What's New at NACQJ!!!
Our revision of the Candidate Application is complete and we're now accepting new applications. Find out more by clicking on the button below:

Meet our new NACQJ Certified Judges!
        NACQJ CJ Irene Scheffler, Newburgh, IN

Irene discovered quilting in 1993 after over 25 years of garment sewing.  Her early adventures in quilting were mostly traditional bed quilts and a few wall hangings.  Once her three children were raised and gone from home, she began to explore other styles and techniques when she joined her local quilt guild in 2003. 
After an almost 37 year career in industry, she retired and was then free to focus on her quilting passion.  In addition to developing her quilting skills, she has served in a variety of positions in her Guild, most recently as President and Quilt Show Chair.  It was while organizing the Show in 2017 that she became aware of NACQJ and the Guild has had Certified Judges for the Show ever since. 
After discovering and observing the Judging Process, Irene became interested in becoming a Certified Judge and became a Candidate in December 2022.  She enjoys all styles of quilting and is a voracious learner, which she feeds via self-study, classes, teaching and her critique group meetings/trips.  She especially enjoys the energizing creativity of Challenges and Group exchanges/activities.
Irene is very proud of her 3 children and 7 grandchildren, all of whom live between 4 and 13 hours from her.  Traveling to visit them is always a highlight in her life, and has allowed her to find some wonderful Quilt Shows and Shops during those travels.
        Jackie Ruffing, NACQJ CJ of Tyler, TX 

Jackie has enjoyed sewing since she was very young, taking sewing classes with her mom while living in Japan.  In 1972, she was introduced to quilts when her grandfather gave her a quilt that was pieced and quilted by her great grandmother.  Once she saw the variety of fabrics framed with purple sashings, she was hooked. 
Her desires to learn more led her to drafting patterns, hand quilting, to domestic machine quilting and then to her longarm machine.  In 2001, she started her own quilting business and gradually through the years, found the joy in competition quilting with her own and her customer’s quilts.  She personally has won several awards for her quilts and quilting skills, including Best of Show, Exemplary Quilting Awards, along with her customer’s receiving local, regional, and national awards.
 
After 21 years, she put her business on hold to focus on the certification process as a certified judge with NACQJ.  She recently completed the program and was designated as NACQJ Certified Judge.  Before going through the certification process, Jackie would have said traditional quilts caught her heart.  The certification process has broadened her appreciation for all genres and techniques.  Today, Jackie finds inspiration in every corner of the quilting world.  She hopes her comments when judging will reflect her desire to inspire and encourage quilt makers of all levels and to explore their creativity without any boundaries.
Shawn Sickle, NACQJ CJ of Richmond, TX

As a quilt judge, Shawn Sickle approaches each show with equal parts admiration and respect for the artistry on display. Her journey began in 2010 with a single quilt made for her newborn granddaughter—an experience that awakened a deep passion for the craft. With roots grounded in family tradition and years spent attending quilt shows alongside her mother, quilting quickly became an integral part of Shawn’s life.
In 2018, she expanded her skills through longarm quilting, deepening her technical knowledge, and enhancing her creative process. This growth naturally led her to the world of quilt judging, where she found purpose in supporting other quiltmakers and celebrating their unique voices.
Shawn has been earning recognition in both the Cherrywood and Hoffman Fabric Challenges and her work has also been juried into Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) exhibits, reflecting her commitment to artistic excellence. Additionally, she serves on the Quilt Show Committee for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
From the judge’s table, Shawn sees each quilt as an opportunity to uplift and empower its maker. She brings thoughtful evaluation, heartfelt encouragement, and a deep appreciation for the stories stitched into every piece.
We're thrilled to announce that we have added three brand new NACQJ Certfified Judges to our ranks!
At our conference last week in San Antonio, these three individuals successfully completed the requirements to achieve full NACQJ Certified Judge status.

