Notice how many emphasize the binding? Yup, it's that important to winning. "Wow" factor: very large, high value contrast, complicated piecing, beautiful/unusual quilting, balanced piecing and quilting. Something out of the ordinary: if the common color combination is pink/blue, do something different. If the current pattern is stack n whack, have an unusual arrangement or do a different pattern
The "wow" factor will get you're quilt into the final cut. Then it's mostly about technique. If any of the techniques are poor it could still get thrown out.
My quilt designs are art quilting. My passion is the design, not the technique. I use any technique that'll get the quilt made. My techniques are very good. But once the designing is complete (the binding), I just push my way to the end. I don't enter competitions anymore. Back before art, I did win 1/2/3 places.
I think it takes a detail perfectionist (and that's not me) to consistently win. OK, prove me wrong.......
Last edited by petthefabric; 09-09-2017 at 08:15 PM.