Blogers Quilt Festival - Quilt Show Update

It's time for the Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy Ellis and I'm so happy I found some time to participate this year.  The festival is a great way for bloggers to share their work and explore a multitude of quilting blogs.  Did I mention there are dozen of quilts to admire?

This year I've decided to enter a one of my quilts I sent out to a show and share some of my judges notes in hopes it will encourage others to participate in quilt shows too.

Diamonds on Display - blue ribbon, special award, honorable mention excellence in quilting

I picked up my Diamonds on Display quilt from the fair and it received a fairly high score.  I was complimented on my color choices, backing fabric but it was noted that my binding needed improvement, agreed.  When I made this quilt I had a tight deadline and chose to machine bind it, not my best skill.  The moment I finished was the same moment I knew I would need to replace the binding.  The judge agreed.

Citrus Play - no ribbon

Just this week Citrus Play and Positive Illuminations was returned to me.  First up, Citrus Play.  I wasn't given a numerical score at AQS Fall Paducah, the judge's notes said that they liked the use of the stripe fabric and the quilting but told me my use of color needed improvement.

Positive Illuminations - no ribbon

Again, no numerical score for Positive Illuminations but it was nice of the judges to compliment my design and quilting choice.  They, however, weren't as excited about the quality of quilting on this one and yes I agree.  I quilted this on my domestic machine and it was a bear!  It was basically a wrestling matche and some of the lines are definitely not as straight as I would have liked.

Stratagem - no ribbon

Finally, Stratagem.  It's such an honor to have a quilt in MQX Quilt Show and I'm so appreciative of the judge's notes I received.  This quilt scored a 95 or of 120.  At first I wasn't sure what that meant beyond the simple mathematics of the numbers, I've sinced found out that it is a very decent score.  The judges stated that they like the quilting motifs I chose and the offset borders.  My lowest scores were in piecing, stitch size/length, tension and starts/stops (all 7 out of 10), all good areas to work on.

I really hope this will help make quilt shows less intimidating.  As you can see the judges want to be fair and they want to help you.  There are a couple comments and/or scores I don't agree with but there is no hard fast rule that every comment has to be given the same weight, some can be disregarded all together and some will ring true.

Don't forget to head on over the the Bloggers Quilt Festival for more amazing quilts!

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God."  Rom 5:1-2