Congratulations to...
Jacqueline Ruffing (Jackie) of Tyler, TX
Shawn Sickle of Richmond, TX
Irene Scheffler of Newburgh, IN

More details to follow.
NACQJ Certified Judges and Candidates gather at the conclusion of the Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild judging at the Shrine Auditorium, September 24-25, 2025
Exciting News!
We have a new Certified Judge!
Congratulations to Aleta Gustavson of Pella, Iowa 
     Aleta has been quilting since her teenage years, a journey that began with an introduction to sewing at the age of 10. While she didn’t take to making clothes, her love for quilting ignited when she watched Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting with her mother. Inspired by the potential of rotary cutters, Aleta and her mother made a few quilts together for friends and family. Though her mother never quite embraced quilting, Aleta was hooked, and quilting has been her passion ever since.
     In 2017, Aleta expanded her quilting skills by purchasing a longarm machine, and she’s now honing her freehand quilting techniques. She enjoys taking classes whenever the opportunity arises. She is an active member of several quilting guilds and is deeply involved in her local guild community.
     Aleta developed a passion for quilt judging after being invited by a judge to participate in the process at a local fair. Her journey continued with a hands-on experience volunteering in the judging room for the Des Moines Guild’s show, where she became interested in the feedback process. Aleta actively submits her quilts for judging, viewing it as an opportunity to refine her skills and grow as an artist. She sees quilt judging not only as a means of celebrating craftsmanship but also as a way to inspire quilters to push their creative boundaries and elevate the art form.
     When she's not quilting, Aleta works as a part-time Assessment Coordinator for Central College. She lives with her husband, Nathan, and two cats. They have two children. Whether she’s creating beautiful quilts or balancing family and work life, Aleta’s love for quilting and its community continues to grow.
Congratulations to our newest NACQJ Certified Judge!
Margaret Powers of Columbus, IN
Margaret learned to sew in high school as a way to stretch her clothing allowance.  It was when friends invited her to attend quilt shows in the mid-80’s that her interest in quilting was born.  She started making baby quilts for grandchildren and friends, graduating to bed quilts when her grandchildren graduated from college.  Purchasing a longarm machine in 2007, Margaret has expanded her quilting repertoire by taking classes to refine quilt construction techniques and to improve her longarm quilting skills.
Entering a quilt in a local show piqued her interest in becoming a Certified Quilt Judge.  That process was put on hold when Margaret was asked to be the Executive Director of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.  After leaving the Philharmonic, she returned to quilting activities and re-entered the NACQJ candidate program.
 
