Originally Posted by
cindi
Sometimes I think this might be a good thing, although I wouldn’t know what to call it as I think there’s a huge section of the quilting population that would fall between “beginner” and “advanced” that wouldn’t know which category to enter.
There is one person who enters 1-2 quilts in each of several divisions in our fair every year. She is extremely talented and her quilts are beautiful (predominately appliqué). They truly belong in major shows, they’re that good. She has won Best of Show on several occasions and typically wins 4-6 first and/or second place ribbons every year. I’ve given up entering in the fair because I know if she enters, she’s the one who will take the majority of the ribbons. Don’t get me wrong, she absolutely deserves them. I feel that I have no chance at all if she enters because her quilts are so exceptional, so I’ve given up on entering anymore. I am far from a beginner and consider myself fairly advanced, but I may never in my lifetime be as advanced as she is.
I agree. But to me if a quilt (blanket) can't be used as quilts were intended, it should be in another category of it's own, maybe in the Arts section, not quilting. Around here the only ones that win anything anymore are the art quilts. So now we are getting fewer real quilts every year. This year the fair was literally begging for quilts, with little results. Like you say,"Why Bother" as traditional quilters never win. I'm not in favor of any "Participation" anything. Either you win or you don't. We have on guild with almost 300 members, and two other guilds within 20 miles of the fairgrounds. Plus tons of guilds in cities/towns very close and do enter as well. Yet because of the failure of the Fair Board to separate, and judging, they are just not getting entries. I expect the "quilt"section to be eliminated in a couple of years at the rate they are going. About 10 yrs ago they filled an entire bldg, now, barely 1/4 of that same bldg.