Straight Lines Should Be Straight
 

Does anyone know what the comment that straight lines should be straight?? I like to enter quilts in fairs and other contest and have received the comment on different quilts. My most recent quilt came back with the comment in areas to improve "Long lines of lattice need to be straight". The lattice I am taking to mean the sashing of the blocks which are set on point. I cut the sashing on grain but they would sit in the quilt at a diagonal to the edge of quilt. Do they mean that I should cut the sashing on the bias in order to have the the grain of the fabric square to the edge of quilt? Anyones insight to this question would be helpful. A glossary of judges common critiques would be helpful.

A pic of the quilt might help, but offhand I'm thinking that the straight lines are off square. If it's a long line of sashing it should be perfectly straight from one edge to the other.

It could also mean that the edges of the quilt aren't straight, but it's hard to tell without the judge being more specific.

Can you post a pic?.....hard to make a comment without a reference. But sometimes judges can be very 'critical' just to be critical.

A photo would really help.

There's no issue with on-point sashing, and it does not need to be cut on the bias.

My best guess is that your blocks are not perfectly lined up so that, when viewing the entire quilt, the sashing looks not straight. Did you use cornerstones for the sashing? This is one way to keep the blocks lined up.

If you did not use cornerstones, did you mark the wrong side of the long sashing pieces and pin before sewing them together? If not, your blocks are probably not aligned perfectly with each other. I have posted before about how to do this. If you need those instructions, I can post them again in this thread.

This is a picture of the quilt as it hung in the show. Judges comment was lattice need work on being straight and I am not sure what that means.

Wow, straight or not, your quilt is beautiful! I love the combination of colors. It's lovely!

I don't know about those judges , but it is stunning and I can't see a thing wrong with it. :thumbup:

That's a beautiful quilt! Were they talking about the actual quilting? I can't tell how it's quilted in that picture. Lattice could mean gridwork- is there any grid quilting on it?

Honestly, I can't see anything wrong with it from that picture. Very pretty.

I can't tell from the picture, although there MIGHT be a very slight wobble in the lower right hand corner. Be aware that judging is not completely objective. I, and friends of mine, have had one judge make negative comments on something praised by another judge. The extreme version of this was a friend whose quilt was disqualified from the state fari because it was deemed obscene. She entered it in our quilt show complete with the previous critique. The universal view of our show goers and our judge (blue ribbon) was that it was a darling image of her 2 sons building a sand castles. The boys were wearing knee length shorts. If you can't find the problem, don't worry about it. I have had the reverse happen a couple of times. I was persuaded to enter something in a quilt show although I did not think it good enough and I got a blue ribbon, while another, that I thought was a "sure" winner didn't even place.

Your quilt has very strong diagonal lines. While I can't see and clear errors, in person, sometimes minor variations from straight lines are more noticable. If the quilt show is very competitive, sometimes judges need to quibble over very minor details. I have seen the difference between first place and honorable mention be the sharpness of the mitered corners on the binding. My friend who got the HM didn;t speak to me for a week.

I can see a possible wobble in the top left, but it could be the way the quilt is hanging. I'd suggest checking it over with a good long ruler, that should sort things out. There are so many straight lines going on in that quilt that I wouldn't know where to start, though! Very nice quilt.

ditto from here.

Perfect example of why not to enter quilts for judgement (Not judging). Your quilt is beautiful! I really enjoy quilting and don't need someone "picking lint" about my methods - therefore do not enter into any kind of show or contest.
Please don't let this spoil your satisfaction with your quilt - it is stunning!

Lattice means sashing to me. From the picture, I sure don't see any lattice that isn't straight. I guess you will have to look closely. Maybe the width of the lattice varies slightly, which would make a curved look.

I know that it is quite a challenge for me to "keep my straight lines straight".

Dayle

It's impossible to tell from a web photo, but it looks to me like there are several places where the lattice is not a consistent width and do not meet at consistent 90º angles...it could simply be the way it hangs and the camera angle. Only you can tell for sure with a ruler and a square edge. Also check the long lines with a yardstick to see if they warp at all.

Use the comment as a learning experience, not as a criticism, and your next quilt will be even better. :) Please do not stop submitting quilts for judging comments just because you got one you don't understand. Have you asked the show coordinator for clarification? She/he could possibly get that from the judges for you even after the fact.

I don't know how many quilts were in the contest but sometimes judges have so much to go through that they don't write lengthy comments. That's not an excuse but from what the judge wrote, it's not clear what she means by 'lattice'. Your quilt is beautiful ..... it certainly deserves a prize.

CoCoQuilter, based on this photo I don't see anything out of place. I wouldn't take the comment to heart. It looks perfect to many of us. It is lovely.

It's gorgeous!!!!!

Well my eyes must be bad cause all I see is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! I only hope someday I can make a quilt half that stunning! You should be so proud of it! (BTW, our sons showed animals in 4-H. One day they showed the same animal in a double show with 2 different judges. The first show the animal received last place, the next show Res Gr Champion. It was a great lesson that we have never forgotten!)

beautiful quilt. I cant see it. but maybe up close the judge saw something. Sometimes I think they just have to say something ulgy about every quilt. we had that happen her a few times. didnt invite that judge back. ps.. I love your binding, I like to do that too.

