Quilt Show Judging
Most of my quilts are for charity, and I am by no means an expert quilter. I have entered quilts in local fairs and other small shows. Although the difficulty level of my quilts is low, I try to do a good job on the quilts that I enter. I find that when I think I might enter something in a show, I try harder to do meet high standards, and it develops my skills.
I once attended a guild workshop taught by a certified quilt judge, and it was very helpful in revealing what the judging standards are and learning about the behind-the-scenes judging process.
I enter shows for 2 reasons: to get a critique, and to share my quilt with others. I enjoy seeing other quilts, and I think that my quilts will contribute to the enjoyment of both quilters and non-quilters. If I keep those reasons forefront in my mind, then I am not disappointed about the outcome of the judging or the "fairness" of the judges.
A footnote: some shows have awards given by non-judges, such as "peoples choice" or "sponsors choice". It is always interesting to see which quilts are chosen for those awards, since they represent what ordinary people think is a great quilt.