Originally Posted by
ManiacQuilter2
I think it is dumb, because a quilt top isn't finished until it is made into a quilt.
Most fairs also have categories for judging other items which are not completely in their finished state. For instance, young livestock which are not yet full grown or market-ready, or judging livestock on-the-hoof for a market class, or eggs or certain produce which are typically judged raw, but cooked before being eaten.
As others have pointed out, entering the top only allows the judge to review the back of the quilt top. The quality of seams as seen from the back is important to the overall quality of the finished quilt.
Therefore, a top-only class makes sense to me.