Participating as an aide at NACQJ Partner Shows and other quilt shows has fed her love of quilting.  Continuing to learn about the many facets of quilting, sharing ideas, and encouraging quilters to develop their skills and to display their quilts is the trajectory for this new stage of her life.
Congratulations to our two newest NACQJ Certified Judges, Terri Miller of AZ and Mary Wolter of WI, who completed the requirements for certification recently at the Arizona State Quilters Show in Mesa, Arizona, January, 2025
Terri learned to sew through her local 4-H club and developed her love for quilting from her grandmother. That same grandmother patiently taught her to embroider which began her love of hand work including silk ribbon embroidery, English Smocking, and quilt binding.
She enjoys the wide variety of quilt styles. After her youngest child went to college, she purchased a longarm machine and began quilting for herself and others. She also enjoys combining written patterns to create something new and different. She affectionately calls this “Frankensteining”.
She is excited to be a NACQJ Certified judge and to follow the NACQJ mission statement – “Honoring excellence in quilts, encouraging success for quiltmakers”. She loves to encourage quiltmakers of all skill levels to elevate their talent and stretch their abilities while learning new techniques.
Terri is married to Blake and they are the parents of four brilliant children and 15 beautiful grandchildren. When she isn’t quilting, she loves working in her garden and the challenge of growing something beautiful in the arid high desert. She invites you to stop by anytime and she’ll join you as you “Stand on the Corner” in Winslow, AZ.      
Mary Wolter has been quilting since 1976, making her first quilt as a teenager from instructions given in a McCall's magazine during the Bicentennial. But it wasn't until the 1990's that her hobby/obsession really took off. She attended her first national quilt show in Paducah, KY with a friend in 1996 and has since taken numerous classes over the years to refine her skills. She's won many awards in local and regional quilt shows in southeastern Wisconsin and belongs to several quilt guilds. Quality feedback from quilt show judges on her own work went a long way to motivate continuous improvement and inspired her to pursue certification as a judge after retirement from WEC Energy Group in 2021. 
Mary is Treasurer of the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, WI, where she enjoys viewing each new exhibit and getting inspiration from each artist's work. She is also an avid collector of quilts from the 1930's-1960's and is a member of the American Quilt Study Group. 
In between Board meetings and guild meetings Mary attends about six quilt retreats each year with a group of like-minded quilty friends, leaving behind her long-suffering but supportive husband of 43 years, Jim. Together they raised four children and now have two grandsons. She has lost all hope of ever finishing all of her UFO's (unfinished objects) or using up her extensive fabric stash, but as a certified judge she hopes to encourage and motivate quilters of all ages and skill levels for many years to come.
We are thrilled to announce that we have a newly minted NACQJ Certified Judge, Colleen Carlson from North Dakota! Colleen passed the final part of her certification at the NACQJ Partner Show in Asheville, NC in September, 2024
NACQJ judges provide excellence in quilt evaluations to entrants of quilt shows across the nation and Colleen is excited to receive certification and to join the NACQJ team.
Colleen started to sew in 4-H in rural North Dakota and started to quilt in 1999 at the insistence of a friend. She juried into her first national show at AQS Des Moines in 2014. She has shown quilts in local and regional shows as well as in Houston, Paducah, Road to California, QuiltCon, and Birmingham, England. She was a lecturer and teacher at QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, NC.
Colleen loves to create projects in many styles. She is well known in her quilt guild for changing the quilt pattern. Her most popular lecture is “A Pattern is Just a Suggestion” and is available on Zoom to guilds along with “Back Talk” and “Explore Modern Traditionalism” from QuiltCon. Check out her website
at www.quiltjudgecolleen.com. She invites everyone to follow her on Instagram as rxquilt.
Her career as a pharmacist kept her from starting the NACQJ candidate program until she reached semi-retirement. Colleen and her husband of 39 years have two children: a son in Grand Forks, and a daughter and son-in-law in Olathe, Kansas. She enjoys playing Maj Jongh with friends and loves playing the pipe organ for Christmas Eve services.
 NACQJ CJs gather in Asheville, NC after the completion of the judging of the Asheville Quilters Guild  Show, our 2024 Partner Show.  Always ready to learn more, we gathered for an extra day of relevant presentations by the CJs for the Candidates as well as mock judging practice for the Candidates.
The NACQJ CJs gathered at the Farmstead Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana in September 2023, for our biennial conference. Over the span of three days we shared expertise, information, and fellowship.
Two of our NACQJ Candidates completed the rigorous certification process at our partner show in St. Cloud, MN and joined our ranks as Certified Judges!
Congratulations to...
Lisa Schreck and Cindy Seitz-Kreg  !!!
NACQJ Certified Judge Lisa Schreck of St. Augustine, Florida

Sewing, crafting, and embroidery has been Lisa's hobby and challenge for as long as she can remember.  Judging is an opportunity to share her enthusiasm for quiltmaking and love of the textile arts.  She looks forward to celebrating the accomplishments of quilters at all skill levels while encouraging the pursuit of excellence in workmanship and design.   In addition to her pharmacy practice, Lisa is very active with her local Saint Augustine guild and serves on the QuiltFestJax Board.  Lisa is excited and honored to join the judges of NACQJ. 
Cindy Seitz-Krug, Overgaard, AZ
 Cindy Seitz-Krug of Overgaard, Arizona 
I started quilting in 1992 when my mom signed the two of us up for a beginning quilting class in Ventura, California.  As soon as I completed that first quilted wallhanging, I was hooked!  In the 31 years since that first quilting class, I have made hundreds of quilts.  Many of them have won awards at national quilt shows.
      Sometime around 1998 I entered my first judged quilt show and won a Best of Show award, and that really lit a fire under me to continue to improve my quilting skills and continue to compete. Soon after that, I convinced my quilt guild to have its quilt show judged by certified judges. That is how I became so entrenched in the quilt judging world.  Those certified judges helped to shape the person I am today; I am truly honored to have been guided and encouraged by them through the years.
      Over the past fifteen years, I got serious about my quilting career and started teaching and lecturing at national quilt shows.  I have also had the honor to teach in China, which was a wonderful experience.  Additionally, I have written two books on grid-based quilting designs and have three online classes covering domestic machine quilting.  
 When my son graduated from high school in 2018, I decided to take the plunge and enter the NACQJ judging certification program.  I knew it would be a daunting task, but once I commit to something, I follow through.  So here I am, five years later, having accomplished what was probably one of the toughest goals I’ve ever set for myself.  I am very honored to join the ranks of the other NACQJ judges.  I take my new title as “Certified Judge” very seriously, and will continue to uphold the high standards of the institution.
      Aside from my quilting life, I have a husband that I’ve been married to for 32 years.  We have two grown, wonderful children: Caitlyn (30), and Cameron (23).  When I’m not quilting, I enjoy spending time in the great outdoors with my husband and our four mules.
 
