I looked up the rules for entering a judged quilt contest. The rules state the quilt entered can only be no older than the year, 2008. My quilt was finished in 2007. My question is , how do they know what year it was finished and would it be cheating if I entered? I want to add that I would never cheat to win.

If the rules say that it should have been finished in 2008, and you finished in 2007, how would that be different than if you had finished it in 1995?

You'd have to lie to enter...

They don't know. This rule is for quilts that may have been in a past show and shouldn't be re entered in a new show. If your quilt hasn't been seen publicly and it's just a few months prior to the cut off date, it's your call. No opinion either way from me.

Have you put your label on it yet? If the answer is no, then it's not finished! lolol

love your answer.............. :thumbup:

Yes, it would be cheating. Enough said.

Heck, put a label on it and call it completed. See wat happens........lol.

I personally wouldn't feel right about it.

Is there another quilt that you can enter? Just a thought.

Your quilt does not qualify for this show. Who would know? You would. Adding a label won't change anything. What if you entered and won? From what you've said, I don't think you would feel good about the win. Look at this as an excellent opportunity to make another quilt.

That said, if this is a local guild's quilt show, call them and ask if the rule is firm. Small guilds don't always think things through before writing their entry forms (don't ask me how I know this).

I really don't understand that ruling. If the quilt has never been in the show before, that should be what matters. I would just try to enter it, and answer truthfully if asked.

Wow, I would just make another one so you are within the guidelines.

Happy Quilting

Karen

if your quilt was recognized by someone who knows when you made it, i suppose you could be excluded from entering other contests. is it worth the chance?

and every time you looked at that quilt, you would feel guilty. imo

"I looked up the rules for entering a judged quilt contest. The rules state the quilt entered can only be no older than the year, 2008. My quilt was finished in 2007. " ???? Are you asking us to condone you entering a quilt that doesn't fit the rules??? I'm not sure I really understand what this posting is about ????

I guess the real question is can you live with yourself if you enter it?

I think if the rules say no earlier than 2008 then it would be cheating to enter a quilt from 2007. I couldn't morally break the rules.

You have to decide if you can live with the fact you finished it and just didn't tell them when. I think it would be wrong.

I don't think you should enter the quilt finished in 2007 when the rules say not before 2008. I think that would be cheating.

If you had to ask...you already know the answer.

I don't think it's really "cheating". I wouldn't lose sleep over it... it's a quilt you're proud of, you haven't shown before, and you want to enter it. Shrug, I would do it (and I'm the type of person who points out when I'm not charged enough at stores and asks for a correction and when someone sent me too many squares in a swap, as soon as I realized that, I got on the computer and emailed her - didn't do anything else first)

I am sorry, but rules are rules. If you won from lying wouldn't that make it less of a win?

I woudn't be able to do it. Kind of like shooting a deer the day before or after hunting season. Same thing.

You stated the quilt was finished in 07, do what you can live with.

ditto

Different shows have different rules. Rather than not follow the rules of this show, why not try to find a show you can enter? While many have date rules, many do not.


Janet

I agree. You know in your heart of hearts that is is wrong.

That's beside the point. The real question is would you cheat to enter? :shock:

I dont think it would be fair to those who follow the rules.

Margie

How would they know? Well, since fabrics are very dated that would be their first clue...if you want to enter your 2007 quilt, find a quilt contest that will accept it without the date mattering, there are lots of contests to try...without cheating

I think you answered your own question.
I wouldn't do it.


***Just my 2 cents..........I just don't understand why people (not pointing fingers at anyone) think that rules only apply to some and not to others.....

You would probably be on edge with guilt whether you won or not. Is it worth it?

Just an added note - will you post a photo of your quilt?

There used to be a $100,000 Quilt Contest. It was discontinued because it was discovered that some of the quilts had been completed prior to the date specified. It created confusion.
It just isn't ethical to enter if it doesn't meet the standards.
Bless someone with the quilt and make a new one and enter that.
CJ

Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. If it's made in 2007 it does not qualify. Even if someone never asks, it still does not quailfy - I'm going with the suggestion about calling ahead and explaining it's never been in another show - if they say no, then no is the answer...

Came across this topic and it's been an interesting read. I don't know Justok but I hope no one is judging her on her asking this question. I think it was a legitimate question, I'm sure just asked hypothetically, and raised several questions that I know I hadn't ever thought about. I am glad she asked the question and started the "conversation" because the answers have been interesting.

None of my quilts will ever make it to a judged quilt contest. But it did bring a question to mind: what if I had some fabric that I bought 2 -3 years ago, you know - one of those "I gotta have it but know what I'm going to do with it" fabrics. Now I decide I want to make a stupendous quilt that I want to enter in a contest. Are there rules as to the age of the fabric you can use? Is this something that would be in the "rules" for entering the show? I'm asking this hypothetically because I'll never make it to entering a show.

I think this has been a very interesting conversation. I have the same issue as far as the fabric goes. I don't think anyone should judge when a quilt is finished by the fabric and/or its age. I just did one with fabric I bought back in 1992 but finished 3 months ago. What about all those UFO's that everyone has. Finished means done, completed. Something that I started 20 years ago and just finished would qualify, and I don't mean putting on a label. I took this question as a hypothetical question and not one where she was trying to cheat in a quilt contest. I have asked the question myself, but stayed in the rules when it came time to enter. I have found the answers very interesting.

Well, my conscience wouldn't let me do it. Even so, they couldn't judge on dated fabric. I have some still in excellent condition that I've had in my stash for 25 years.....no kidding. I have been trying to use up the oldest in my stas, first. Sometimes it works, sometimes, it doesn't.

Maybe I misunderstood, but I think she was asking how you can tell by looking at a quilt how old it is or when it was made ? I also have fabric that is almost as old as my oldest son ( 29 years from my mom ) so you can't date by the fabric, if I just made the quilt

i would enter into a local county fair the quilts can be a few years old just never shown at that fair i enter a quilt every year at monoa county fair i do enter in quilt shows once in a while but they have tomany rules for a beginer when i enteresd my first fair it gave me a idea of what i need to do to enter quilt shows and how to improve my work because i got a commit card on my quilts
good luck entering quilt show it is a lot of fun i hope you do well i am hoping to get a grand chapion on my quilt this year

I think that the word "finished" is open for interpretation and not clearly defined. How can you possibly answer that it's morally or ethically wrong or right if each person's personal interpretation of what is "finished" or "not finished" is compeletely different from one another. The original poster has the final say as do each of you with your own personal projects, when her quilt is "finished" if the rules do not have a clear definition. For instance, I start a quilt in 2006. I reach a point where I stop working on it because my current skill level says it's done. I put it away for a few years, pull it back out because I learned a new and wonderful technique or maybe my hand quilting has improved and I want to add more quilting to the quilt. So, was it done in 2006 or 2010? if the rules are not clearly defined, then it's my call to decide and it's not a moral or ethical decision. It has nothing to do with morals or ethics or whether your decision makes you a bad person or a cheater. As an artist and the creator, if the rules are not clearly defined then you have the final say when it's finished. It's done when YOU think it's done, not a moral majority.

I agree!

Ya'll over-think things sometimes.......just an observation....don't mean to offend anyone.