby quilt out of test blocks, so I put together a few LeMoyne Stars, got my practice in, and feel more confident that I will do a good job when it is for a keeper project.
Last edited by Iceblossom; 07-20-2020 at 06:42 AM.
07-21-2020, 04:42 AM
#24
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
Posts: 4,952
IceBlossom, you make some good points. (Pun intended.) 
It might be good to keep a notebook on how to improve each quilting skill as you quilt along. Personally, I conveniently tend to forget my mistakes. Making donation baby quilts for practicing is a good idea. I suppose that would hold true for mug rugs, pot holders and other small, Christmas gift projects.
~ C
It might be good to keep a notebook on how to improve each quilting skill as you quilt along. Personally, I conveniently tend to forget my mistakes. Making donation baby quilts for practicing is a good idea. I suppose that would hold true for mug rugs, pot holders and other small, Christmas gift projects.~ C
07-21-2020, 04:45 AM
#25
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Location: Mendocino Coast, CA
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07-21-2020, 05:56 AM
#27
Member
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 5
I once made a hand sewn, hand quilted intricate quilt. Perfect points, etc. I got several best in show ribbons and was very proud. Then I entered it in the state quilt show. It didn't even get an honorable mention -- it was 1/2 inch out of square on one corner!!! I still entered in county fairs but never again in a state show. I make my quilts to please me
Mim
Mim
07-21-2020, 06:05 AM
#28
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Waterford Michigan
Posts: 7,241
To me squaring up as I go is one of the most important parts of making any quilt. Second only to pressing each seam as I go. I for on am challenged on making exact and straight seams so I need to press and square up each section of every block to make the perfect block I then again check the blocks to be sure each one is square before sewing them together. At the last seams I then square up the sides again to insure things are correct. I can still come off a bit and be out of square but then square things up at the end with a bit of stretching here and there..
