I just finished a quilt.  Always a good feeling, especially if the quilt has been hanging over your head in some kind of obligatory way and you just weren’t into it and you had to make yourself finish it by sheer will power. Yes, there are quilts like that. Being a judge does not mean that every stitch always feels like Cinderella’s little dress-making winged and furry buddies have somehow gotten trapped in your sewing room. Sometimes it’s just drudgery, but eventually you take the last stitch…..probably in the binding.

Ah yes, bindings. What’s the big deal with judges and the binding? Seriously, if I could look back on all the comment sheets I’ve dictated over the past 13 years, probably 95% of them have a binding comment on them and the other 5% would have some other edge finishing remark. We just can’t leave the edges of those quilts alone. It’s such a little thing, compared to all the other components of a quilt; what’s the big deal?

That little thing is part of a few much larger concepts in judging.

The first is the assumption that the quiltmaker, by entering a quilt for judging, has signaled some level of interest in or curiosity about competition or in improving their quiltmaking. As a judge, I hope that what I say in my comments gives the maker something to work with in making their future quilts more competitive. The magic about a binding comment, though, is that, should the quilter want to, the binding can re-done and that quilt, not some as-yet-unmade quilt in the future, but the one right there, can be made more competitive. It is not uncommon for a quiltmaker with a competitive streak to enter the same quilt in multiple shows, so that quilt will have another shot at a ribbon. And although how a quilt finishes in a show has a lot to do with what other quilts it is competing against on any given day, any weak point that is strengthened can put it in a better position in the next show.

And now a side comment: I think many quilters enter their quilts in their home guild’s quilt show and that’s that. It’s a one shot deal. Let me suggest to you that you consider entering the same quilt into multiple shows, assuming that other shows are available within a reasonable distance and the expense is not prohibitive. More feedback, more experience, is always good and can either, through multiple mentions, point at things to improve or let you know you really are doing well.

Back to binding and the second larger judging concept. Many judging points are based on longevity for the quilt. I’ve said it before, but I want your quilt to be around a long, long time.  Typically, the place where a quilt wears the most is on the binding. A well-executed binding is your quilt’s first line of defense, so it’s worth keeping in mind some of the binding judging points:

• A binding should be full of batting: The batting supports the binding from within.
• Stitching should be small, secure and invisible: This protects the stitches from wear and tear or being caught on something and ripped out.
• Mitered corners should be stitched closed: One less catch point.
• Binding joins should be smooth: Anything that sticks up, like a lumpy seam in the binding, will wear faster.
• A binding that brings the backing around and is stitched onto the front, covering the raw edges is a longevity liability. When it wears, the actual backing of the quilt is wearing and compromising the integrity of the quilt. An applied binding can be replaced without any risk to the quilt.

 
And a final judging concept: the entrant is given credit for demonstrating attention to detail and mastery of the art of quiltmaking. Some binding judging points are not so clearly about longevity, they’re about quilting flash.

• Binding should be a consistent width: Because you can control that honking big quilt on its last few passes through your machine.
• Corners should be 90 degrees…. Ditto. That is detailed control of just a few stitches on a big heavy dead weight.
• …And should be consistently shaped: That control is demonstrated not just once, but 4 times.
• Binding fabric should be cut with care in regard to directional or repeated motifs: Because you’re paying attention.
• Edges should be straight: Usually commented on with the binding, but can in fact be a cumulative issue throughout the construction, as each component is squared and accurately executed.

 
So yes, a binding is little, but it does a big job. And it’s just one kind of edge finish.
 
Stacy Koehler, Secretary, NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Masterpiece Quilts
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I belong to the Pittsburgh Modern Quilt Guild. After I moved to a new city, I checked out all the available guilds in the area and the only one that met at a time when I did not have commitments was PghMQG. Decision made!

I had to think about it for a while. I wasn’t sure about the whole judge thing in a modern group. (And it doesn’t matter whether you tell people right off or if you wait and let it trickle out on its own, eventually your very own pet elephant shoves its way into the room and is kind of in the way. The elephant comes with the job. Just accept it.) Turns out it works out just fine.

I had always been a fan of modern quilting, but the modern quilters I knew were all some other kind of quilter first and then leaned modern. All ‘old’ quilters.  So this was my first modern group and my first contact with a whole bunch of quilters who were pretty much born and bred modern.

