I've always wondered about the popularity of the outdoor shows for all the reasons mentioned, but keep in mind that the outdoor venue creates a chance to snag viewers who might not be willing to go inside to see quilts. Walking around outdoors with something pretty and interesting to look at just has more appeal to a broader range of people in general. It seems to me that a lot of quilts are very nice but not quite in the realm of great works of art. If I thought one of mine was good enough, I'd enter it, and obviously many do and are to be commended for their generosity in sharing their work with the public in this way.

Not every quilt is destined for a museum someday. Maybe a little risk would be a fair trade off for the joy of having it out there to be appreciated by families who wouldn't think of dragging their youngsters into anything like an indoor quilt show. Quilting seems so popular in Oregon, and I'll bet the Three Sisters Shows have attracted quite a few people to the hobby who otherwise might not have noticed it.

I think it'd depend on the quilt. 99% of my quilts, I would be totally fine with putting in an outdoor show. Maybe 2 I've made that I wouldn't.

I have been involved with an outdoor quilt show for years. We are all quilters. It is put on by the local chamber of commerce to attract people to town. We have a group of dedicated volunteers, whie glove ladies on patrol constantly. We have a secure hanging system with wooden posts holding up rope, everything staked down with tent stakes. Quilts must have a hanging sleeve and we thread the rope thru the hanging sleeve. It is in a town square setting. We have a set of SUVs strategically placed around the square in case of bad weather. We have a group of on call folks, that, if the weather turns bad or the wind kicks up, race into town and get everything down and thrown into the SUVs. Every quilt must have a sewn on label and they are placed into pillowcases with the entrants name and number and every quilt has an entry number assigned to it and pinned onto it. Entrants turn in their quilts a few days before the show. No owner pick up on show day. All the quilts are put back into their pillowcases, checked back in at the central location, we make sure we account for all of them. Owners pick them up the next day--no exceptions.

My only advice is to enter a show that has been around for awhile and has a good system worked out. If in doubt, call the folks putting on the show to see how it runs. Don't enter anything irreplaceable. Bird poop is always a risk. If your quilt is not washable, don't enter it if you don't want the risk. We try to have the ropes suspended about 10 feet above e ground. It would be difficult for someone to cut a rope, get a quilt down and run away without someone noticing--but it could happen.

It is magnificent to see our town square filled with quilts swaying in the breeze every summer. I am there at sunrise hanging ropes and quilts, work 1 or more volunteer shifts, go home for awhile and keep an eye on the weather, then go back and work the take-down shift at the end of the day.

Neither would I display them outdoors unless they were protected by a canopy of some sort

I belong to a small guild and our quilt show is held both indoors and outdoors. Participants have the option of not hanging their quilts outside. We have never had any problems - however the weather has always been good. I personally believe there is something magical about seeing quilts hung outside with a nice breeze ruffling them and shade from trees protecting the work and fabric - however if I had personally spent countless hours piecing and quilting a masterpiece, I probably would prefer to have it shown inside. Just MHO.

This thread is making me sad. Lots of anger and fear. There is risk attached to everything but there can be joy in doing unusual things too, if you allow yourself to find it. Life is full of obstacles and distractions which stop us from doing things which could be great. I don't know this event but I know an 'airing of the quilts' can be such a lovely civic event, and quite often, more joy than pain eventuates, really.

Oh well. Lots of people think the way I live is crazy, so I shouldn't be surprised I guess that I feel differently.

Well, I agree with you completely! I think is a great thing to be able to share your interests with others and maybe even encourage someone. There are many outdoor events where people share their art, whether it is painting, jewelry making or antique cars, etc. Quilts are not the only valuable things created and displayed. Some people enjoy sharing and some don't. So try to do what brings you happiness whatever way that may be.

I went to a outdoors quilt display earlier this year, it was held in a backyard of the local church minister. I loved seeing the quilts blowing in the breeze on the clothesline and along the fence and there were so many positive comments from people attending. And YES everyone was very respectful of the quilts - if you wanted to take a photo there was an 'official' to help. It was so much better than viewing quilts in a stark and overly lit hall or community centre. Here are a couple of photos from that day

I wouldn't have a problem with this if they had security. I'm not afraid to wash my quilts and do so often. Bird poo and hands touching my quilts don't scare me. In the wash they go...if they can't survive life, being used and the washing machine, then they won't be around for long anyway.

forgotten on the list was tree sap some trees drip very bad depending on kind and time of year it can remove paint from cars so what would it do to fabric I have been to outdoor shows but would never enter one