Quilt show award question..........

I'm unclear, is the honorable mention for the same quilt entered in multiple categories, or for a 2nd quilt that came 2nd in a category?

If it's for the former, I agree, it's completely over the top, the quilt should win the category it's best suited to and ignored in the other, but when it's for two different quilts, and one of them came 2nd, it could easily be when comparing all the 2nds and 3rds in the various categories that the quilts truely stand out, why should they not be eligible for honorable mention if they are so good? However, I would say that since it is "only" an honorable mention that if the judges are aware that 2 out of 3 mentions are people who have already won, that they might consider using their discretion and giving at least 1 if not 2 more honorable mentions.

Cheers

Anne

Do the same judges evaluate all the categories, or do they have separate teams? Roberta in D

"JPgirl" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

If there are only 3 Honorables per show, rather than per category, it sounds to me like the judges are each naming their one Honorable as their personal "Best in Show" award.

What I would do is wait until next year, and before entering my quilt I would ask how the judges determine the Honorables, and why there are only 3 per show rather than the usual multiple honorables per category. This way you are asking for clarification of the judging process, and not as making a complaint about the last show's awards. Debra in VA See my quilts at

From your description, it sounds as if these "Honorable Mention" awards could more properly be called "Judge's Choice" awards. In my experience, "Honorable Mention" is an award for an item in a specific category that wasn't quite up to the standards for a prize in that category.

Julia > I need some advice on something that has been bothering me since last

I would have to agree with Julia, this sounds like more of a "Judges Choice" award. Even tho the quilts were not "First Place" quality they might have seemed to need some type of recognition. That being said, I am surprised they went to quilters who already won an award.

There is a quilt show I have been to a few times that I could not make out how they judges. When I asked the "manager" I was told they did not always use accredited judges. WHAT??? They had out ribbons and do not use accredited judges and a lot of the quilters and probably all of the public who view the show does not know this. Also, the quilters names are shown with the quilts while they judging. It sure did answer the question as to why the same people get the ribbons. I would not try to show a quilt in a show like this because there is really no point.

JMHO,

Marsha

It does sound more like "judges choice" from the description, doesn't it.

I have to disagree about awarding quilters who already have awards though. The shows where I have helped scribe the judges do not know who makes what quilts. The labels are covered so that when the back of the quilt is inspected the label cannot be read. We do have some people who have one more than one ribbon and I don't see a problem with that because how would the judge know they are rewarding the same quilter more than once? They are looking at the quilt and rewarding that quilt.

While we might be able to recognize a certain quilt as made by a certain famous quilt maker, I didn't get the impression that this was a national type show where that could be an issue.

marcella

I have to agree with you, Marcella. I've scribed several times at our local show, and the judge never has any idea of who the maker(s) of the quilts might be. If someone makes two quilts that are both worthy of recognition, that's wonderful! If getting one ribbon were to automatically exclude the maker from getting a ribbon on another quilt, then the result might be that a quilt that got that ribbon wasn't quite as well done as the other. JMHO.

In our quilt show, the judges do not know who has made the quilts. After they have judged all the quilts, they select one for the Judges award. They also select the Best of Show. It is always one of the quilts with a blue ribbon. Our show chair and her assistant also select a quilt for the show chair award. We also have 2-3 members from the city come in the afternoon before the show starts, and they select their favorite quilt, and it is given a city award ribbon. Most of the time this award is for an entirely different quilt because they are selecting it on their personal preference - the colors, does it look cuddly, etc. They have no quilting experience so it's just a fun award.

Sherry Starr

OK this is my understanding of how the judging and awards work.

There are 4 main categories in which you enter your quilt. Miniature (no more than 18"x18") Small quilt (under 170" in perimeter) Large Quilt (over 170" in perimeter) Wearables

Then there are sub categories where any of the quilts entered in the above categories may also win. Excellence in machine quilting Excellence in hand quilting Best use of colour Founders award (awarded to the best artist with their first entry in a juried show) Best in Ontario Amy Hallman-Snyder purchase award (they decide on a quilt to buy to go into a collection started 12 yrs ago)

Then there are 3 Honorable mentions (one awarded by each of the 3 judges)

For each of the awards there is only a first place winner, they do not do 2nds or 3rds and it is my understanding that the total of the scores from the 3 judges determines the winner in each category.