It’s very interesting.  It’s fun. I’m learning a lot. (If you get through the certification program, you know a lot about quilts. Never be lulled into the illusion you know it all.) And if I was ever worried about what would happen to quilting as the average guild population grayed out, I truly believe that quilting will be just fine, thank you very much.

Have they changed my judging perspective? I’m not sure ‘changed’ is the right word; more like enriched. I can bring that enrichment to the judging floor. Here are some thoughts that are in the back of my mind when I judge improvisational piecing.

True improvisational piecing is an interactive process that starts when the first seam is sewn and doesn’t stop till the last seam is closed. It’s a conversation between the quilter, the materials and the evolving design. It’s not just random piecing, although there is a place for randomness in the process.

While improvisation is open to the ongoing development of the quilt, it is not aimless. Kind of a paradox, but true. Amanda Hancock, a quilter from PghMQG, refers to the process as ‘improvisation with intent.’ Chances are that the quilter had at least a vague idea of where they were headed with the piece when they started out. At least at the outset, there had to be something on which to base design decisions, fabric and color choices. The real trick, though, is being open to changing course based on what you see developing. And that, folks, is pretty hard.

Traditional quilters, especially if you work from a pattern as many of us do, pretty much know where they’re going with a quilt from the get-go.  Many of those color and design decisions involved in making a quilt have already been made. And for ‘old’ quilters, letting go and trusting yourself and the process is a major challenge. (It can also be big fun. And engrossing. Seriously, when was the last time you used the word ‘engrossing’ to describe piecing?)

Improvisation can be personal and unique. Without a pattern, any idea that is expressed is directly connected to the quiltmaker’s art, thoughts and feelings. It’s their personal image, even if the idea comes from somewhere else. If the quiltmaker leans toward minimalism, it can be reduced to a very simple expression. Don’t confuse simple and easy.

Below is a quilt made by Amanda Hancock (Thank you, Amanda!) of West View, PA which she showed us during a presentation on improvisational piecing. 

​If you are a CJ or a Candidate, you will have already seen this post. It was written by Marilyn Hardy, a Certified Judge, and ran in the NACQJ newsletter.  I’m including it here in the hopes that maybe a few people who are not directly associated with NACQJ might also read it. Honestly, we take this issue seriously.

Unfortunately there is a widely held view out there in the world beyond the judging room that “judges just choose what they like.” More unfortunately, I believe that assessment can be true of authors of books, famous quilters, and quilting teachers who are often asked to judge quilt shows. Some do respond to what they like and award ribbons largely based on their personal likes and emotional responses to quilt entries.

If you are writing your paper (Editor’s note: This refers to the paperwork required of the Candidates working toward Certification.) and are laboring away listing judging criteria, and if you are studying the complexities of design, you already know that there is much, much more to awarding ribbons than responding to what we “like.”

Professional judging is about taking subjectivity out of the response and identifying objectively why a quilt succeeds…or not. When you are judging, please remember NEVER to say those dangerous words, “I like.” If those words pass your lips, you are adding evidence for those who are looking for superficial reasons to make light of the decisions of a qualified judge.

Let me give you an example. Perhaps you are examining a well-designed, well-made quilt. In your eye its crowning glory is a very creative edge treatment which is beautifully suited to the design of the quilt and is executed with skill. You might carelessly respond to this edge treatment by remarking, “I like that edge treatment,” meaning the edge treatment is truly something special and appropriate to the piece. But others will hear your words and say the judge chose that quilt because she LIKED the edge treatment.

Choose your words carefully! Give a professional response, such as “Creative edge treatment supports center design effectively.”

There is one instance in which you may award a ribbon because you LIKE the quilt. That is your Judge’s Choice. Be warned, however, that often many other circumstances may need to be considered when you award that ribbon. Perhaps there is a quilt that just missed ribboning and yet deserves recognition. Perhaps there is a quilt in which the maker makes a bold design statement that you want to honor but the workmanship does not hold up to the design promise. You will find that the Judge’s Choice ribbon can also be used to accomplish other objectives than “I like.”
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After you have judged a show, if someone in the judging room tells you, “I can’t tell what your personal likes and dislikes are”—you have received high praise as a judge. Remember—the words “I like” are dangerous words in the judging room.
 
Marilyn Hardy, NACQJ and NQA CJ ​

Sorry for the long absence. Along with millions of other people, I’ve had the flu, which is hardly worth mentioning, even as an excuse, and I’ve been away at Something Wonderful, which definitely is worth mentioning.

