Oh! What Did I Do?
 

Genesee Valley Guilt Guild is having their quilt show the end of May. One of their members belongs to our guild and saw an applique quilt I made. She wanted me to enter it in the show but after thinking about it I decided not to. Then we got an e-mail that they only had 400 quilts to show and wanted 600. I caved in and sent in the registration form to show it. I do not want it judged. I am really waffling about showing it. I am very proud of this quilt and I am afraid if I hear a negative comment about it, it will ruin how I feel about quilting. All of the quilts at this show are so different and all so beautiful in their own way. I hope I am not asking for touble.

Awwwww......my vote ......if there is a chance you will feel bad pull the quilt from the show. Some people love to show quilts...I am not one of them, because of same reasons you are apprehensive. If you do enter let it roll off your back you did not make the quilt to compete. I can tell one thing....many people will enjoy looking at it!

I entered a quikt in our guild show. I procrastinated and ended up spending a few sleepless nights finishing "the beast". I know I washed it, I know I checked it for threads but I was a complete zombie. I have a week to wait to get judges comments. I know it is going to be disaster, but I am hoping they are going to tell me something that I do not know about my quilting, areas that I need to improve on. You do what your heart tells you, but for me, constructive criticism is welcome (most of the time :). Good luck!

The one time I entered a quilt in a show I was crushed when I got my (grade). I do quilting for me, family, and friends. They like what I do. My advice to you is, if you do enter your quilt, throw away the evaluation sheet before you read it.

If you love your quilt no negative comment should influence you! That being said I have a quilt traveling in the Quilt Inc shows In Full Bloom Exhibit! It is a Juried Exhibit!It was really hard to send that quilt off for a year. I love it and could not imagine it being lost or damaged. But I did it. I was so proud to stand by my quilt in Houston. Be proud to stand next to your quilt. Answer questions and be a Queen for a day. If someone does not like it, Let them eat cake! Enjoy the process. I have 3 more quilts going into my guild show and yes they will be judged. Luann

Our guild lets you enter a quilt in the show with an option of not having it judged. Maybe you can call the committee and ask. I did this one year because it was for someone else and I had borrowed it back for the show. Now, I wish I had it judged, hindsight you know. But please put it in, obviously someone already thought it was very nice to ask you to show it. I already know the problems so I know what to expect on the "need to work on things". You might be pleasantly surprised on what the judge has to say.

I could never dream of entering any of my quilts in a judged show, so I understand your feeling. Just wanted to add, I can't wait for the show. Last time I spent a full 2 days looking at quilts and spending money with the vendors. It is an awesome show.

Well, you can always throw away the page without reading it. Last Wednesday was the first meeting at our quilt guild after the bi-annual quilt show. Some brought their quilts and judges report to our show and tell, these were all winning quilts but judges "needed" to find something to criticize. So if you read their critique, think that is one judge's opinion about your skills and they don't always see the "purpose" you wanted to achieve.

IMHO, I know I'm not that great a quilter and usually know exactly what torture I put a quilt through to get it finished. I love to enter even my most lowly quilt and stand right in front of it and condemn it right along with everyone and they never know it is my quilt. I will also do the reverse and praise one of my better works. All anonymous of course. :D

I just can't be serious about others peoples judgements of me or my work. How do they know I'm not a one armed, one eyed paraplegic. Life is to short. (This is not saying people with any situation in their life can't accomplish great work or that it shouldn't be expected of those that work around the norm).

I would also bet that all these award winning quilts that travel around the world are made by people who see all their mistakes and can't even imagine how it could win any award. This is me choking!

have fun, you know how wonderful your quilt is to you.
peace

Best of luck with the show (and the judges). Remember that your quilt will give much enjoyment and people will be happy to have seen it. You will inspire others with what you have done.

i love going to quilt shows--i like compliments as much as anyone else--but i feel i should make an effort to send in a quilt to show--i quilt for myself not interested in making the effort needed to win a ribbon --if i here a none quilter say 'i could do that' then thats a new sister/brother to the joy of quilting--thats how i started many years ago and i love it

I like to see the judges comments. Usually it's something I already knew. I can disagree with the judge. And I can learn from them.

