The champion quilt at our county fair was done on a home machine and all stitched in the ditch. It won because everything the quilter did on that quilt was with precision. Don't be discouraged. I've also seen hand-quilted quilts take top honors. Sometimes it's what you can do with what you have. I enter fairs to get feedback and see what I'm doing right and what I need to work on. It's less about the ribbon for me...although a blue ribbon does feel good.