It might even have something to with quilt judging, but you’ll have to decide at the end.

Something Wonderful, hereafter referred to as SW, is an event that Phyllis Manley, another CJ, and I came up with about 6 years ago. It grew out of two former NQA-relate elements.

The first was the Friday Morning Medley, which was an activity at the lamented annual NQA show. You signed up and for a few hours, not surprisingly on Friday morning, you got to wander among continuous mini-workshops on a wide variety of topics. It was quilt education grazing. You could go to as many presentations, or as few, as you wanted. The presentations were short and you could pick up a lot of good ideas and tips, depending on your interest. Unlike many other classes, you did not have to bring machines, tools or enough supplies to make you wonder if, when you looked in the mirror, you would see a burro, llama or other pack animal looking back at you.  In other words, it was really easy. I loved it. 

The second was The Color Journey. If you missed it, it was a challenge issued to the CJs which required each participant to carry one designated color from a specific spot on the left hand edge of a wall quilt, across the width of the quilt, while morphing it into another designated color and bringing it to rest at another specific spot on the right hand margin. The result, when all quilts were hung side by side, was that the full color spectrum moved seamlessly across all quilts, with a mind-boggling array of techniques and ideas included in the individual pieces.  It was magnificent.

The organizer of The Color Journey decided to make it available to travel. All you had to do was sign up.

My good friend Phyllis signed our guild right up.  (Yup, we’re in the same guild.) For a week in February. In the northeast. Smack dab in the middle of winter. Not in conjunction with our guild’s show or anything.  Just a big box of quilts was coming our way.

What to do? We needed to incorporate them into an event or something.

We thought back to the Friday Morning Medley, and added some other things that crossed our minds, but we couldn’t come up with a name. It was getting close and I felt like we had to put a save-the-date kind of thing in the guild’s newsletter, even if the details were not all worked out. So I went out on a limb:  Save February 15 for something wonderful. Details to follow. (You want to get yourself in gear on planning? Commit to a date!)

We never came up with a better name. It’s been Something Wonderful for 6 years. It includes: 8 mini-workshops, educational displays about quilting (think science fair), a box lunch, sometimes a lecture, a book full of patterns and information, mini kits, door prizes and a small hung quilt show. It’s been a major amount of work, but we have resisted the temptation to make it bigger, partially because our venue has some size limits on their rooms and because we think part of its charm is that it feels very personal and homemade-in-a-good-way.

We ask for feedback every year and we get raves but no suggestions.  I think we just got lucky the first time and hit on a really good combination of stuff that we’ve refined but haven’t essentially changed. That, and we’ve always asked ourselves what kind of event we would like to go to and used that as a template. And we’ve always asked ourselves what would inspire the average quilter, without being overwhelming. It was always supposed to be easy and fun (Thank you, Friday Morning Medley) and always provide something they’ve never seen before (Thank you, Color Journey.)

So why am I telling you this in a judging blog?

First of all, I hope someone else will try it. Something like this is, in fact, Wonderful. Make it fit your environment and your quilters. When the day is over, we are always way past exhausted, but we're also sure it was worth it.

Second, it can be good for you. As a judge, you are, or will be,  perhaps perceived as No Fun, Serious, Picky, Critical….the list could go on.  And it gets old.

I have found being deeply involved in something that is Light and Happy and Easy is very satisfying. I love it when I see the participants leaving, at the end of the day, with a bunch of ideas and a desire to try them. I like to be someone other than the person whose last words to them are about what they should do to improve their binding. It’s good for my judge’s soul.

Although, if you ever decide to try such an event, unlike the participants, you will need the burros and llamas….lots of them.
 

Stacy Koehler, Secretary, NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Masterpiece Quilts
​

 Piecing is a very large topic, from a judging point of view. After the last 2 posts, there are still a few more points that need to be considered.

Quilters start with fabric that they cut and stitch with accuracy, we hope. We use sewing machines, needles, thread, rulers, scissors, rotary cutters….and don’t forget the iron.

Pressing is often an afterthought. It’s what you do when the important stuff…cutting and stitching…is done. “I’ll just give it a quick press……if I have time.”

As I was learning to quilt, I had one of those ‘Huh?’ moments (If I had a dollar for every ‘Huh?’....) when I discovered that some quilters actually paid attention to pressing and that some of them even had a pressing plan when they started to piece. When another new-ish quilter at a guild meeting asked me if I pressed my seams to one side or open she might as well have been asking me if I’d ever launched the space shuttle. Totally clueless. It finally, slowly dawned on me that when you start aiming for quality piecing, pressing becomes important. Especially if you’re planning on having your work  judged.