 
NACQJ Partner Show 2023 ~ June 12 ~ 17, 2023
Minnesota State Quilt Show, River's Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN
NACQJ Certified Judges and a bunch of our Candidates gather in St. Cloud, MN at the conclusion on the judging on June 13, 2023. Our partner show was the Minnesota State Quilt Show!
NACQJ Certified Judges gather for dinner at our annual Partner Show. Our partner show for 2022 was Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild at their Great River Quilt Show in Davenport, Iowa.
We have four newly minted NACQJ CJs!!
Kathie Beltz, New Hampshire

I am totally addicted to quilting, and enjoy associating with other quilters who are equally addicted.  I’ve been quilting since 1995, teaching since 2004, and judging quilts since 2007. 
I am a Certified Instructor with Studio 180 Design, and in 2017, I launched Kathie Beltz Quilt Designs, my own line of quilt patterns. I recently became a Member of the Board of Directors at the New England Quilt Museum.  More information on my work is available at KathieBeltz.com.
Karen Kendo, South Carolina

Karen has been quilting since 1995 and credits the hobby now turned second career with keeping her young.  She is active in her state guild, Quilters of South Carolina and her local guild, Cobblestone Quilters Guild of Charleston, SC.  Karen is a quilt teacher, quilt judge,lecturer, and a longarm quilter.  You can see her work at Quilting with Karen on Facebook.  
Kathryn Zimmerman, North Carolina

Kathryn has been quilting for 25 years.  She started entering competitions after retiring which led the Certified Judges Program as a desire to learn how winning quilts were chosen.  She enjoys assisting  other quilters with their creations to elevate their design and workmanship skills.  Kathryn lives on a 60 acre century farm in Western North Carolina with her husband Herbert , and dachshund, Odie.
 
Brandy Maslowski, British Columbia, CAN

Brandy Maslowski is a quiltmaker and fiber artist who travels the world as a teacher, speaker and judge. She leads quilt cruises and land tours with the tagline More Joy, Less Overwhelm. She hosts the weekly Quilter on Fire podcast and can be found everywhere online as the Quilter on Fire.
NACQJ Publicity Table at the Show!
Complete with a backdrop of the 2020 Certified Judge Challenge Quilts ~ "Our Colors, My Style

In 2022, NACQJ partnered with the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild at their Great River Quilt Show in Davenport, Iowa.
 The Certified Judge Challenge quilts,
"Our Colors, My Style" 
debuted at the Arizona Quilters Guild Show
"Kaleidoscope of Quilts"
March 24 - 26, 2022
at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, AZ

Click this button to go to individual images of each quilt and listings of each quilt's creator

