2wheelwoman

As a repeat "White Glover" I was constantly asked a lot of questions about the quilt for which I had no answer, since our Guild only really listed the name of the quilt and the maker(s). When you're looking at a quilt on display, what information would you like to see, and if you're the one doing the displaying, what would you want to share? (I've only really been to our own local quilt show, and Road to CA and Long Beach, so I'm not sure how local Guilds handle this.)

Thanks for your input! 8)

quiltluvr

For me, I like "tidbits" of info, how long it took to make, pattern or original design, if so, what inspired them to make it, things specific to the fabric and quilting design.

Basically the back story and "history" of that quilt.

Do you volunteer to be a "white glover"?

BlueChicken

I'd like a wee bit more about the story behind the quilt too.... just a couple of lines, not a novel. Even if it's just a "was bored and made this" kind of story. ;-)

2wheelwoman

quiltluvr - yes, I volunteer. I have slightly 'younger' legs than many of our members, so it's easier for me to be on my feet all day.

and BlueChicken too - The "tidbits" do seem to be what the novice audience wants to know (and probably experienced quilters too). I don't want to use huge cards to document each quilt, but would rather have too much info rather than too little. How 'bout...

Name of quilt
Name of blocks or pattern
Original design or from a pattern
Name of piecer
Name of quilter (if different)
Hand or machine done
Approximate number of hours/days in it
Inspiration for it
Destination of it (sell, gift, keep, donate, etc)
Anything "unique" about it

Anything else you'd like to see? Is anything else typically included? Anything above you wouldn't want to share about your own quilt? It seems that the time spent on it is a touchy subject, but one of the most often asked questions.

ghostrider

If machine quilted, whether it was done by domestic, mid-arm or long-arm machine.
Whether it was made as part of a class the guild sponsored and, if so, do they plan to offer it again sometime in the future.
If the maker sells quilts, pre-made or custom made.

Doesn't your guild have a book they hand out to people when they pay their admission? Our local guilds do that and it is great. They fund it with a few ads in the very back. There's a short paragraph giving the backstory on all of the quilts in the show, along with the quilt number, name and maker. They are grouped by category (mostly size, but also some special ones) and there are codes at the end of each paragraph for things relating to its construction (hand pieced, paper-pieced, machine embroidered, etc). There is also all the information about the guild itself, making it very easy for interested attendees to join the guild.

Edit:
There are several things on your list I would not care to share about my quilts, and several things that should already be on the quilt label and/or the show label for each quilt.

2wheelwoman

Ghostrider - good suggestions on the additional topics. And we do have a program that we hand out, though it never had this type of info. We have used a 3x5 card pinned to the quilt to describe it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of putting a lot of the info into the program. We have visitors vote on different categories of quilts - art, traditional, etc., but the folks never know which really are in which category, and this would resolve that issue too. A LOT of the White Glove answers could be readily available to the visitors and they wouldn't have to wait to ask me for something I don't know. Everybody wins. So simple, yet we've never done it this way. I'm going to bring it up at the next planning meeting!

ghostrider

I can PM you with complete details if you like.

2wheelwoman

That would be great. I can print it out and take it to the planning meeting for consideration.

littlehud

My favorite thing at the Omaha quilt show (other than the quilts themselves) was the background about making and inspiration for their quilts.

Boston1954

I not only want to know who made it the name they gave it, but why they made it. When. Who is for (if they are giving it away) I want as much info as I can get.