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NACQJ Award of Merit
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Celebrating Design, Innovation or Technique
When you engage an NACQJ Certified Judge for your show, you are bringing decades of collective expertise in quiltmaking excellence to your event. As part of our commitment to advancing the art and craft of quilting, NACQJ judges have the opportunity to honor one quilt that demonstrates educational value—a quilt that teaches us something remarkable about design, innovation or technique.
What Makes This Recognition Special
The NACQJ Award of Merit is distinct from traditional show awards. Rather than competing with Best in Show or category placement ribbons, this recognition identifies a quilt that serves as an exemplar—one that showcases mastery worth studying, techniques worth learning, or approaches worth emulating.
A quilt may receive this recognition when it demonstrates excellence in an area such as:
The Award of Merit is not a consolation award. A quilt that receives the NACQJ Award of Merit Recognition may also win show ribbons, or it may not have placed due to category competition or judging criteria, but it has distinguished itself as having something meaningful to teach the quilting community.
The Recognition
This recognition serves NACQJ's mission to elevate standards in quiltmaking through education, observation, and the celebration of exceptional work.
For Show Organizers
With advance approval from show coordinators, NACQJ Certified Judges may award this recognition at no cost to the show. It adds educational value to your event while complementing, but never conflicting with, your regular award structure.
For Quilt Makers
If your quilt receives the NACQJ Award of Merit, you've created something that contributes to the quilting community's collective knowledge. Your work has been identified by a certified expert as having qualities worth studying and emulating.
About the NACQJ
The National Association of Certified Quilt Judges promotes excellence in quilt evaluation by certifying and supporting skilled quilt judges who bring professional expertise, consistent standards, and an educational perspective to quilt shows across the country. The Award of Merit reflects our commitment to advancing the art and craft of quilting through thoughtful observation and meaningful recognition.
When you engage an NACQJ Certified Judge for your show, you are bringing decades of collective expertise in quiltmaking excellence to your event. As part of our commitment to advancing the art and craft of quilting, NACQJ judges have the opportunity to honor one quilt that demonstrates educational value—a quilt that teaches us something remarkable about design, innovation or technique.
What Makes This Recognition Special
The NACQJ Award of Merit is distinct from traditional show awards. Rather than competing with Best in Show or category placement ribbons, this recognition identifies a quilt that serves as an exemplar—one that showcases mastery worth studying, techniques worth learning, or approaches worth emulating.
A quilt may receive this recognition when it demonstrates excellence in an area such as:
- Outstanding Design: Thoughtful composition, innovative use of color, pattern, or structure that elevates the visual and conceptual impact
- Innovation: Creative problem-solving or original approaches that advance quiltmaking and inspire new possibilities
- Exceptional Technique: Mastery of specific methods such as (but not limited to) piecing, appliqué, quilting, embellishment—executed at the highest level
The Award of Merit is not a consolation award. A quilt that receives the NACQJ Award of Merit Recognition may also win show ribbons, or it may not have placed due to category competition or judging criteria, but it has distinguished itself as having something meaningful to teach the quilting community.
The Recognition
- Personalized letter from the judge detailing specifically what makes the quilt significant
- Quilt show gallery card and ribbon
- Quilt’s image and information featured in three places on NACQJ social media: nacqj.com (Website), the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (Facebook), and nacqj2015 (Instagram)
This recognition serves NACQJ's mission to elevate standards in quiltmaking through education, observation, and the celebration of exceptional work.
For Show Organizers
With advance approval from show coordinators, NACQJ Certified Judges may award this recognition at no cost to the show. It adds educational value to your event while complementing, but never conflicting with, your regular award structure.
For Quilt Makers
If your quilt receives the NACQJ Award of Merit, you've created something that contributes to the quilting community's collective knowledge. Your work has been identified by a certified expert as having qualities worth studying and emulating.
About the NACQJ
The National Association of Certified Quilt Judges promotes excellence in quilt evaluation by certifying and supporting skilled quilt judges who bring professional expertise, consistent standards, and an educational perspective to quilt shows across the country. The Award of Merit reflects our commitment to advancing the art and craft of quilting through thoughtful observation and meaningful recognition.
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