what are your thoughts on...
03-25-2012, 05:49 AM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Clay Springs AZ
Posts: 3,229
Even pet shows have pure breeds and domestic categorys.
Quilting professionals should have a category of there own and non professionals should have a different category.
It is not fair to group them togather.
Quilting professionals should have a category of there own and non professionals should have a different category.
It is not fair to group them togather.
Last edited by Rose Marie; 03-25-2012 at 05:52 AM.
03-25-2012, 06:04 AM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 941
I've been to a lot of quilt shows, and I've entered my quilts in a lot of them. In the cases where a "nationally known" quilter won, I have never once been tempted to say the quilter won because of their name. The quilt was simply the best in the category.
As for professionals entering in local shows, it depends on the rules of the show. Personally, I think it would be crazy to restrict the pros from entering because it's one way of attracting people to the show. Instead of discouraging the non-pro, they should feel proud to compete against them - who knows, a non-pro might actually win, and the win would be all the sweeter for having beaten "the best."
Janet
As for professionals entering in local shows, it depends on the rules of the show. Personally, I think it would be crazy to restrict the pros from entering because it's one way of attracting people to the show. Instead of discouraging the non-pro, they should feel proud to compete against them - who knows, a non-pro might actually win, and the win would be all the sweeter for having beaten "the best."
Janet
03-25-2012, 06:16 AM
#24
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Boonsboro, MD
Posts: 2,670
Many years ago, I won the vendors award for my "Shakespeare in the Park". Yes, it was from a pattern, but was done in scraps of blue. I did it, had it quilted and I bound it and I won of or it. I did name the pattern and maker and who quilted it. I later was told, by a judge, that it would have won third place had I changed the design slightly and not named the pattern or the designer. That did it for me. None of my quilts that I enter into competition come from anything other than my head. No patterns! That being said, I have never won in another major quilt show. But the fun is seeing your quilt hanging, not in the winning, and the wonderful advice given by really great judging that helps you to become a better quilter.
03-25-2012, 06:26 AM
#25
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,457
I guess the important thing is to read all the rules before entering a quilt in a show for judging. If you see things you like: cannot have won a prize on this quilt to enter, separate categories for professional....then enjoy putting your quilt in to compete. As for big designers/professionals entering in local shows, I think they have as much right as anyone else unless the rules state otherwise. If a person blogs their progress on a quilt, I think they leave themselves open to getting their idea used by someone else before they are finished.
03-25-2012, 06:27 AM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Posts: 2,078
I really like the way our county fair categorizes quilts. Each size/type category has lot numbers to enter:
Made by one person-hand quilted, (everything, start to finish)
Made by more than one person-hand quilted, (where a quilt would fit if a second non-professional person did the binding for example)
Made by one person, professionally quilted,
Made by more than one person, professionally quilted.
Made by one person-machine quilted, (everything, start to finish)
Made by more than one person-machine quilted, (where a quilt would fit if a second non-professional person did the binding or quilting for example)
And they go so far as to define "professional" as someone who makes at least 10% of their income from quilting.
These categories help to keep the judging on a more "level playing field", and there are a lot more ribbons awarded than if they were all judged together. I believe this categorization allows each quilt to be judged on the skill of execution of each type of quiltmaking.
To be eligible for entry, the quilt must have been made within the past year by a resident of our county.
The only thing they do not address is whether the design is original or not. I think the "Best of Show" last year may have been a very well executed KIT even though their were MANY very good originally designed quilts there. It was a little disheartening to see a kit-type quilt win when I'd seen essentially the same quilt at the LQS, in magazines, and in catalogs for sale as a pattern and/or kit all year long.
Made by one person-hand quilted, (everything, start to finish)
Made by more than one person-hand quilted, (where a quilt would fit if a second non-professional person did the binding for example)
Made by one person, professionally quilted,
Made by more than one person, professionally quilted.
Made by one person-machine quilted, (everything, start to finish)
Made by more than one person-machine quilted, (where a quilt would fit if a second non-professional person did the binding or quilting for example)
And they go so far as to define "professional" as someone who makes at least 10% of their income from quilting.
These categories help to keep the judging on a more "level playing field", and there are a lot more ribbons awarded than if they were all judged together. I believe this categorization allows each quilt to be judged on the skill of execution of each type of quiltmaking.