I also like to give other people the opportunity to see what I think is good. And I get to see what other people are doing. I like approval, but certainly don't get too upset if people "don't get it".

So let us see what you did. Learn from the comments of judges and viewers.

Please keep your quilt in, I think you'll be sorry if you don't. Everyone will love looking at it, and if you are worried about comments, don't read them. Or have a friend read them and destroy it if there is anything negative. Quiltmaking is an art and your quilt will be appreciated by those looking at it.

It is so hard to have one's work judged. I'm also waffling on putting quilts in our show - some of these ladies are so very good and it really intimidates me. I did hear of one beginner who had all of her quilts judged - she wanted to know what areas she needed to work on. Put your quilt in the show and be proud of what you accomplished!

Decide right here and now that some fool is not going to upset you. You know the value of your work. Just remind yourself.

Go ahead and enter the quilt!! You never know what will come of it and you might be pleasantly surprised. Sure, negative comments might sting but I'm sure that they would be helpful ones, not just trashing your work. I've entered in my county fair and two years in a row I won best of show. I was too late last year!! I had the wrong date on my calendar to turn the quilt in. The shock and thrill of winning was unbelievable. I didn't think I would win a thing but I was happy to enter and wanted to see my quilt hanging there.

If a teacher points out a problem your child is having in school you wouldn't love your child any less would you? One anonymous person's opinion is nothing to be concerned with. You love it and your friend thinks it is show worthy. I would trust a valued friends opinion more than a judge who looks at hundreds of quilts and may have been hungry or tired and cross eyed by the time she gets to your quilt.
Do you have a picture of your quilt? I would love to see it.

You should enter your quilt and not worry about it. I'm sure you've been to the museum and seen great works of art that you did not like and thousands of others have. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.........

About a year ago, I put 4 of the first 5 of my quilts in a local quild / judged show. I wanted to know where I needed to improve and what I was doing 'right' and I really wanted to see what kinds of things this judge looked at. One quilt won the Guild Award - I did not win any of the judge's awards even tho I did appreciate her comments and opinions. On two quilts in particular: one an OBW, had wavy borders but she mentioned not all the hundreds of points matching :) and nothing about the wavy. On another quilt, I had some rather unique quilting that put a LOT of motion into the top - and it was as perfectly square as one could get ( worked a long time on it and kept measuring, before quilting, after quilting, after binding, etc.) and the judge noted it had wavy borders. It was, IMHO, an optical illusion with the quilting on it. My point - it's only one person's opinion. They spend just a couple of minutes looking at any given quilt. I will enter some other quilts into 3, maybe 4, shows in this area this year. Not for the comments - but so I can share them with others. Yes, I'll probably read comments again and view them as constructive criticism, and I may or may not take them to heed!

Please enter it. If you were asked by another quilter to enter it, she must have thought it was show worthy. I enter quilts so that other people can say 'I could do that'. Think of the number of people who will see and love yours. Sounds like a huge show!

I will say I am jealous. My local guilds shows are not judged. And when I have entered quilts into the county fair, I have won ribbons, but there are no judges comments - good or bad.

Oh enter it you will be happy that you did. Show us your quilt.

I enter the fair and a few nearby shows, as well as our guild's unjudged show. I am not particularly skilled, and I don't have high aspirations. For me there is joy in sharing my quilts with others. I think most people like to see their work displayed and admired for what it is by the public.

The judges that judge our quilt show do not comment on the quilts that do not win. They just assign the ribbons. I do not feel that criticism is necessary when judging. We do not even get to talk to the judges. They do not know who made the quilts and they just assign 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Best of Show, Judges Choice and Honorable Mention. Many times the criticism is a personal opinion which most people differ on.