But wait, how does the judge know what you did with the iron? It’s on the inside.  She can’t see it!

Yes and No.

Some piecing judging points that could be related to pressing can be seen just by looking.  For example, shadowing of dark fabric through light fabric, which is not desirable. The quiltermaker might notice this while pressing, and decide to trim the seam allowances to avoid the shadow.  Or they might choose to press the seam in another direction. If this was a Harry Potter story, 10 points to Pressing.

More often, pressing can be felt. This is one of the main reasons why judges touch the quilts they are judging. You know how sometimes the seam allowance flips from one side of the seam to another in the middle of the seam? An experienced judge can feel that.

Will the judge happen to run her fingers over the seam right where that happens? Maybe, maybe not. But as long as you’re at the ironing board, wouldn’t it just be easier to make sure there’s no flip to be found?

Pressing really comes into its own where a lot of seams come together, such as in the center of a LeMoyne Star or Pinwheel block. One of the comments I frequently find myself making is something to the effect of ‘Strive for decreased bulk at block centers,’ (or wherever the bulk happens to be.)  Other than a nice flat appearance and feel, as with so many other judging points there is a practical advantage to avoiding built up bulk on the quilt. Any area that sticks up on the surface of a quilt is going to be more susceptible to wear and tear.  Some areas that suffer from wear and tear, like the edge of the binding, can be easily repaired, but the middle of a block is another magnitude of difficulty. Another 10 points to Pressing.

And now a pressing hint, that has absolutely nothing to do with judging. Some years back a friend of mine sent me a link to a video about pressing with a clapper (a tool originally used in tailoring) and steam. (Yeah, I know, bad steam.) I do a lot of improv piecing with seams of all sizes and angles and this thing really works. You get flat seams.  As a blogger for NACQJ, I probably shouldn't actually tell you where I bought mine, but if you google ‘pressing with a clapper’ you’ll find lots of info.
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Take that, bulk!
 
Stacy Koehler, Secretary, NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Masterpiece Quilts
​

​Yes, there’s more. While the most obvious element of piecing is how the seam intersections meet, which was cover in the last post, there are a number of other points that make for good quality work.
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Consider cutting. Before you ever thread a needle, you cut your fabric and how well this is done will show up in the finished piecing. All like patches (for example: the squares making up a 9 Patch block) should be the same size and shape. Although these can get distorted at any number of other points, clean, accurate cutting is the foundation for good piecing.

Attention to grain line/bias during the cutting process will also contribute to a crisp result. There should be no distortions in the finished piecing caused by inattention to grain.

Similarly, awareness of the printed design on the fabric is important. Careful manipulation or control of directional elements will either enhance the piecing, if done well, or detract from it if the directional elements draw negative attention. It is not unusual for smart use of fabric to be significant in a quilt’s success.

​Next, all the things related to thread and stitching. Thread should match or blend with the fabric.  Keep in mind that the judge will likely check the seams carefully, at least in a few places on the quilt. Just because a discordant thread isn’t visible from a distance doesn‘t mean it won’t be picked up on closer examination. Choice of an appropriate thread for piecing is a one-and-done, easy thing to do correctly. It’s just as simple to thread up and wind bobbins from a well-chosen spool of thread as it is to use a poorly chosen spool.

So your fabric choices are well made, the patches are well cut, the thread is right on the money. Other than accurate piecing, which was covered in the last post, can there really be more?
​
Yup.

Stacy Koehler, Secretary, NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Masterpiece Quilts

​Let’s talk about judging points; the specific things judges look for when they evaluate a quilt. A good place to start is with piecing.
Piecing is fairly easy to judge. It’s nice and concrete. You can see (or in some cases, feel) everything about piecing clearly. You can point to specific things that will support your evaluation. Either the point is sharp or it’s not. The seam is straight or it’s not. Piecing judging points are fairly clear-cut, at least at first glance.  However there are quite a few of them.
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You can begin looking at piecing when the quilt is initially held up. While you can’t see anything in detail, you can notice if there is any major distortion or visual distraction that might be traced back to piecing issues. (Or, if we accentuate the positive, you can notice that the quilt seems free of distortion, which might also be traced back to good piecing.) Whatever you see, or don’t see, at this point, be sure to check it out more fully when the quilt is flat on the table.

