lindaschipper

Attended a recent quilt show at a fair and the main prize winning quilt appeared to be a cheater quilt to me that was so overly quilted it was absolutely flat. I saw no seam lines what-so-ever in it's appearance. Seemed to be quilted in maybe 6" blocks that you just couldn't get another stich into. Had to have been professionally quilted. To some it may have been pretty, but just wasn't my kind of quilt.

meanmom

One of the reasons I no longer enter quilts in the county fair is because of the judging. The number of quilted items is way down because of it. The winning quilt this year was large rectangles with sashing. I know the maker and the longarmer. While it was a nice quilt it was was by far not the best one there. The top could be completed in an afternoon. Nothing like being a good friend of the head judge. I'm not sure the head judge even sews.
Last year a christmas tree panel with a border that wasn't even pieced won in the wall hanging category.

luvstoquilt

I love to go to the shows and see the quilts but I don’t want mine to be that way. I love to piece my quilts and I love to hand quilt them. They are for my family and not show pieces. I do send some to the LAQer but I have never put one of mine in the shows.

mojo11

I agree with Jingle 100%. I, too, don't care for all the heavy machine quilting.

Tothill

I have not entered any quilts in shows. Locally we have guild shows, as well as the local fall fairs. I love to see the various quilts at all levels of ability.

One quilt I particularly loved in a show, had mismatched seams, cut off points and the quilting lines were not smooth. So why did I love it? The use of colour was incredible and I have huge respect for anyone who puts their work out there. That as many shows do had a viewers choice vote. I was more than happy to cast my ballot for this quilt.

Our local fall fair has 40 different categories in the quilting section. If someone has their quilt professionally quilted (quilted by cheque), they go into a separate category and must name the quilter. There are categories for quilted by one person on a domestic machine and another for on a long arm machine. I think there are enough categories both for construction, size and quilting method to allow anyone to enter a quilt and perhaps have a chance of a prize.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/69q2zg3y6j...logue.pdf?dl=0

If I enter a quilt in a show, it will be just for the thrill of seeing it hanging in public.

At Quilt Canada 2018 there was a Judge's choice category. There were three judges and each chose a very different quilt as their judges choice.

shasta5718

I just judged a local show and believe me it is not easy, you are given a list of items to check and give a number value. All of the quilts entered were great and it is very difficult. You have to check so many things and I felt like all but 1 entered deserved a ribbon, but they won't let you do that so you end up having to find a small imperfection to keep from doing that. I don't ever want to do that again. At least they did have a seperate class for hand quilted.

ekuw

No, it's not just you. That has been my experience too. As someone who does my own quilting on my domestic machine, I go to quilt shows to get inspiration and ideas as to how to quilt my own quilts. The last couple of shows there is so little quilting that is not custom or done on a long arm that I don't see anything that I can relate to. I see beautiful quilts, but it just makes me wish I had a long arm so I can keep up!

feline fanatic

I encourage you to look up the award winning quilts by Janet Stone and Sherry Reynolds (just google images of Janet Stone quilts or Sherry Reynolds quilts). Make sure you have a basket handy for your jaw, because it will drop. Both of these extremely talented ladies do all their own quilting on domestic machines. I have been fortunate to see at least 4 of Janet's quilts in person and I have seen Sherry's most recent quilt Eternal Beauty. The workmanship is amazing. Also all of Janet's applique is raw edge fusible stitched down with a blanket stitch. She has taken numerous AQS BOS awards with her charming quilts.

Also look at the work by Diane Gaudynski another phenomenal DSM quilter.

It is possible to do this kind of quilting on a DSM. I never enjoyed the process of sitdown quilting but boy do I love standup quilting on a rack. I am in awe of people who can do that kind of work on a domestic and I strongly feel some of their tiny little fills would be hard to replicate in the same scale with a LA. I can do some tiny stuff with mine but not like they can!

ClassicQuilter

I agree with the sentiments here. I will say the best "award" I have ever received was from my son. I gave him a hand quilted, full size quilt for his high school graduation. And then I was a bit surprised when he didn't "treasure" it and store it, but instead promptly put it on his bed and proceeded to wear it out. I mean, I realized later that he didn't want to just store it in a box, but instead wanted to be covered every night with something made, with lots of love, just for him. He loved that quilt. Would the quilt win an award at a show, probably not. But like someone else said, it's what was the best one for the reason it was made.

Anniedeb

[QUOTE=ClassicQuilter;8285464]I agree with the sentiments here. I will say the best "award" I have ever received was from my son.

Me too! I gave my son a sportsman quilt for his birthday a few years ago. Up to that point, the only time (as an adult) that I had seen him cry was at my dad's funeral. He cried, and hugged my so hard I thought my back would break! He has it on his couch, and it's always on full display. Best award ever!!