To be eligible for entry, the quilt must have been made within the past year by a resident of our county.
The only thing they do not address is whether the design is original or not. I think the "Best of Show" last year may have been a very well executed KIT even though their were MANY very good originally designed quilts there. It was a little disheartening to see a kit-type quilt win when I'd seen essentially the same quilt at the LQS, in magazines, and in catalogs for sale as a pattern and/or kit all year long.
Last edited by azwendyg; 03-25-2012 at 06:30 AM.
03-25-2012, 06:49 AM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
I have a long history in dog shows ... and nothing that I've seen so far can trump the shenanigans that happen at those.
Advertising. Many of you may not know it, but there are several dog magazines that have very slick advertising - including the cover page. Cost is upwards of $1000/page. Dogs are pictured with well known judges taking BIS. Is it wrong? Well, there ARE two reasons to advertise dogs - one is the same reason this original post started - to get the judges eye. The other reason is show pictures of your dog to other owners of that breed as we are all looking for the next stud dog, or dam to our next puppy. So if the original person's intention was to show the dog to her partners in the breed ... is it wrong if the judges also see it?? For quilters .... WE are also benefiting from seeing the pictures of the quilts are we not? So who is to say that the quilters intention of publishing the quilt is to garner a judges eye or "share" with the quilting world a technique in progress? I remember last year one of our own members posted here on QB a picture of a stunning Baltimore Album with beautiful ships when it was accepted into Paducah. Was that wrong because she shared it with US? Remember - anyone with internet can see what we post here, including Paducah judges.
As to some of the other remarks regarding entering winning quilts in multiple shows, showing quilts older than a specific date, entering quilts made from kits ... I think the shows that don't specify rules that limit this are at fault. If a show simply states "quilt must be 80 x 80" for this category, why blame the quilter for entering the show? I know some shows limit the year the work was produced, quilts that won 1st place cannot be accepted, and kits are not allowed.
I would disagree that quilt shows be segregated to professional and amateur. What classifies a "professional"? Teaching? I would disagree that being a teacher automatically means the person is also a good quilter. What about people who's only source of "income" from quilting is to win prize money at shows? I don't think "winning prize money" is the same as "getting paid to make a quilt". For that matter judges - professional or amateur? And what about the amateur who gets paid once to attach a binding once for someone - technically this person is now a professional regardless of the fact that they've never won a single award at a show. Lastly ... I think that quilting is an area where amateurs and professionals CAN compete with each other. There should be nothing other than skill that is judged and nothing is stopping an amateur from developing the same skills.
Sharing recognition. I know some quilt shows require that the pattern be divulged (even if it was BASED on a pattern) and the quilter (although the name of the person entering the show is usually the piecer and the only one to get prize money - if their contract with the quilter is to share the money - that is their business). I don't recall ever seeing a space to name the binder specifically but I do know some entry forms ask "name all people who worked on this quilt" or something to that effect. So again I would say that show entry forms need to be specific. If they want this data to be an important aspect of judging - then they need to specify it on the form.
If none of this information is on the form (dates, no kits, who quilted it, won prior shows, etc) then it is not something the judge should concern themselves with. Judges are hired to adjucate quilts based on the criteria set forth in the rules/entry forms - and beyond that the demonstrated skill and beauty of the final product. The name of the quilter and his/her past performance in the quilting world should never influence a judge even though his/her work may be as recognizable as the Mona Lisa. Nor should the judge be influenced by friendship.
Quilt judging, like dog judging IS subjective and therefore no two judges will always think alike, and any single judge can (and often will) think differently about the same quilt on different days and under different competition. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Paducah and Houston had the same judge and a quilt one big at one show but not the other - depending on A) the competition and B) the frame of mind of the judge on that given day. I've judged dogs and I KNOW that on different days I've liked different dogs - some of it could be how the dog performed on the given day but performance is only one factor, other factors could have been if I saw nothing but bad fronts all day long then I may be more critical toward fronts the remainder of the day and overly criticize a dog that I liked a lot before but only has a mediocre front.
Judges are human. If we want them to adjudicate a specific way we have to give them the proper rules to do so, and after that we need to remember that the nature of this beast is that judging is subjective.
Sue (who fully intends on entering the quilt she is binding today in a quilt show somewhere soon - PICTURES TO COME!!)
