quiltlady1941

Does anyone know what they look for when judging a quilt at a county fair?
Thanks

Tartan

First, read the rules carefully and put it in the right category. At our fair, workmanship gets the most points - so good construction, no points cut off, seams match up, sashing and borders are straight, binding is well done and the corner miters stitched closed. Quilting is at least every 4 inches and no loose threads.
Visual impact and colour choice get points as well. Good Luck on your entry.

Barb2018

Oh good luck and I hope you bring home a ribbon. The guidelines from Tartan sound good to me. At my county fair there are the regulars who always enter 10-15 quilts every year and always win. Nobody else stands a chance.

sandrab64

Be sure all pet hair is removed and make sure all your remotes are accounted for before you bring it to the fair. Why?....a couple years ago we opened up a large bed quilt to be judged and right there in the middle was a TV remote! The entrant had just quickly flipped up the corners of the quilt off the bed to get it to the fair and we checked it in and put it in the pile to be judged having never fully unfolded it. Her son was more than happy to hear he was going to get his remote back!

KalamaQuilts

something new at our county fair this year was the notice all entries get ribbons unless they were disqualified for some reason
At our little local fair only one person entered quilts, but there were about six.

For years I put quilts in the local one to help support the whole idea of fairs, communities without fairs now far outnumber those still holding one.
there is zero security which is why I don't put mine in anymore, I can have several hundred hours and dollars into my quilts.

bakermom

Follow guidelines for entries-you enter in the wrong class-too bad-it won't be changed. Also be aware certain judges pay more attention to specific details. I can tell when a certain judge is being used at our fair. He/she always makes comments and seems to be focused on mitered corners. Other years you get a place and no comments at all. I enter stuff every year, it's fun and helps keep the department going. No entries=that department will be eliminated or reduced.

dunster

Hilarious!

Depending on the size of the fair there may be fierce competition - or none. Tartan's and Sandra's suggestions are good. I've helped the fair judge several times, and quality of construction was the main focus. The difficulty of the piecing (or applique) would factor in when evaluating two quilts that were both well made. She occasionally checked to make sure the sides of a quilt were the same length and noted wavy borders, uneven quilting, etc.. If your quilt is quilted by someone else, make sure to give them credit on the intake form.

Onebyone

It depends on the judging. Most smaller fairs have volunteers from another county to judge. Some have never made a quilt before so go by the wow factor for top ribbons. Some have quilt police as judges so one crooked miter and it's over. I wouldn't fret about what the fair judges are looking for or how they judge. And never take their notes if any as personal. Enter and have fun seeing your quilt displayed. It is exciting for me to see one of my quilts hanging up for many to see.

ckcowl

Each fair has their own categories, judging, rules, themes, expectations. Best is to do the best job you can, good workmanship. Make sure the quilt is clean ( no pet hair, quilt marks etc) and is entered into the proper category. You can get most of the information from the ( fair book) which is generally released/ available a couple months before the fair- including the entry process, drop off and pickup requirements

Watson

Our Prize book says, "Judges will be looking for uniqueness and creativity." Perhaps your Prize Book will give you the answer. (You can only hope the judge read the Prize Book. )

I put mine in because I like to see them displayed and to support the Fair. It seems the area where the quilts and other home arts are displayed gets smaller every year. If I win a ribbon, I'm pleasantly surprised.

Watson