I agree it may well be in the quilting rather than the piecing, particularly if it was handquilted.
Nevertheless, "one person's opinion" (no matter how "professional") does not a failure make.....keep reminding yourself of that fact. Your quilt is absolutely lovely!

Jan in VA

boy, i'd need a long yard stick to lay on the sashings to see any variance in them. looks good from here.

I am not really worried about the criticism. I wouldn't enter show if I couldn't take the critique. I just wish I understood what they were telling me sometimes. Thanks about mentioning the yardstick and they line up of blocks. It was a very competitive show and I didn't expect to win but want to improve for future shows. I took a class with a judge and she had been explaining the straight line being straight seemed to be having the straight of grain a being square to the edge of the quilt. This had me confused when the lattice was for blocks set on point. It seems like a waste of fabric to cut the lattice at a bias and that I would get more distortion that way so of coursed I didn't try it that way. I'll measure my lattice again and if I enter another show with it I my try to block out any variance.

Looks beautiful to me. Must be VERY PICKY judges. Good luck with the next one. Your work is gorgeous.

Maybe the show should be more careful in how they hang the quilt. I think it is beautiful. Sounds like the judges were elitist snobs. I have been involved in several shows and I have never heard of a judge giving negative comments.

quiltmama22
 

When I took the NQA Short Course on Quilt Judging the "straight lines should be straight" comment referred to either piecing (sashing & blocks line up in a straight line, border wobble where it is attached to the body of the quilt, outside edges straight, etc) OR to long straight line of quilting (by hand OR by machine). Regarding 2nd question---I doubt that's what they meant.

From working in judging rooms all comments about the quilt are made & recorded as the judge goes over the quilt the first time. Then at the end, when he/she is reviewing all the ones held back for possible ribbons, they "may" ask for comments to be read to them if the competition is so stiff that they are having a hard time deciding between several really nice ones.

Agree with these comments. I like to go to shows, but won't submit. Each quilter has to decide whether to undergo the intense scrutiny of judging, or not. My quilts are not perfect but they are good and I don't need the stress of being judged. Your quilt is just beautiful. Use it in good health.

I have scribed for a judge before and this comment refers to "line of sight". When they look down a long seam line of a sashing or border, they don't want to see any waviness. I hope I have explained well enough.

Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous and definitely, please do not take any 'judging' comments to seriously. As a previous poster mentioned, with experience of years of showing animals in fairs while growing up, it was not uncommon to show an animal under one judge one day and win overall grand, just to have the same animal the following day, under a different judge, get sifted. Until the process of 'judging' can remove 'human' aspect of judging (ie, personal preferences, etc), it will always just be a crap shoot. I'd suggest showing the same quilt in another show with a different judge and then compare notes.

It's a beautiful quilt and I'm sure that there were many who attended the show that enjoyed looking at it and can't find any more un-straight lines than we did. Thank you for taking the risk of criticism to share it with the others that attended the show. I know if you could hear all the positive comments of those attending you would be encouraged.

Wow! Gorgeous quilt...love the colors...you have my vote!!! Can't see a thing wrong with it...only that it's not at my house...lol!!!

That is a gorgeous quilt! Looks perfect to me! Judges are tooo picky!

That's odd, in my experience judges always give a 'room to grow' comment. That's why most of us enter judged shows to begin with...to get the critique. You cannot improve if all you get is praise.

"Straight lines should be straight" is not at all the comment of an 'elitist snob', and furthermore the judge took the time to explain what area he/she was referring to. It is standard wording meant to help the quilter improve her workmanship...as she is clearly trying to do by seeking more information from us. Nowhere does the OP express resentment, anger, or discouragement over the comment, specifically saying she is not upset by it and would only like clarification on it's meaning.

Beautiful quilt. Looks 'straight' to me. Wonder what the judges meant ?

I'm not 100% sure but I think the lattice is the black strips attached to the green cornerstones. I think your quilt is gorgeous and don't notice a thing. I know some ladies who enter quilts in our local fair, and some of the judges are nit picky and others are great it depends on the year.

As a long-time judge, and without a photo, I would guess that your fabric widths are not the same width. For instance, do they measure a wobbly 2.5 inches? If it's supposed to be 2.25 inches, it must be that. Watch your seam widths when cutting and stitching. If the comments refer to quilting lines, whether hand or machine, they must be straight. The comments would not be about grain line, but your cutting, stitching, width evenness.

Lay a ruler along your sashing to see if the widths are exactly the same throughout. If not, figure out the problem and make corrections on your next quilt top.
Best of luck,
SandyQuilter

From a Judge. The statement means that any long seam - be it sashing or just straight line of blocks sewedtohether should be straight. Pictures might not show correctly but it appears that the 4th row from the bottom, the one long in the center just at the top of the white card on the right bows a bit and does not appear straight.
Now before anyone says - "it looks ok to me" or "what are the judges talking about", remember that the quilt is in competition with others and if one quilt has all long lines of sewing that are straight and one is not,......then which one gets the ribbon.....If you had a company put new tile on the kitchen floor - would you want them straight or some slightly bowed.......same in quilting.

That quilt is gorgeous!