Some evolution may be a good thing but I think the direction I have seen quilt shows going is doing more harm then good to our art. i usually walk out of quilt shows feeling, "Why even try". And I know I am not the only one. But that is my opinion.

I think it all comes down to what the end use is for the quilted article you are making. A drag around quilt for a toddler that will be washed every few days is just not in the same category as that heavily quilted art quilt for the National Juried Show. In my opinion quilts that are heavily quilted which does make them much stiffer have moved themselves into the art category and should never be judged in the same class as quilts that will be used for warmth and comfort. That's what's so great about quilting - there are so many possibilities.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I can only speak for the UK, French and Dutch shows I have been to where every level and field seemed to be represented - traditional to art quilts. Many even had a category for children. I always come away feeling intimidated by some, yes, but on the whole, inspired. :-D

Are those of you who so strongly dislike heavy quilting wanting to enter quilts in competition, and feeling that the judges are slanted away from your less dense quilting?

Or are you hobbyists who have very strong tastes and just don't like the way other people are making their quilts?

To me, it's completely irrelevant what other people choose to do in their hobby. Their quilts are in their homes, in their washing machines or on their beds or walls, so they can do whatever they want. I'll make mine however I want (which by the way is pretty densely quilted, because I like that look).

But if it's an issue of feeling that competitions are skewed toward the long arm / heavy quilting crowd, then it seems to me that the obvious response is to get more involved in the structure of quilt showing and judging, and make sure your aesthetic gets a fair representation in competitions.

RST

That's because hand quilters don't live long enough to overdo their quilting. It takes us so long to finish. :)

As someone who used poly thread years ago instead of cotton because I simply did not know better. I had LOTS of poly cone thread purchased when a store went out of business.
I can attest to the fact that it DID cut the fabric in time. These were "using " quilts that were on the beds and machine washed. It cut the fabric in the seams as well as on top where I machine quilted.

Well said. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: if the only quilts entered into shows are heavily quilted, then of course it looks like judges favor heavily quilted items.

It is my feeling that judges are looking for well designed, well made quilts. Dense quilting doesn't mean that it fulfills these criteria. More doesn't mean better, and it's up to the individual quilter what the definition of "best" is.

PS What I DO find irritating is those 'artisits' who seem to have leapt on quilting as a 'new' medium to express themselves but who don't bother to learn the techniques and skills necessary in our craft. In one exhibition I went to (in Holland) there was a section of so called 'art quilts' but the technical expertise was appalling. By all means, make quilting an art form (I dabble myself and really love it) but learn the tools of the trade first. Sorry, bit off topic. :? :D

Goodness.....breathe in....breathe out... http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...stirthepot.gif

I made a quilt for my first GD last spring and sent it to my LA and she's done so many for me that she knows what I like--meanandering, but not too close. Well, she must have forgotten or something because when I got it home the stitching was so close together I couldn't even tell what the pattern was. IMO the quilt was ruined. I ended up donating that quilt and making another one.