JustAbitCrazy

Find out first what security measures they are taking. When my guild has a show, we have a few members "sleep over" in sleeping bags on the floor every night so the quilts are continuously guarded from the minute they are hung until the last one leaves the building. There is a receipt system in place for drop-off and pick-up of each quilt. I entered a quilt in another local guild's show and called first to question security. I found the room (in a church) is locked each day at the end of the show, so I was happy with that and trusted them with my quilt. All was well. You are wise to question security, though, because quilt thefts are on the rise. I like the suggestion to be there when the quilts are hung and taken down, because that's the most risky time.

paulswalia

Don't enter a show to win - enter for the joy of seeing your quilt handled like the piece of art that it is. But DO ask about security - it is very important. I am on the committee for a small local show and we take security very seriously. We are unable to afford the thousand plus price tag for two days of insurance so we encourage all entrants to check their homeonwer's insurance to see if they are covered. We only allow folks with a receipt to pick up quilts at the end of the show and we have had boyscouts do a sleepover for the two nights that the quilts are in the venue.

Tashana

[QUOTE=Boston1954;5973273]I'd love the recognition, but I am self taught, and I've been to a lot of shows, and the stuff that wins, it seems to me, is nearly always machine quilted. And that is not even the main reason. My sister convinced me about 3 years ago, to put a couple into a show being done by a group she is in. I worried all weekend that they would be stolen.

How do you get over your fear of public display of your work?[/QUOTE

If I understand correctly it is not the fear of exhibiting, but rather the fear of your quilt being lost that is stopping you from entering. Nothing in the world is absolute, so neither is the security of your quilt. Most major shows insure the quilts to up to $1000 without the appraisal. If you want you can have your quilt appraised and if the value is higher you can include the appraisal with your application and request higher insurance. Different shows have different limits of how far they will go in insuring the quilts while in their possession. Think of the big name quilters' work such as Sharon Schambers amazing quilts or Sherry Reynolds' America, Let it Shine quilt. They had to fold those quilts and stuff them in the box and mail them off to many shows. If you are mailing your quilt, always, ALWAYS mail it with a tracking number - USPS, UPS, FedEx all do it. Or, you can participate strictly in local shows put on by your guild in which you hand deliver you quilt at designated time and place and then pick it up after the show. I do not know if this is important to you, but every ribbon, every achievement in a competition does bring up the appraised value of your quilt. My quilts are important to me, but since I decided to go down the road of competitive quilting I accepted the fact that accidents are possible. I know that this not the equivalent, but I use to stress about putting my son on the school bus (what if he misses the bus from school, what if he takes the wrong bus, what if...) and I got over it and he is way more important than all the quilts in this world. Good luck in your endeavors and I hope to see your quilts in the shows all over the world in no time. Happy quilting!

sewincircles

Don't be afraid to show off your work! Feedback is usually meant to be constructive not critical. Have fun with it!

dunster

Occasionally quilts are lost from quilt shows, but it's a rare thing. And because it is rare, word spreads and everyone gets worried. It is wise to check into the procedures used at a show to safeguard the quilts, but ultimately you have to take a chance, as you do every day when you step into an automobile, that you and your quilt will be safe.

Teeler

Locator Chips

lfletcher

I love entering shows. I find the judge's critiques invaluable in improving my skills. There have been some instances of quilts being stolen, however, these events are few and far between. I do not have that concern. Most shows have separate categories for machine and hand quilting.

Annaquilts

Let me know what works for you. I still haven't entered anything. I am not even worried about not winning. I do also worry about a quilt being stolen and fingered. At the same time I really appreciate all those that enter and I really enjoy seeing the quilts that did not win also. They are more in my bracket and are a great inspiration and fun to look at as they are for my friends.