For example there was a lady there who had entered 2 quilts into the show and they both won awards, I have no problem with that at all. Lets say this was the turn out.... Quilt #1 wins Best small quilt Quilt #2 wins excellence in hand quilting

but quilt #1 ALSO wins an honorable mention, this is not an honorable mention for a specific category, it is for the show in general. I just think that HM should have been awarded to someone who didn't receive any awards on that particular quilt in the first place.

Now if Quilt #1 had won Best small quilt AND excellence in hand quilting and Quilt #2 had won nothing but had received an honorable mention I would have been fine with that too since the quilt awarded with the HM hadn't won any actual awards.

Am I keeping on track here or have I totally lost everyone? If I haven't lost you and you understand what I am getting at do you think it is not right to give and HM to an already award winning quilt?

Oh and btw this is considered an international show. This was the first year that the Juried portion of the show was opened up to all of Canada though, last year the Juried show was only provincial (Ontario residents). And one of the Judges was a person who sits on the board of the Paducah, KY show!

I still think it sounds like what the show terms "Honorable Mention" is really a "Judge's Choice" award which each judge awards to his or her favorite quilt on whatever criteria that judge wants to award it. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be one that has won another award.

Julia > OK this is my understanding of how the judging and awards work.

Yes I agree - its all in the name. I think most people take the term 'Honorable Mention' as being 'Well Tried' to one that just missed a prize. (I got an Honorable Mention for saying a poem in a competition when I was 6. I was very proud of my certificate and still have it! I think all those who didn't win got one for trying!)

'Judges' Award' seems a much less ambiguous term. Its in common usage and avoids any misunderstanding. Its the quilt the Judges liked best. If there are three Judges, they can each make an award. Its almost a bonus award.

This is what I was thinking too. Three judges = three "honorable mentions" which are really "judge's choice". If this is the case maybe the name of the prize should be changed (or at least the criteria should be made clearer) Allison

I'm following you and it's what I said in my own reply, if it's already won then it shouldn't be an HM, if it hasn't, but another quilt by the same quilter has, that's fine and a mark of their excellence as quilter.

Anne

Howdy!

Hah! Quilt show judging: sheesh!

I've seen several multi-prize winning quilts, a few covered in winning ribbons. Not a problem for me, but I do like to see lots of categories representing lots of different types of quilts.

One year our 3 show judges were led by one of them, a professional art quilter, well-respected, friend to many of us (I worked w/ her at the lqs and love her quilting); they all had the rules & regs for judging, and the list of prizes awarded in each category. But the self-selected leader of the pack convinced the others that some categories just had no clear winner, not enough greatness in those quilts to merit a ribbon or prize, not according to her standards (she has wond national & international competitions), so they didn't award any in those categories. Well! That put quite a few quilters in a tizzy, threw a few noses out of joint, BUT the judges ruled, the rulings stood, and that's the way it goes. Next year w/ (as usual) new judges, there were new rules for the judging, "all categories will have a winner, all prizes/ribbons will be awarded." Each show is different. Thank goodness. ;-)

R/Sandy -- in a guild that does not recognize the difference between machine quilting and hand quilting, but specifically denotes huge difference in machine quilting techniques (hand guided, computer guided) - I do not agree w/ this policy

hey Sandy, do they recognize the difference in 'home made chili' vs 'store bought in a can made by machines chili'? i use that cuz u'r in TX, land of the best chili in the world so i hear. :) i'm sure they'd be more than happy coming to dinner where you just opened a whole mess of cans and plonked'em into a big old pot and put that on the table. it just aint the same now is it. good grief, what 'are' they thinking.... jeanne

Once upon a time my good friend was signed up to bring chili to the church chili cook off. But, my friend was sick and tired and just not feeling too well. So, because she had made the commitment she felt she had to bring something (because beyond the contest part the entries became dinner for the church supper that evening) so she went to the store and bought a big can 'o chili. Opened up the can, dumped it in the crock pot, heated it up and darn if she didn't win the blue ribbon ;-)

It's all in how you shop I suppose.

marcella

That sounds like the story line from "Calendar Girls". The woman bought a poundcake? from the bakery and won a prize at the WI fair.

My mother used to buy plain sponge cakes from the bakery and fill them with cream and strawberries when she was asked to bring a cake to anything.

When people said 'OOOh, did you make it' she'd answer, 'No, I had the cake made for me, and I filled it'!

But it wasn't a competition!