[QUOTE=copycat;7903506]yes, you sew both front and back corners closed. Tie and bury threads. If you are quilting, try not to do a lot of overstitching. Tie and bury threads at beginning and end, don’t back stitch.

I won Viewer's Choice at a large in state quilt show. I had some issues with construction but entered it anyway. My borders had a little wave and my binding miters were really a mess. The judges by passed it completely but the non quilting public loved it. It had lots of bright colors and a good design. Some quilters said negatives things about it but I was the one with the ribbon not them.

I entered 3 quilts in a small local Quilt Show which was a fund raiser for the local fire department in our area. I was absolutely thrilled to hear other quilters talking about and critiquing my work. It was fabulous to hear the nice compliments and it was intriguing and thought provoking to hear the "criticisms"......all good learning points for me. I didn't win a prize but I came away with a wonderful feeling of validation, inclusion and learning.

I cut my binding at 2 1/4 inches wide. I do not trim away the backing or the batting until after I sew the binding on the quilt. After it is sewn on, I trim away the backing and batting but I leave about 1/8 of an inch beyond the edge of the seam allowance. Then the binding will be full. It does look nice when its full.

very instructive to read this post which started awhile ago. I am thinking of entering a quilt show for the first time and had a lot of questions that found their answers here. I had a hard time finding information about this so I am reviving this thread in case somebody else is interested by the same thing.
thank you so much for all the valuable advices!

Thanks Helou: I agree this is hard information to come by. I decided to enter this last summer. I entered a throw that was a BOM - the first one I finished and also a lap rug which was my first blocks but second finish. Much to my surprise my lap rug won a second. There were something like 150 judged submissions. So I was tickled. I am slow - partly because I will do a seam 2 or 3 times if I need to, to get it right so it felt like validation for all my persistence.

Some categories are less competitive than others - they have fewer entries. Having a unique project that you truly enjoyed making is part of it, however, quality workmanship is also part of it.

Judges do not have to give out ribbons to anyone if no one has earned them. Sometimes you will see a category that has no first place ribbon.

Sometimes when viewing the show it's hard to determine which quilts were in the same catagory or "what was the competition to my quilt?".

At the present time, how fantastic, complicated and dense the quilting seems to make a big difference. I like the total design of the piecing and quilting. Traditional quilting doesn't excite me. Another reason I don't enter shows anymore.

I've given 2 wall hanging size quilts to businesses that in no way related to quilting. They're hung so customers definitely see them. The feedback about my quilts has been fantastic. They've also been displayed in banks and gotten fantastic feedback. Years later I still hear about them. This is the feedback I like, the general public was blessed by viewing my quilts.

I've entered quilts in county fairs, quilt shop shows, guild shows, and national shows. I've also entered quilting magazine and manufacturer contests.

The most important thing is to follow the instructions to the letter. Make sure you do your best to give the judges no reason to disqualify you or dismiss your work out of hand.

Design and color are important. You need the "Wow factor." It is huge to stand out in a positive way and to be original.

Technique is tremendously important. Everything has to be perfect to win a contest or a big show. The judges tend to be very picky, and if the competition is fierce you don't want to lose a ribbon because you missed a few un-trimmed threads.

I've won a Best of Show, a Judge's Choice, and a First Place in a national show. These were juried shows where you had to submit slides. The photography has to be good to have a chance to even get in.

Once you're accepted it depends on the judges and the competition. The one good thing about juried shows is that you know you have a chance going in.

Contests are a different thing altogether. Not only do you have to be original with perfect technique you also have to keep in mind the reason for the contest. A fabric manufacturer is expecting your submission to help them sell their fabrics. If they are promoting a particular line make sure you use that fabric, even if they don't say you have to. If your piece can make buyers want that fabric, you've got a great chance to win.

It's the same with magazine contests. One thing I would recommend is that if you have to send in your piece, make sure you present it well. I won the Mojo Doll contest for Quilters Home by sending my doll in custom packaging. It made it stand out.

I think competing isn't for everyone because it's such a crap shoot. If you go in expecting to win, odds are you'll be disappointed. However, if you want to test yourself and your skills it's worth doing even if you don't win. I had a lot of disappointments but I kept moving forward.

I don't compete anymore because I prefer to enjoy making quilts instead of focusing on making winners. It's stressful and not as fulfilling as I thought it would be. I thought that getting a Best of Show would change my life, it didn't.