 
​On the most basic evaluative level for piecing, does the quilt design include places where the patches/seams have to meet up? Maybe there isn't much to evaluate. Many clever patterns for blocks, or even the entire quilt top, are designed to be easy to complete without sweating the whole accuracy thing. Or perhaps the pattern limits it to places where the blocks meet but eliminates it within the block, if there is a block at all. A traditional example is the plain log cabin block (although there are variations that do require some meeting seams.) On the modern end of things is improvisational piecing which may or may not retain some block structure. (Of course the real conundrum is figuring out if any inaccuracy was a stylistic choice or lack of skill…. Welcome to quilt judging!)
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The first, and most basic piecing point is: Do the seams/patches meet accurately? Simple, huh? Maybe not. This is rarely a pure yes or no answer. The judge may very well see more than one degree of accuracy within each quilt, even within each block. Some pieced units are easier to produce than others. A 4 Patch block is less challenging than a 9 Patch, is less challenging than a Pinwheel. 

Some fabrics are easier to work with than others. Some color and value choices hide inaccuracy well and some show every bump and ding. ​

Sometimes the quilter will hide or avoid a difficult seam intersection with an embellishment or another ‘design feature.’  ​

The yo-yo above brings up an important judging concept. As a judge, I have no idea what's under there, and the yo-yo and beading are well done. As far as what's in front of the judge, there's not a problem.  The judge needs to take it for what it is. The yo-yo strategy will not count against the quilt.....unless, of course, the next quilt in the stack includes 12 fan blades brought together without a yo-yo.....

Sometimes the quilting distorts the piecing. If the observed inaccuracy is caused by the quilting, you don’t want to blame the piecing. 

And here is a fine but important distinction. As much as the judge might know what the quiltmaker has done to cause the observed inaccuracy, it is not the job of the judge to make teaching comments. The job of the judge is to look at the quilt and fairly evaluate, positive or negative, what the quiltmaker has put in front of them. There is a time and a place for teaching and the judging floor is neither. HOWEVER, it is the job of the judge to know what they are looking at and give accurate feedback to the quiltmaker. If the judge calls the wobbly seam above a piecing error, the entrant is not being given helpful information. We need to get it right. 

So let’s put piecing accuracy in the context of quilting competition; and don’t forget, a judged quilt show is, at least on some levels, a contest. In any given group of pieced quilts, there will be quiltmakers who have pulled out all the stops and gone for a high level of difficult. And there will be some quiltmakers who have been more conservative in their choices of skills to demonstrate. Both high- and low-challenge groups with have quiltmakers who have been more successful than others. How do you rank a moderately successful high-challenge piecing job against a very successful low-challenge piecing job?

Judges are called upon to make this kind of determination all the time. And while there is no cut and dried answer, there are a few landmarks available to help you navigate your way to the winning quilts.

First of all, and mercifully, wins and losses are rarely determined on one feature of a quilt. Piecing does not stand alone. It is surrounded by color and design, fabric choices, all construction methods, quilting design and execution, edge finish etc. etc.  The quilt is judged as a whole, as a sum of its parts. The piecing accuracy may be a plus or a minus, but whichever it is, it is in the mix with a whole lot of other pluses and minuses that have just as much influence as the piecing does. (Actually, I’m not sure if that makes judging easier or harder……)
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Secondly, the judge can only judge what is in front of him/her. You cannot read in or second guess what might have happened if the quiltmaker had made different choices in producing the quilt.  It’s like a figure skating competition. The person who does a single jump may, in fact, be able to do a double, but they have not elected to demonstrate that skill. The skater who attempts a triple and does not land it might very well have been able to complete a double, but they risked the more difficult move. The quiltmaker’s choices, made in the execution of the quilt, are theirs. All you can do is judge what they show you, be it 4 Patch or Feathered Star.

And that's just one piecing judging point. Hang on, there are lots more!

Stacy Koehler, Secretary, NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Masterpiece Quilts

 Another year is coming to an end and all the December expectations are piling up: cookies to bake, gifts to buy or make, wrap and send, decorations to haul out, holiday meals to plan, complicated family calendars to coordinate.  And one more bill to pay: my NACQJ dues.

