Any tips to consider, from the start of construction, if making a quilt to specifically enter into a quilt show?
Thanks,
Meghan

Straight bindings and I mean straight, no wobbles, even binding showing, even stitches. Consistency all through the quilt making process. Others will have more.:)

Binding is important:
make sure the batting and backing are the same size so when you turn the binding back to handstitch it down the batting fills the binding,
the binding in the corners should be square and the little fold over gets sewn down when you handstitch the binding down (don't know why this is important but I've been told quilt judges always check this).

Good for you for expanding your quilting, Good Luck, May in Jersey

I've wondered, too, what is looked at.

Read the criteria for the quilt show and make sure your quilt meets the requirements.
-good solid construction
-even, straight blocks and borders
-good binding with the edges straight and full of batting
-good miters and miters sewn shut
-even, hand quilting or machine quilted depending on category
-eye appeal, some spectacular quilts get passed up because they don't grab the judge's attention.
-most important, make the quilt for yourself
-if it doesn't win, remember to enter it in another show. Different show, different judge

There is a book called "Quilting for Show- A Practical Guide to Successful Competition Quilting" it included a DVD. The author is Karen McTavish and has a forward by Helen Squire. I bought mine on Amazon. This book seems to include everything you would need to know to compete competitively. Good luck to you. The competition quilts are always the most beautiful.

Is this a JUDGED show? OR just a 'show and tell' show? The main thing is to do your BEST, for both. Judged shows will be 'critical' ~ points, seams meeting, boarders 'flat', binding, etc, etc. A non-judged show will only have the 'quilt police' :-o show up. But they can't write you ticket! Just do you best!

No show, just a thought, which may, or may not, lead to actually entering a (judged) show somewhere in the future. I have always quilted for pleasure, my hobby, no 'quilt police', and not sure if I could actually accomplish all the necessary show requirements. Might be fun, but not sure if I could endure the pressures of attempting 'show' quality. Currently starting a new quilt, might keep the 'standards' in the back of my mind while working on it, and see where it leads.

My FMQ instructor just talked about this last week. He has entered many, many quilt shows and he said that if your binding isn't stuffed, you will fail everytime!