azwendyg

I really like the way our county fair categorizes quilts. Each size/type category has lot numbers to enter:

Made by one person-hand quilted, (everything, start to finish)
Made by more than one person-hand quilted, (where a quilt would fit if a second non-professional person did the binding for example)
Made by one person, professionally quilted,
Made by more than one person, professionally quilted.
Made by one person-machine quilted, (everything, start to finish)
Made by more than one person-machine quilted, (where a quilt would fit if a second non-professional person did the binding or quilting for example)

And they go so far as to define "professional" as someone who makes at least 10% of their income from quilting.

These categories help to keep the judging on a more "level playing field", and there are a lot more ribbons awarded than if they were all judged together. I believe this categorization allows each quilt to be judged on the skill of execution of each type of quiltmaking.

To be eligible for entry, the quilt must have been made within the past year by a resident of our county.

The only thing they do not address is whether the design is original or not. I think the "Best of Show" last year may have been a very well executed KIT even though their were MANY very good originally designed quilts there. It was a little disheartening to see a kit-type quilt win when I'd seen essentially the same quilt at the LQS, in magazines, and in catalogs for sale as a pattern and/or kit all year long.