Originally Posted by Eddie
It was a judged show, and the quilts were all excellent, there were no slouchy ones in it. I was wondering is a show quilt would for some reason have a white backing as opposed to a utility one that would be used everyday having a coordinating backing.
Not at all an expert on this, or anything else, but I have friends who quilt for competition and have had the opportunity to hear some of the judging criteria, etc. The quilting should be visible...every stitch makes a difference to some judges. When they flip the quilt, it is to see the quilting. There should be no shadowing visible from the back to the front...and since handquilters are using thin batts much of the time if there is any light/white on front, there needs to be light/white behind the batt. White is not a no-no for a quilt that will rarely be anywhere except on a judging table, hanging in a show, packed for transport or storage. There's also no chance of using a color or print that the judge might have a slant toward/against if you opt white/light. Quilting on the front is all about making the most of the pattern...quilting on the back is all about the quilting...it takes the spotlight there and should not have to compete with a print. Think wholecloth and how you've wondered why someone left so much open space...to the detriment of balance. More and more the trend is back to the plain white/light backs for competition...seems its about winning favor of judges by making their work easier. Oh, not all entries will be in the hunt for ribbons...they're beautiful, and well made and hang square...but they are just rarely lucky enough to overcome what the "professional amateur competitor" has done because the goals were different from the start. I love to see them all...and thank God there's usually a Viewer's Choice ballot for those of us in the real world to vote for... and it doesn't often turn out to be the Best in Show winner. Don't you just love walking amongst all those quilts...it's just wonderful!