the one thing you need to remember is, it is always up to the judges opinion. Each judge is different and one may like one thing and another judge may like something else. I have a quilt that has been in 5 shows and won 3 ribbons. One was for 1st place in category, best machine quilting, and honorable mention. the last 2 shows it was in, nothing. but the really amazing part was one show the judge commented on how my quilting needed much improvement. Then the very next show, I won best machine quilting. :shock:
So at the end of the day, it all comes down to someone's opinion. so keep that in mind and enjoy the quilt shows. It can be very fun, but very frustating if you have high hopes. You never know when yours will be the "one"!