Honestly, whenever I write this check, one of the things I think about is how to close to not-there the CJs were; as an entity, an organization and a joined voice. Any of you who were not part of the CJ world a few years ago may not realize that just a small handful of people took on the job of converting us from a fraction of a disappearing organization to a little independent colony with a chance to salvage the best, ditch the rest and build a solid organization dedicated to providing professional quilt judging services and seeing that skill passed on to new judges.

I’ve said it before and here it is again: Ladies, I salute you.

And of course, as it often does, looking back leads to looking ahead and wondering what will happen with us.

Which leads to my Christmas wishes for us all.

I wish for longevity for NACQJ. Each year, when we look back, I hope we will always be able say that December 30th finds NACQJ as strong as, or stronger than, it was at the beginning of the year.  This will not happen without effort.  I am not so silly as to think that somehow, someone else will make this happen for me. I hope enough other people feel the same way and are able to act on that feeling that we will always be able to make it so.

I wish for candidates.  Lots and lots of candidates. I wish that the group welcomes them and supports them and invests in their success. I wish that each one of us who comes into contact with a candidate finds a way to guide and encourage them. I wish that we will treat them with the same professionalism, approachability and quality of interaction that we would want to show to any other individual we would come into contact with as a CJ. I wish that each of is aware that how we interact with our candidates has a whole lot to say about us, as individuals, as judges and as an organization.

I wish for courage, flexibility and perseverance for our candidates. I wish that each candidate is able to use difficulty as an opportunity to reassess what is needed and replot their course. I wish each one will be able to take the initiative and take advantage of the resources available to them and to persevere when the road seems longer than they would like it to be.

I wish that every candidate gets a mentor. I wish that enough CJs consider becoming mentors that the previous wish is no longer a wish.

I wish for continued dedicated leadership. I wish that new CJs are willing to step up and serve.  Seriously, it’s doable; a lot of families are bigger than the entire NACQJ. And you’re not alone; we all help one another. It’s kind of detail oriented, but hey, you’re all CJs.  Detail is your middle name!

I wish for continued new opportunities, the insight to recognize them when they show up and the will and energy to take advantage of them.

I wish for the continued willingness to build bridges between ourselves and other entities in the quilt world. Good will is a powerful thing.

I wish for well-being, health and peace for all of us. Face it, most people who decide to walk down the CJ road are not spring chickens. Many of us have challenges to deal with of our own, or with a loved one, that makes doing the job we love difficult, or that may limit what we can actively do to support the group. For myself, I have found that the camaraderie within this group is among the most rewarding of the relationships I have.  By the time you become a CJ, you are well on the way to having a restraining-order-level passion for quilts and I think when you run into others similarly afflicted, you latch on to one another, even if the actual time you spend together isn’t all that great. My wish for all of us, especially for those who are dealing with challenges, is that we don’t forget that bond. We’re still here and you’re still part of the little colony that we’ve all built with the commitment to what we do.

I wish that everyone of you who has ever lifted a finger for this organization knows how very grateful I am that you’ve done it. And I’m sure I’m not alone.
​
Whatever your tradition, however you celebrate it, I wish it nourishes you and brings you comfort and peace.
 
 
Stacy Koehler, Secretary, NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Master Piece Quilts
​

​Judges get asked a lot of different questions and one of the topics I get asked about most often is categories. When I’m hired, I sometimes get a list of categories from the guild and asked if the categories look OK. It’s almost as if there is an ideal category list out there somewhere and they don’t know if they’re in the ball park with the one they have created.
 
Let’s step all the way back and think about the 'why' of categories.
 
A simple, and very functional approach to the category question is to just not have any. A show full of quilts can be judged without the any category structure at all.  Instead of category ribbons (1st, 2nd, 3rd and HM) the ribbons awarded recognize skills, topics, etc.  For example: best hand applique, best pictorial, best edge finish and so on. Many shows with categories have special awards.  In a show without categories, it is ALL special awards, and a lot of them. And it works very nicely, thank you.

So you can ditch categories altogether, if it’s overwhelming.

Most of us are used to categories and what they do. In a typical category, like is compared to like. Ex: small mixed technique wall hangings are competing against other small mixed technique wall hangings. In the initial judging round, the playing field is leveled. The first place category quilt should be the show’s best example of the category’s type. In the first round, apples are being compared to apples, and the oranges are somewhere else. Only the best apple has to face an orange, somewhere down the line. Category judging is often the easiest to explain and understand, and many shows stick with it.

If a group decides they want to stick with categories, remembering what they can do for you is a good place to start.

