Lori,
From your answers I have two more questions.
In the first paragraph you said that comments (if given) may come as "Judge 1". So presumably the quilts are judges by multiple judges? I knew that there are multiple judges at a given show, but I thought each judge had an assignment of "Bed Quilts" and another "Wall Quilts" - then perhaps they all vote on the Best in Show etc. No?
In another paragraph you mention that some competitions have a reputation for certain things like traditional quilts. This would indicate that either they hire the same judge(s) year after year, OR they are giving the judges instructions as to what they want (or what is preferred). Do you know which it is, or is it both?
So far the only similarity I see between quilt shows and dog shows is that the process of choosing placements for quilts is a subjective matter given to the knowledge, preferences, and whims of the individual judge.