Primitive1 Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 I need to ask so I can improve - I was given a semi low score for my starts and stops on a recent quilt that was entered in a show...I do bury my threads but am trying to understand what the judges mean when they score me low on that? Do they just want to see one continuous line and not be able to see where it starts or ends? If so, not all designs support that idea... If anyone out there has any suggestions - I'd love to hear them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 I was told you mostly get marked down if the starts and stops are easy to spot. That might mean there are too many of them, it might mean they are just in places where they are easy to see. It could be that there is a build up of thread at that point or the place where you bury them shows. Or it could mean the judge has a thing about starts and stops Not all comments are helpful or even relevant to your quilt. Sorry I can't be more help. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Thanks Ferret, I think this is just a gray area and hard to get a grasp on..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss jacque Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 On my entry the judge commented that she was impressed that I had used my seam lines to do most of my starts and stops. As you said, not always possible. Now I am not the greatest LAer but she seemed pleased and gave me an excellent. Of course this is just one judges opinion others have not been as kind. Jacque Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Vicki - while I think it's always important to try and do our best, you can really have your eyes opened by going to a major quilt show. I was very grateful to the women who hung the show at MQX East this year. All of the ribboned quilts were hung so you could not only see the front, but the back as well. While most of the quilts where lovely front and back, there were a few that had ribboned at other national shows, and when I looked at the backs of them, I would have been embarrassed to have had my name associated with them. Not only bad stops and starts, but bad tension, actual knots on the back, etc. This goes to show that some famous name quilters are often inattentive to some details, and some judges I think are wowed more by a prominent name than by the finer points of our craft. At any rate, judging is all relative. Then on the other hand, you have quilts like the Best of Show and the Best Longarm Quilting (also best use of thread) quilts at the show that totally knock your socks off in every single detail. Sometimes you just never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 I agree with you Linda, I have learned that winning a ribbon has everything to do with who is judging and their tastes. Through all of this I have decided to just continue to quilt what I and my customer's like. I take pride in my work and am trying to learn how to do things better as far as my quilting goes but will not do things a certain way just to please a judge. Not all quilts will be "knock your socks off quilts" either but I certainly try to make my quilting the best it can be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Well said, Vicki! I think judging, while it purports to be un-biased, is influenced by region, education, preference as to color/style/trends, and maybe peer pressure. Sometimes I think judges are forced by a knock-your-socks-off quilt to award to pieces they might not like but that they recognize as masterpieces. The big shows have two and sometimes three judges who combine forces to pick the top awards. Imagine having three strong, educated, quilt-loving women deciding between four gorgeous quilts as to which one gets which award!! Cute visual--three women who emerge from the judging room, hair wild, clothing crumpled, make-up smeared, sweaty, exclaiming "We have the winners!!":P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Linda, I think you have the makings of a quilt here! :D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Vicki definitely well said. I quilt for customers and myself and if the judge likes it all the better. It is so confusing though when you get great remarks from one judge and so so remarks from another. I try to look at them all and average them out. The truth has to be somewhere in between. I do hate when I get marked down in a category and no remarks. What does the number really mean? Great idea for a quilt though I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.A Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 I have volunteered at judging for our Guild show the past six years and have observed several teams of certified judges doing their thing. I think Ferret explained it perfectly. Heidi is right too...the same quilt can get completely different comments from judges at different shows. You posted this thread because you want to improve and that's the spirit you need to become a better quilter. It's often helpful to get feedback from shows but as a general rule, just make the quilts you love and always do your best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I think you have the right attitude.... Just make quilts and do your best work and enter your quilts in shows --- don't do it expecting to win an award.... Just do it for the fun and participation of it to show your work. I have to honestly say that my heart sinks a little whenever I read supportive comments that say "oh that's a ribbon winner!!! -- or -- "You'll win lots of ribbons with that quilt!!!" --- as I know that entering a quilt and winning a ribbon is really a roll of the dice. You just never know! So please just do your best work and enter your quilts for the fun and participation. Don't do it with high expections of winning a ribbon. Winning a ribbon is nice but really, it does not define you as a quilter and put you in a diferent league. There are so many variables involved with every show: Judges are all different, the quilts are all different. Marilyn Badger has won BOS with a quilt and in a different show that same quilt didn't even place. PS: I know many "big name award winning quilters" that do not bury their starts and stops. And they win. So there. It happens. Who knew? :cool: Go in with the right attitude when entering. Do your best work. Show your stuff girl. It's all about showing and sharing. If you win, good for you. If you don't win??? well.... you're still amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thanks Shana - you are such an encourager! