patricej

Just my opinion.

1. as somebody else pointed out, the quilting can change the character and appearance of a quilt completely.

the same goes for the binding. it's a tedious task and can be difficult to execute. in some cases the binding can improve or ruin the overall look of a quilt.

i would apply this principle to the design, too. if it wasn't my own design my conscience would demand that i acknowledge the designer and pattern by name.

If somebody else contributed to the finished quilt, whether paid or not, that somebody else should be given by-name credit. Since they were already paid, then I would not feel obligated to share the prize ... but i would feel obligated to share the credit.

2. it's up to the coordinators of each event to decide which quilts are and are not eligible for entry. if a quilt is eligible, the quilter should feel free to enter it - be it in 1 show or 100 shows.

3. fairness and objectivity are issues of character. if a person can be swayed by her/his knowledge/assumption of who made the quilt, that person should not be a judge. at a minimum they should recuse themselves from judging the particular quilt(s) in question.

a judge should also not feel obligated to discount any eligible quilt based on any criteria beyond eligibility requirements and technical merit. their job is hard enough to do without having to complicate things with "social expectations".