Advertising. Many of you may not know it, but there are several dog magazines that have very slick advertising - including the cover page. Cost is upwards of $1000/page. Dogs are pictured with well known judges taking BIS. Is it wrong? Well, there ARE two reasons to advertise dogs - one is the same reason this original post started - to get the judges eye. The other reason is show pictures of your dog to other owners of that breed as we are all looking for the next stud dog, or dam to our next puppy. So if the original person's intention was to show the dog to her partners in the breed ... is it wrong if the judges also see it?? For quilters .... WE are also benefiting from seeing the pictures of the quilts are we not? So who is to say that the quilters intention of publishing the quilt is to garner a judges eye or "share" with the quilting world a technique in progress? I remember last year one of our own members posted here on QB a picture of a stunning Baltimore Album with beautiful ships when it was accepted into Paducah. Was that wrong because she shared it with US? Remember - anyone with internet can see what we post here, including Paducah judges.
As to some of the other remarks regarding entering winning quilts in multiple shows, showing quilts older than a specific date, entering quilts made from kits ... I think the shows that don't specify rules that limit this are at fault. If a show simply states "quilt must be 80 x 80" for this category, why blame the quilter for entering the show? I know some shows limit the year the work was produced, quilts that won 1st place cannot be accepted, and kits are not allowed.
I would disagree that quilt shows be segregated to professional and amateur. What classifies a "professional"? Teaching? I would disagree that being a teacher automatically means the person is also a good quilter. What about people who's only source of "income" from quilting is to win prize money at shows? I don't think "winning prize money" is the same as "getting paid to make a quilt". For that matter judges - professional or amateur? And what about the amateur who gets paid once to attach a binding once for someone - technically this person is now a professional regardless of the fact that they've never won a single award at a show. Lastly ... I think that quilting is an area where amateurs and professionals CAN compete with each other. There should be nothing other than skill that is judged and nothing is stopping an amateur from developing the same skills.
Sharing recognition. I know some quilt shows require that the pattern be divulged (even if it was BASED on a pattern) and the quilter (although the name of the person entering the show is usually the piecer and the only one to get prize money - if their contract with the quilter is to share the money - that is their business). I don't recall ever seeing a space to name the binder specifically but I do know some entry forms ask "name all people who worked on this quilt" or something to that effect. So again I would say that show entry forms need to be specific. If they want this data to be an important aspect of judging - then they need to specify it on the form.
If none of this information is on the form (dates, no kits, who quilted it, won prior shows, etc) then it is not something the judge should concern themselves with. Judges are hired to adjucate quilts based on the criteria set forth in the rules/entry forms - and beyond that the demonstrated skill and beauty of the final product. The name of the quilter and his/her past performance in the quilting world should never influence a judge even though his/her work may be as recognizable as the Mona Lisa. Nor should the judge be influenced by friendship.
Quilt judging, like dog judging IS subjective and therefore no two judges will always think alike, and any single judge can (and often will) think differently about the same quilt on different days and under different competition. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Paducah and Houston had the same judge and a quilt one big at one show but not the other - depending on A) the competition and B) the frame of mind of the judge on that given day. I've judged dogs and I KNOW that on different days I've liked different dogs - some of it could be how the dog performed on the given day but performance is only one factor, other factors could have been if I saw nothing but bad fronts all day long then I may be more critical toward fronts the remainder of the day and overly criticize a dog that I liked a lot before but only has a mediocre front.
Judges are human. If we want them to adjudicate a specific way we have to give them the proper rules to do so, and after that we need to remember that the nature of this beast is that judging is subjective.
Sue (who fully intends on entering the quilt she is binding today in a quilt show somewhere soon - PICTURES TO COME!!)
03-25-2012, 06:52 AM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 6,958
I know the categories we had in the county fair, which one of our guild members (a former president and LA'er),is the coordinator for the Home Arts, has rules set up. There are categories for professionals, amateurs, whether the piecer had also quilted the quilt or sent it to a professional quilter, as well as computerized vs. hand guided quilted, hand-quilting, and group quilts.
03-25-2012, 06:56 AM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 941
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
Sue (who fully intends on entering the quilt she is binding today in a quilt show somewhere soon - PICTURES TO COME!!)
Janet
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03-20-2011 02:50 PM