First and foremost, they should represent your interests, whether ‘you’ is a guild or an organizer with a special interest. If you are a guild, take a look at what kinds of work your members do and structure accordingly. I once judged a guild that contained a very strong special interest group that made crazy quilts. Along with the more usual selection, their show had 3 full categories of crazy quilt variations. Not your typical category list, but it showcased what was unique about that guild.  Or consider the MQX shows, which highlight machine quilting. Their category structure reflects that and look a lot different from a local guild show. Set your categories up so they work for you.

Secondly, categories often provide an organizational structure for the show. They break a large, diverse, display into manageable bites. Keeping the apples with the apples, oranges with orange, grapes with…… isn’t just a judging issue. It’s how the quilts that are brought in for judging or display are kept in some kind of order. If you don’t use categories, you need another organizing principle to manage the quilts when you accept them and become responsible for them. Whatever organizing principle you use, it needs to carry through your paperwork, your correspondence, hanging, receiving and release. Yeah, I know. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”  Just sayin’……..

Finally, keep in mind that the categories are The Rules. When you set up categories you are setting up another section of the Rules of Entry. Three kinds of people will be bound by the category rules.

The first is the entrant. A quiltmaker who wants to make a quilt to enter in a show is not done when they put in the last stitch of the binding, the addition of a label or a final shot with the lint roller. The last thing a quilter can do for their quilt is enter it in the correct category. This is important because…..

The second person bound by the category rules is the judge. Before beginning a category, many judges will ask to have the category definition read to them. Sometimes the definition is pretty obvious (Bed Quilt, Pieced) and sometimes it is open to interpretation (Art Quilt, Youth Quilt, Modern Quilt etc.) The judge needs to know the definition so, when evaluating a quilt, they know if the quilt is in the right category or not, based on the category definitions. The guild wrote them and the judge is bound by them. A quilt that is not in the right category will be evaluated, judge’s comments will be recorded for the entrant, but the quilt will not be considered for a ribbon, as the entrant has not followed the rules of entry. (Remember that the last job of the quiltmaker  is to enter their quilt in the correct category.)

The third group bound by the rules is the group that wrote them.  
Your initial responsibility is to make their category definitions as clear as possible. After you’ve written the definitions, walk around your house, look at the quilts in it and mentally pop them into a category. If it seems like a quilt could go in more than one category, check to see if the definitions are ambiguous. If they are, try to clarify them. Yes, they are yours to define, but they need to make sense.

Follow throughwith your categories at receiving. Set up some kind of verification process. What this means is that, when the quilt is brought in, someone other than the maker (who may be confused…) looks at the quilt and makes sure it’s going into a category where it meets the definition. (Yes, sometimes a quilt can meet the definition in more than one category, in which case it is the entrant’s choice where it will be judged. Their quilt, their choice.) If a quilt isn’t in the right category, changing its category can be discussed while the entrant is still there, at receiving. By moving the quilt, you can put it into a category where it will be compared, like to like, with other quilts of its kind, and where it will be eligible for ribbon consideration (See “second person bound...” above.) If the maker is not available when this decision is to be made, they should be actively informed.

Depending on a variety of factors, a guild may find that the category rules they published as part of their entry form may need to be changed.  There may be too few quilts entered in a category and the guild may decide to eliminate it. Or there may be too many and the guild decides to split the category. Or any number of other circumstances.

Modifying the categories is completely within the guild’s rights, even as late as receiving, with one very important proviso. And that is, that the quilt/s moved must still meet the definition of the category they are being moved to. If the quilt does not meet the definition of its new category, the judge will not consider it for a ribbon, no matter how good it is. The entrant will have paid, though their judging fees, for an opportunity which has not been given to them, based on the actions of the guild. (Not a practice that the group wants to become known for.) The guild is bound by its own rules.

All this talk about categories and I haven't given you the definative category list.  That's becuse there isn't one!  Each group has to define their categories based on what they intend their show to present. Then, after they have defined them, it is the responsibility of all concerned with the show to abide by them. That means that the entrant reads them and asks questions if they're not sure about something.  The judge needs to know the definitions and judge accordingly.  And the guild needs to work within the framewark that they have, themselves,  set up.
 
Stacy Koehler, President,  NACQJ
NQA Certified Judge
Qualified to Evaluate Master Piece Quilts

Copyright © 2019 National Association of Certified Quilt Judges

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