So why should you even care about judging and contests anyway?
I got a lot of responses back from my last week’s post about my thoughts on judging. Some responses were private and held surprisingly strong opinions. It is just my opinion; I want quilters to do what gives them joy – whether that be to compete, or just enjoy their own quilts and share them with friends and family.
Just like last week, I’m going to post photos of my landscape, just for grins. This week it is photos from previous years and seasons, and some plants and trees that are no longer with us.
Based on the responses from last week’s post, I do want to address why there are judged contests in the first place. Just because they exist doesn’t mean you should feel the need to enter or have your quilt judged. I am addressing why they exist and why you might care, even if you will never enter.
Notes:
- Part of the reason I am writing about this today is because it’s been a tough week to remain sane in (beyond the horrific shooting that occurred). Hubby and I are fixing a crawl space issue that has plagued us for 23 years. We’ve thrown lots of $ and workmen at it and finally found an actual fix. In addition to $zillion x 5, the entrance to the crawl space entrance is in my sewing room. There’s the workmen in and out, the boombox (how could I deny them that? It’s nasty down there), and just having my back to all that. It disturbs my peace and perhaps distracts me more than it should. I know, this is a #firstworldproblem.
- I went to the Loomis Guild Quilt Show last weekend and it was wonderful! I just don’t have the energy to go through my photos and post. I didn’t even post my own guild’s show this year. So sorry! It was a great show.
- I’ll probably write more about this later, but I declared my trapunto bubble quilt dead. It has both cotton and silk bleeds on the formerly white silk dupioni. It’s not reparable. By the way, I used Synthrapol on it and it turned the blinding white dupioni a dingy, icky, yellowy off white. I am crushed. I have responded to many, many ideas about a fix and there is none. Remember, it is a mix of cotton and silk with wool batting. It’s dead. RIP.
Oh a brighter note, let’s talk about quilt shows. There are local shows, regional shows, international shows, for-profit shows, non-profit shows.
The 2 biggest shows are AQS Paducah and the Houston International Quilt Festival. There are also the Mancuso shows: New England, Pennsylvania, Pacific Int’l, Mid Atlantic and Greenville. And the iconic Road to California. QuiltCon is for Modern’s. We all miss the Tokyo Quilt Show which went under during the pandemic.
The Houston folks have added Long Beach (I’m teaching!) and Salt Lake City. The AQS organization also has shows in Grand Rapids, Des Moines, Daytona Beach and Branson. If I’ve forgotten any major show, pls write to me.
There are exhibits also – from SAQA, to regional/local exhibits, to museums and galleries.
Why do these shows/exhibits exist and why care?
It encourages others to quilt. I remember very clearly the first time I attended my local guild’s show. There were quilts that blew me away! In some cases they intimidated me and in some, they inspired me. No matter what, they made an impact! Here I am 23 years later, inspired by that local show.
It shares the beauty of our craft with the world. Quilts are just beautiful. Attendees at quilt shows are generally a happy bunch. I remember grousing at Houston because the line was so long to get in and a nearby quilter gently said something to the effect of “What could be a more happy place to be?”. True! I love, love, love that feeling of being at a quilt show, surrounded by beauty.
It betters the business side of the industry. Do you enjoy the huge selection of fabrics and notions that you find in your local quilt shop? Visitors are inspired by shows and the fabric and notion industry responds with new and fresh products and fabric. Think of how much better fabrics and notions are than 10 years ago.
Shows can create entirely new niches in quilting. Think about the Modern Quilt movement and QuiltCon. How would Modern’s have found their peeps if not for QuiltCon? Vendors love that because it taps into an entirely new audience. And SAQA shows bring art quilters together. Win – win.
Prizes and vendors make the quilting pie bigger. Notice how some of the Big Name Quilters did not show in the virtual shows during the pandemic? They do look to prize money for income. If not for the prize money, some of the best quilts would never come to be. Maybe money does not motivate you, but it probably motivates some of the quilters that inspire you.
It keeps the quilting world fresh and relevant. The bar gets higher every year. My quilt that won Runner Up, Best of Show in 2014 might not even jury in today. It keeps things moving, yes, even in the Traditional world with better reproduction fabrics and notions that make piecing easier and more accurate.
Quilt shows bring excellent opportunities for education that would not exist otherwise. This is a biggie. New long arm quilters will land at a show and take classes for 4 days straight so that they can go home and use their machines with confidence. I have opportunities to teach to an international audience. I also get the opportunity to take classes from someone who I could never take otherwise.
Quilt shows expose you to genres that you wouldn’t see otherwise. I remember the feeling of seeing a portion of Quilt National at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. WOW! At that time, I had no idea that the Art Quilt even existed: there were quilts made of match sticks, twist ties, sheer fabrics, discarded items! That planted a seed in me that has grown and now I am an art quilter.
I hope you see the role that quilt shows and exhibits play in our mutual quilting world. Some of you have no interest in shows, exhibits, ribbons and the like. One of my favorite expressions:
We all build our own quilting world.
I think shows, competitions and exhibits help build a better quilting world for all of us.
I’ll share at:
Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday
and
Finished or Not Friday.
I do believe there could be a fix for the bubble quilt
Have you considered painting over it with paint or thickened dye using a roller?
This could hilight the beautiful texture you create with your free motion quilting.
I have a few pieces that I hope to do this with as they are “almost dead” waiting to be brought back to life.
I’ve done that on a previous quilt (paint over), but I don’t see it on this one. It’s such a unique set of problems. I think it’s dead, have a wee bit of hope. For what, I don’t know!