2 New Masterpiece Quilts!

NACQJ would like to announce that the designation of "Masterpiece Quilt" has been given to two quilts at the NACQJ Certified Judges' Conference in Colorado Springs, CO in September, 2021. We are very proud to acknowledge the amazing design and spectacular workmanship of these two quilts. Each quilt went through a rigorous 3-hour evaluation by a team of 5 NACQJ Certified Judges. Both quilts are very deserving of this honor and we congratulate Janet Stone and Molly Hamilton-McNally for their excellence in all aspects of the creation of these incredible pieces of art!
                                                                                        Congratulations to...
                                                                      Janet Stone of Overland Park, Kansas
                                                                                                     and
                                                              Molly Hamilton-McNally of Tehachapi, California
Moonflower
by Molly Hamilton-McNally
of Tehachapi, California
"Crazy for Ewe"
by Janet Stone
of Overland Park, Kansas
NACQJ Certified Judges gathered in Colorado in early September for a 4 Day Conference. Included was a visit to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in its beautiful new location in Golden. Now showing at the Museum is an exhibit featuring quilts by a number of the Certified Judges.

The Exhibit continues through October 16th,2021

                    Be sure to visit if you're in the area!
A Face Book post of The Quilt Show.com with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims includes an article by our own NACQJ CJ Stacy Koehler!
Doing what we can to help out in the current health crisis...
NACQJ Certified Judge Fran Kordek of West Virginia has been busy making over 80 masks for family, friends, and her community.
 Certified Judge Sue Cortese of Holland, Michigan has created these masks for Holland Hospice, elderly relatives, a cousin who just finished chemo and for her daughter who is a dietitian in a hospital in Portland, OR.
We have a new Masterpiece Quilt!
Evaluated at the Certified Judge Retreat in Shipshewana, IN in a 3 hour process by a team of NACQJ Certified Judges in September, 2019

Congratulations to Sally Brown of Colleyville, TX
the designer and creator
and to quilter Jackie Brown of Caddo Mills, TX

                                                                   “My Baltimore Album”
Sally Brown states that she wanted this traditional Baltimore Album quilt to represent herself, her family, and their values.  She continues, “In our Applique group, we had a year of ‘lessons’ with Teresa Sherling and Barbara McCraw where we learned about Baltimore Album quilts and started our own quilt.  We made blocks and brought them for show & tell.  I made a few blocks and then it sat idle for a few years.  I had been to the Tyler (TX) Quilt show when Marilyn Hardy won Best of Show for her Baltimore Album quilt.  Marilyn graciously took quite a bit of time sharing with me what all the blocks in her quilt represented, connecting them to her family.  I knew then that I wanted my Baltimore Album 'quilt to have as much heart in it as her's did.  I wanted mine to reflect who I am and what is central to my life but I couldn't figure out how to do that.  After several years, I finally decided to do that with the inking and I was able to finish the top.  Of course, much of the inspiration came from the Elly Sienkiewicz Baltimore Album books.  At that point, it had become very special to me and I knew I wanted Jackie Brown to quilt it.  I knew she would make it sing and she certainly did.
Congratulations and Welcome!
To our three new NACQJ Certified Judges!!!

Nancy took her first quilting class in 1981. She was immediately addicted to the craft and hasn’t stopped making, looking at, and thinking about quilts since then. She loves all types of quilts, but right now she loves to make Art Quilts the most. Besides judging, she also teaches and lectures.
Nancy is a graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in Civil Engineering. When not at home in the beautiful high desert outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, she and her husband Kent love to travel anywhere and everywhere. 
Sandy Gard is a self-taught seamstress and quilter since she started sewing at age 6.  Her lifelong love affair with quilting began at her grandmother’s farm house in Texas as all the neighbors gathered, lowered the quilting frame from the living room ceiling, then sat around the quilt, quilting and visiting.
Sandy has had a home-based sewing business for 21 years and in 2007, Sandy became a long-arm quilter. In 2014, Sandy entered the NQA Judging program. She has spent four years working with certified judges and judging quilt shows. She holds positions on four local quilt guild boards and is judging coordinator for two.
Sandy believes that quilting is a time-honored tradition. She loves the history and the future of quilting as she promotes the tradition to new quilters of any age.
Amy lives in rural West Virginia at the intersection of a ‘holler’ and a dirt road. Since she started quilting eight years ago, she feels like she’s found her place in life, which is behind a sewing machine. She’s very excited to be joining the ranks of the NACQJ Certified Judges.