I think most of us are our own worse enimies, when it come to judging our work. We all know our own weaknesses and where we need to improve in making our quilts. When your quilt is judged in a quilt show, it should be a learning experience, and helpful to the maker. I have found that even if they do say something negative, there are always compliments too. Don't take it personally. I have entered the same quilt in different shows. In one it won Best of Catagory and in the other, nothing.

Every quilt will have something someone doesn't like, even the quilt winners will get negative feedback from others. That's just normal. Why should it bother you is the question.

Check to see if they have a display catagory for just showing not being judged. Our guild has both so if you don't want it judged it will just be displayed.

enter the quilt and if people say anything not so nice just remember they probably could not do as good as you did.

I'm a member of the GVQC and let me encourage you to enter your quilt. You don't have to have it judged. But we all like to look at what others are doing.

The first quilt I entered for judging in our guild, I won a ribbon for third place. The comments by the judges were both good and bad - but I could see where I could improve. I was glad I was judged. Their next show, I entered two quilts for judging - each received horrible comments. I thought I would never enter a quilt again. The next show comes, I entered four quilts for judging. I won three ribbons - two were blue. Most of the comments were favorable, a few were not. Again, I learned from their comments. I am realizing, make something you love, enter it and learn from the comments. Remember, what a judge may not like, the visitors at a show may love. Not for the technical aspects, but just because they love the design, the color, etc. Good luck.

I have entered 3 quilts [one per year] in our local fair. The first year , received a second place ribbon. I didn't come to listen to the judging. The next two years I went.Each quilt got a blue ribbon.
At our fair, you are able to set at the judging table[ mute] and listen to all items being judged.Yours and everybody elses.What a great learning experience this is.
Originally, I thought my quilt would be judged up against another quilter who has won 'Best of Show' like 4 times. In this fair it was not like that[ only when it came time to pick the item the judge enjoyed most].Oterwise my quilts earned the ribbon they recieved. All items recieved ribbons.Experienced quilters and all inbetween. The judge didn't know who did what and looked over produce and commented on several things;points matching, how flat the item layed, was she pressd as each seam was completed,how short were the stitches on the binding; was it wavy. This was so very interesting;and what great fun.
Don't be scared,just enjoy being able to share your love of quilting.
It takes all of us to put on a show.

I think you should be proud to show your quilt. Just having it up hanging is a huge thing- it will inspire other people.

If you don't want it judged, just throw away the judging sheets without looking at them. You don't need to read the comments!

Hurrah, I love your attitude and your comments gave me my big morning laugh. Thank you for both.

When and where is the show being held. Thanks Char

Go for the showing. Only a very few people will be there to judge it and it will bring joy to hundreds.

Perhaps your show has a 'display only' category. That way, your quilt can be in the show and not judged - just displayed. I've put several in shows - some got ribbons, some not, but I've found that even though the judges did put down what they thought were faults of your quilt (I'm betting you already know what they are), they also write down what they liked about your quilt - which is always nice to hear. It's your decision of course, but I'm willing to bet you're harder on yourself than the judges might be!

Have someone else read the judges sheet for you, and take all comments as constructive criticism! No matter what they say, you love to quilt so hopefully anything they say will just make you a better quilter!

Show it and let it be judged. A good judge will only give constructive ideas, not critisim. That's the attitude you need to have. And remember, no matter how much they try to be neutral their own taste is going to be a factor!

Sadly, there are also bad judges out there.

If you aren't interested in being 'judged'- I'd throw the sheets out without reading them. I've seen a slew of blog posts lately with downright rude remarks from judges :(

C'mon! If you hear 1 negative comment it will ruin the enjoyment you get from quilting? Really? If someone says something negative, take it with a grain of salt and move on! If the judges have comments about your quilt, you may learn something that you wouldn't have the chance to learn otherwise. Why assume this will be a negative situation. You are going into this situation assuming it will be terrible, who knows it might be positive feedback. If 1 comment has soooo much power over you, how do you get anything done in life? I have a friend much like you, she is so worried about things she has no control over. Why worry about something you can't control. Give it a chance, you might have fun.