I love going to Quilt Shows just to enjoy the different quilts. I have also gone to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden Colorado where I saw for the first time a SAQA display of wonderful small quilts. Some were miniature quilts. I enjoyed the museums quilts also.
Yes,forgot museums! Love the RMQM. They have excellent exhibits.
I would add that showing you quilts is important. I love the feedback. I’m over-the-moon proud to have quilt hanging for all to see. I want to know what judges have to say. It has improved my quilting.
My first Houston quilt was something I was very proud of. It touched many people. I saw it pictured in many blogs about the show. What a trip for me! But the only note by the judges was that you could see the hand stitches where the binding was attached on the back. 🤦♀️
I realized that if that was the only criticism, it had to be a pretty good quilt. Thanks, Jenny.
To be able to touch people with your quilts, that’s the ultimate prize! Lucky you to have experienced it.
I attended Paducah show as a fairly new quilter. I saw a display of Baltimore Album quilts and thought, “how could anyone do this? I found a Baltimore class and learned at least 4 ways to appliqué. Took me 10 years to finish but I did,
I now know you can do anything if you want to!
I applaud you Patty! What a great example of inspiration coming from seeing a quilt in a show. Baltimore Albums amaze me. Brava!
There are non-judged shows. The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is the largest outdoor quilt show. It is wonderful to view quilts from beginning quilters to quilting “experts”. Like other shows, there is a week of classes before the show. Usually there is a display of the Cherrywood quilts and a featured quilter.
Yes, lots of great non-judged shows! I was only addressing judged shows because it created such a stir and many quilters misunderstood them. Love the Sisters show!
Enjoyed your comments, amazing that so much choice exists, and that we each can choose our own motivators, designs, colors etc. We can choose what makes us happy, and we can share that happiness with others. I do feel that more happiness is a better goal every day. It is our choice. Thanks also for the lovely pictures from your yard.
Yes, it is all about choice and joy Suzanne! Glad you enjoyed it.
Gorgeous garden photos!
Thank you! I do love my yard.
As one of those quilters inspired to start by going to a show in Chicago I appreciate your comments and promotion of shows. Even though I wasn’t a quilter I bought a small kit to make with fusibles. But it still took me a bit to actually make it. I didn’t even have a sewing machine then! Also I have credit Alex Anderson and Simply Quilts for making me feel it was something I was capable of and could enjoy!
Very interesting experience Edith – I love that story. I wonder how many have similar paths. So glad it made you a quilter!
I feel that having your quilts judged is good. Most quilters know where their mistakes are and having them pointed out gives an area for improvement. Most judges comment on what has been done well-fabric selection, piecing, design. The complimentary comments are such a great pat on the back and let a quilter know that someone with knowledge has noticed what she has done well.
Yes I’ve heard that a rule of thumb is 3 positive comments and one needs improvement comment. I have learned so much from being judged
Yes, Quilt Shows with Judged Quilts inspire us, especially those with Award Ribbons. They also challenge us to try different methods and temp us to buy more fabric and another ruler or two. The temping aspect is the costliest.
Love your weekly post and viewpoints. Keep up the good work my friend.
Awww, thank you Sonja! Yes, they do inspire and affect the market and bring us new tools and toys.
Jenny, I agree with you that having a quilt judged can be helpful for improving one’s quilt skills. I will often “debut” a quilt at our state fair. The judging sheets are thorough, and I’ve learned a lot from them. Quilts are not always displayed well at the fair, because of lack of room, but I still find them inspiring.
Funny, the California State Fair is similar. They do their best to display them in the space given, but it’s hard to see many of them. I’m glad you enjoy the process!
I was standing in the line to get fabric cut and asked the woman next to me (Didn’t know her- just being sociable) what she was plotting. She was planning to make a quilt like one she had seen at a recent show. It had embroidered snowmen and pieced blocks. When she described it, I knew which one she meant. I also had admired it and knew it had not gotten a ribbon, which is important to know.
Because as she described how seeing that quilt made her want to learn and make one like it, I wished that all quilters who are reluctant to enter shows or feel bad when they don’t get a ribbon would know that their efforts are appreciated, enjoyed and even inspirational to others.
It’s nice to get a ribbons, but even more rewarding is having someone tell you how much they admired or were intrigued by, or got the giggles from, or were inspired by a quilt you made.
Quilt on!
AMEN! Shout that one from the rooftops! We have the privilege of sharing beauty with the world. What an honor! I remember my very first Folsom Quilt Guild Show when I didn’t know anything. I was totally intimidated by the master quilts and felt encouraged and inspired by the “normal” quilts. Well said Marie!
Around the time of the first PIQF, I talked to a person who had been asked to judge the quilts by the show producers. She was asking members of my quilt guild how to do judging! Obviously they did not choose her on her knowledge of quilt making but because she was a minor celebrity. My opinion is that more than half of judging is subjective. On the other hand, rules of design, color, craftsmanship, etc. reduces the art form into a mere craft. There are lots of technically-perfect boring quilts. There are exciting innovative quilts that are “casually” constructed. To put them up against each other is comparing apples and oranges. Feedback from judges can be constructive to a new quilter.
Choosing judges is an important part of this equation. For instance, Paducah was judged by 3 non-NACQJ judges: Sue Nickels, Susan Cleveland and Ricky Timms. I have upmost respect for all 3 of them and they are not certified. Some judges deliberately do not want to be certified. I don’t know what the reasoning is, just know that is true. I have seen “celebrity judges” that I would not want judging my work because they do not have the depth and width of knowledge needed to judge. Certain contests are more likely to do that. I still appreciate judge’s comments and generally respect them. It’s been a while since I was in a judged show with a judge that I did not respect. Good point Linda.