Hi Leslie! What a good question! I've wondered too how AAQI selects their 27 for the auctions, but I'm sure the first criteria met must be appeal! If it's not appealing, it won't cut it. They may even have 5 or 6 categories that must be met first to be selected such as (1) overall design and appeal (2) precision (3) color (4) construction and (5) originality. That's just a guess, but in watching this judge at the IQF @ Houston go through the process of selecting the 25 finalists, I was shocked how it was done! The judge is in a room at a distance with 3 ladies who remove the quilts from the stack on the table one at a time as the judge gives her yay or nay. She takes a glance and in 3 seconds or less gives a yay or nay!! The recipients then get a letter from them saying their quilt has been chosen for the competition. The real examination of the quilt stitches, etc. is done on their arrival and not beforehand! They explained there are just too many quilts to spend any more time than a few seconds on each one! So in answer to your question, I would say it's APPEAL!! The judge also replied when asked how she determines her yays and nays, she said 'if the quilt makes me want to look at it again, it gets a yay!' Well, I couldn't believe the 2 contestants who didn't make it in the competition (among the many others)! Their work was outstanding and so precisely done, but when I thought about it, I could see how I wouldn't have wanted their art work hanging on my wall either. Caryl Bryer Fallert won the competition and rightly so! Her precision is incredible! She glues everything in place so it doesn't move when working on a juried piece! She works from her light box entirely for the precision. Then again, you wouldn't believe her collection of fabrics, her studio, etc., etc. So there you have it! Overall appeal wins out above all others!
