Afraid to Enter Shows
 

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?

I haven't put anything in a show but what scares me is how sometimes quilts are stolen from shows!

Wow, I was thinking about putting my "first" quilt in our local county fair, for the fun of it. I didn't know quilts were taken / stolen from shows. That is pretty discouraging. After all this is my first and I want to keep it. Guess I should rethink the fair. Thanks for the info.

always read through the policies/rules/requirments for the show you would like to enter- find out how they keep the quilts (safe)...once you know how things are handled that should ease some of your anxiety.
many shows have separate catagories for hand and machine quilted, hand pieced, hand appliqued...there are many catagories- you may not have noticed...being 'self-taught' shouldn't have anything to do with it---more quilters are 'self-taught' than professionally taught--only a handful may have gone to college and majored in some sort of textile field...we all learn from each other- books- and alot of trial & error...so that's just searching for an excuse....and it doesnt' matter if you win anything or not---if you enter your projects to be judged you will receive wonderful knowledge...the judges write up a 'summary' of your quilt and the 'critique' can be a great learning tool...letting you know the great things about your quilt and the things that need some work- constructive criticism is a good thing- you can learn where you could improve & what you are doing right....sometimes you learn something totally new you had no idea was a step to take....so, stop feeling 'not good enough' and enter a quilt...you may find it is a very positive experience...and you will learn from the experience.

Can't help you there because I don't trust the county or state fairs either which is kind of silly since the craft displays are the main thing I go to see. If everyone was a worry wart, there would be no displays. You've already gotten some great advice, so all you have to do is give your inner scardy-cat a little push and stand proudly by your work.

You could always have your quilts 'chipped' so you can find them or trace them. That is probably too pricey though for most of us.

As for security, know the venue. Yes county and state fairs may not have the best security but if they hang the quilts high enough they will be OK. Me, I'd want to be there when they were hung and taken down.

Self taught isn't necessarily a negative thing. You may well have stepped out of your 'box' quicker than others.

Usually guild shows are much more sensitive to this issue as they have the white glove quilters to even keep visitors from handling the quilts.

I enter shows all the time. Not big shows but all nearby shows. I never felt fear or anxiety about it. It's fun to see my quilts hung for display. They are not perfect but that doesn't bother me. I won Viewer's Choice at one of the bigger local shows with a quilt that had wavy borders and uneven binding. The voters just loved my colors and pattern. My quilts are not the be all end all. They can be touched, handled, folded, and even touch the floor. Lose your anxiety and give happy surprises a chance.

What a lovely way to think about your quilts and that you are so willing to share, if not for people like you all quilt shows would have little to "show"

I've put 3 quilts in county fairs - 2 serious entries, 1 was a "Your Very First Quilt" and some of them (including mine) were atrocious indeed. Only 2 different counties, so my experience isn't that wide. Never EVER had a critique given, and that was the main reason I'd put the 2 serious entries IN! It was highly frustrating to me, because I'd seen really gorgeous quilts in both fairs, both beautiful patterns and fabric, and beautiful work, and I wanted a critique by the people judging them all... Nope, none. They critiqued my daughters chocolate chip cookies, but not my quilts! Mad Mommy.....

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.

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.

[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!

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

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.

Locator Chips :)

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.

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.