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Vicki, that scares me to death! Your quilting is so gorgeous that if they nitpick on yours...I don't ever want to enter anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Oh no Cheri, Don't let them intimidate you into not entering shows! Just remember that what they say is only one person's opinion and if their tastes differ from yours - well that is no reflection on you. I am just trying to learn from what they say so I can improve my quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Originally posted by cblevins Vicki, that scares me to death! Your quilting is so gorgeous that if they nitpick on yours...I don't ever want to enter anything! Part of a judge's training is to use very politically-correct language when making comments. Instead of "What a crappy, crooked, and floppy binding", they will say "Binding seams should be straight and full of batting. Corners should be sewn shut". They say "Starts and stops should be less apparent". There is a whole set of correct phrases that are informational and sound like suggestions rather than criticisms. And if they have time they will say positive things as well. Really though, every quilter is more critical of herself than any judge could be and knows what's wrong and what's right on a quilt. Where the "I wonder why" part is why a quilt will ribbon at one show and get zilch at the next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Vicki: I've only had quilts entered in 3 small shows so far, so I am no expert, but this is what I've learned. Different judges look at quilts differently. One paid little attention to the quality of quilting, another paid a great deal of attention to it, and the third offered criticisms that just didn't hold up to close scrutiny. The lesson I've learned: Consider the critique, try and understand what the judge is trying to say (unless you can actually talk to her/him), honesty review and examine the criticism, and learn from the experience. I learned something about balancing my quilting from one show. I had to ask several other quilters what the judge was talking about before I understood the comment, but my quilting designs are better now. Don't worry about it, just learn whatever lesson is offered. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thanks everyone for your ideas and input. I thought that burying my thread ends was enough but have learned that they want to not be able to see where a line of quilting starts or ends (at least that is what I think they mean), all else seems to be ok - that was my lowest scoring. I'll just keep working on it. The trend seems to be smaller and smaller quilting, and I think that is going the way of art quilting rather than traditional and heirloom quilting. While it is interesting to look at, I still appreciate the beauty of traditional and heirloom quilting that can be done on a longarm. Linda I know what you mean by "politically correct statements" since I live in the shadow of Washington Dc - it seems like you have to carefully word everything you say so you don't offend anyone. It's too bad that quilting lingo has gotten to that point too since I think it leaves too much unsaid and up to interpretation - although I agree that I would not like to see a comment like "crappy quilting" on my score sheet. This whole quilting thing is about constantly learning isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Vicki I think the biggest problem is that there were only scores and no comments from MQX. I know that in the past I've gotten comments and I could tell where the judge was coming from. I think it is a shame that longarm quilting is becoming more and more about how much thread you use and how much you quilt it to death vs the quilt and how the quilting enhances the quilt. I don't want quilts that will stand up on their own with loads of thread and micro work, although there is always a place for that. I agree they need to have a category for traditional heirloom that doesn't require loads of thread. Just because there is more thread doesn't in my mind make it a prettier quilt. I guess to each their own. I'll continue to quilt my quilts the way I think they should be quilted and if they win a ribbon, great, if not then so be it. I enter shows to get feedback so that I can learn and grow. I didn't feel like I came away with anything this year at MQX, just a bunch of random scores. I knew that the judge would not like the triangles and sashing unquilted but in my mind that was what that quilt needed. Thankfully my customer agreed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Well said Heidi! Well it is more important to please your customer isn't it - because after all , it is her heirloom quilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette D. Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Originally posted by ffq-lar Cute visual--three women who emerge from the judging room, hair wild, clothing crumpled, make-up smeared, sweaty, exclaiming "We have the winners!!":P:P I have never entered a quilt in a show. Having spoken with several "mentors," it does not seem worth it to me. I have enough stress in my life. I just want to quilt. HOWEVER, if an artistic individual could turn Linda's visual into an actual cartoon, would not a great many quilters hoot and holler?!! I can see it in my head. Great visual!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rita Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 hey --are you the same Annette I met at Camp Mowana? curious in Oho! Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anette D. Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Originally posted by Rita hey --are you the same Annette I met at Camp Mowana? curious in Oho! Rita Yes I am. How are you Rita? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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