needles3thread

The reason I buy quilt pattern magazines is to use them to make a quilt.
Rules & regulations of showing them are getting so strict, it's scary to me.

BarbaraSue

My guild just finished their quilt show this past weekend. It was the first time with this guild that I participated in the show. From the discussion on this thread I now understand the reason for the restrictions of quilts eligible and for the process in showing a quilt.
But I have to say that in looking at quilts in our show, I could sometimes see who the maker was by the design or quality of the work in the quilt.
In some respect, I think you will always have somewhat of a popularity contest in a quilt show be it a popular design, popular technique or embellishment, or popular fabrics. Just my opinion.

glenda5253

Very good point Rose Marie. I must say this thread has been a real eye opener. There are so many facets that go into judging that have never occurred to me. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful input!

CorgiNole

I fall somewhere in the middle in the attribution game.

I do believe that the long-arm quilter, or whomever has been paid to quilt the quilt if that was done, needs to be recognized. As can be read in countless posts, there are many varieties in skill level of quilters, and the quilter can make a huge artistic difference to the pieced top.

I'm not as set on if a person is paid to bind a quilt that they become part of the "group" though in a technical sense, I suppose that makes sense. However, I think it takes less skill to sew a binding on correctly than it does to FMQ a large quilt top, so I'm less concerned about that.

As to sharing prize money. I think that should be spelled out in the "purchase" agreement when a quilt is sent off to be quilted - and I lean towards, if I pay you to quilt my top, then I'm not sharing prize money as I've already paid you. If, on the other hand, the quilt is done collaboratively and no money changes hands prior to it being entered, then sharing the prize money is the right thing to do.

I don't have a problem with quilts being shared online as they are being constructed. However, if a show's rules state that the quilt should not have been shown before, then it needs to be honored as such. I do blog about my works in progress (though hockey season ate this quilter's free time, so I have neither quilted nor blogged much recently).

Cheers, K

carolynjo

Wow! You have certainly given us a lot to think about!

JoanneS

Thanks Jacqi, for starting this thread - which has turned out to be one of the most interesting I've read lately. Lots of great thoughful contributions. Thanks Holice for giving us the Judge's side of the story.

I entered quilts in a show long ago, and I learned a lot from the judges' comments. I have not entered my quilts in shows since then - but mainly because I'm never organized enough in time. I've noticed that the BIG shows do have separate pro and amateur categories. This is less true of smaller shows. A well known previous BIG show winner took best of show at the Tucson quilt show a year or 2 ago, and I felt sort of cheated. I'm glad that the Tucson show is being noticed enough that major players are entering, but I wish they would make NEW quilts to enter instead of recycling ones that have already won a prize! I'm not a member of the local guild, so I don't know if they have changed the rules - this year's winners did not appear to have won previous shows.

I agree with all who have pointed out that it's the RULES that are 'at fault' not the quilters - for the most part. Of course, a few people may choose to bend the rules, and that's sad.

So, I'll continue to enjoy myself at quilt shows, often wondering why THIS quilt or THAT quilt won when another that appeals more to me didn't. The best of show winners usually take my breath away!

seamstome

These rules are what keep me from entering anything into a show. When I go, you can tell the professionally computerized LA'd quilts from the rest. I use a LA'er and I know that it is her work that makes my piecing pop.

Times they are a-changing and we need to change with them. LA'ers are here to stay but they should be acknowledged as part of the process.

mom-6

I've never entered a quilt in a show, but over the years various family members as well as myself have entered other things in our local county fair.
I definitely agree that the categories can definitely be problematic. One year I entered a counted cross stitch that I had put many hours of thought and struggle into combining elements of two different patterns into a single fairly large picture. The category was won by a small kit entry. I did not begrudge her the win as it was very well done, but would have liked to have been competing with others who had at least partially done their own designing. However in a small show that doesn't happen...most likely mine would have been the only one in the category, so no competition possible.
What was ironic was that same year I had purely by chance had an amarylis that I got on clearance after Christmas burst into bloom at just the right time to win best in show in the houseplant category! Go figure...no skill or anything went into that one.
And I know that personal preference is not going to go away in judging, particularly in the art categories. My best friend and I have observed for years that if it is not a particular style or subject matter then that piece of art work won't stand a chance at our county fair. And it's not even always the same people doing the judging.

LyndaOH

Our local quilt show, which includes about 400 quilts, has had a "masters" category for the last few years. If you are nationally known or published that's the only category you can compete in. There's also a challenge category which a lot of our local quilters enter. I always enter that category because I love seeing what others do with the same fabrics and theme. I've learned something each year I've entered.

JustAbitCrazy

Lots of different categories, with each quilt having a very specific category to be in, is obviously the best way to handle a quilt show. And usually there are many categories in the large shows. The problem occurs on a smaller, local level. In a small quilt show there just aren't enough entrants to have a multitude of categories. You'd end up with very few quilts in each category, and it could happen that there were only four quilts in one category. Then in that category everyone would be a winner with one poor soul singled out as "not a winner". Bad, bad, bad. Can't have that. Much as we'd like it to be, it's just not a perfect world, even for us quilters. (sigh)