winning at quilting

I like this post :-) We think alike. The more I learn about quilting/ shows, the less I like the idea of "winning" and the more I like the idea of "intense, sincere appreciation of the recipient."

I won a small local quilt show once. I thought it was a casual, fun way to show off what we'd made. Not entirely so. The other ladies who entered were older than me, people I really admired and respected. Only one actually congratulated me. The others acted cool, and I overheard a really unkind remark from another. They're too competitive for me. It sucked all the fun out of winning and really hurt my feelings.

On the level of the Houston show, a friend of mine, an awesome, professional quilter, had a woman ask to buy one of her quilts on display. She got an offer she couldn't refuse. Then she saw her quilt at the Houston show, with the binding replaced. That ain't right.

I heard a story once about someone throwing bleach on a quilt at some big show, was that Houston? Can't remember the specifics, but I guess there are Tonya Hardings even in the quilting world.

Sherry

I only enter a quilt at our local big show now (it just happens to be national!) - just 40 miles away. I deliver it personally. I love to make quilts; and, just occasionally, try to design/make something that stretches me. Mind you, the way my mind is going at the moment, I might just settle for 'not stretching' >g< . In message , Susan Laity Price writes

I've never put a quilt even into my local guild show where all awards are viewer choice. You hear all kinds of rude comments at the show, but this year beat the band. A woman, very chic dresser, came up to a quilt I was looking at with my friend and she said something along the lines of "it can't be that hard to learn this quilting part if you have one of those big machines, can it?" We assured her it requires years of practice and lessons to be really good. Later we saw her and a group of very professional, very thin, very Seattle looking women (no offense, Seattlites, living here we do get some doozies from the west side) gathered at a gorgeous quilt that obviously took a long time as it was covered with hand applique and hand quilting and was just stunning. And this particular woman was going on about "authenticity" and how "you can just see the humanity in each imperfect stitch." We just about wanted to yank her perfect hair out of her perfect head.

LOL. Not really about shows I guess, but can you imagine what kind of frankly ignorant comments you must hear in Houston?

Sunny

I'm with you - AND a bunch of the rest of RCTQers - I quilt because I enjoy doing it and trying out new patterns / techniques. Most of the quilts I make are for gifts. I like the quilt shows because they can give me new ideas and its' a source for patterns, fabrics. Some of the "prize" winner's quilts I'd never make or even want to try!--even though they put lots of time and effort into them. ME-Judy

OMG. What a snotty thing to say. The group of ladies who were looking at my quilt, one of them said, "Oh. Look. It's MACHINE QUILTED." The other said "Pfft. She enters this quilt every year."

I did not. I barely got it finished in time for the show. I never even entered the baby quilt division before, ever.

Sherry

That's awful. Such rudeness at a quilt show! I guess I think of quilting as a cynosure of civilization.

Did these rude critics even quilt, themselves? It's unthinkable that anybody who knows what a challenge quilting is would behave this way.

And as for machine quilting -- and you probably already know this -- Hargrave's "Heirloom Machine Quilting" pointed out that a sewing machine was a status symbol in the nineteenth century, and machine-quilted quilts were evidence of this prestigous possession and skill. Most quilts of that era were machine-quilted until the end of the century, when a fad for hand-sewn and quilted quilts began. So whenever anybody says to Hargrave that machine-quilted quilts are not "traditional," she says, "Which tradition?"

And Hargrave calls machine-quilting "hand quilting with a machine." More wordy, but more accurate, too.

ep

OMG. What a snotty thing to say. The group of ladies who were looking at my quilt, one of them said, "Oh. Look. It's MACHINE QUILTED." The other said "Pfft. She enters this quilt every year."

I did not. I barely got it finished in time for the show. I never even entered the baby quilt division before, ever.

Sherry

Sherry! Really? REALLY? We're proud you didn't get arrested for assault (although we certainly would have been happy to bail you out of jail.) What a shame that Kate Dicey and I were not there with you. Both of us are quite famous for being able to put the Look on someone or an entire class room and cause them to totally wilt. We simply must teach you how. Polly

"Sherry" The group of ladies who were looking at my quilt, one of them said, "Oh. Look. It's MACHINE QUILTED." The other said "Pfft. She enters this quilt every year."

I did not. I barely got it finished in time for the show. I never even entered the baby quilt division before, ever.

Sherry

Sunny, you would be surprised, I think! I don't think I've ever heard anything but admiring comments in Houston. I think people there either know what goes into the making of these beauties or they just know better than to open their mouths. ;)

Now, my local show is a different matter altogether!

You're right, Taria. Having your family appreciate your quilts is the biggest ribbon of all! :-)

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada

That has to be such a nice feeling.

Cindy

I don't think competition brings out the best in people. I wish we could do away with ribbons at our show. Still have judging, but no ribbons. I like to see what the judge says. I just don't care which quilt she "likes" the best.

Cindy

I like this post :-) We think alike. The more I learn about quilting/ shows, the less I like the idea of "winning" and the more I like the idea of "intense, sincere appreciation of the recipient."

I won a small local quilt show once. I thought it was a casual, fun way to show off what we'd made. Not entirely so. The other ladies who entered were older than me, people I really admired and respected. Only one actually congratulated me. The others acted cool, and I overheard a really unkind remark from another. They're too competitive for me. It sucked all the fun out of winning and really hurt my feelings.

On the level of the Houston show, a friend of mine, an awesome, professional quilter, had a woman ask to buy one of her quilts on display. She got an offer she couldn't refuse. Then she saw her quilt at the Houston show, with the binding replaced. That ain't right.

I heard a story once about someone throwing bleach on a quilt at some big show, was that Houston? Can't remember the specifics, but I guess there are Tonya Hardings even in the quilting world.

Sherry

My family have been quite tearful when they have received a quilt.

However I did a Warm Wishes quillow with some donated fabric for a raffle and the person who won it said 'I don't really want it and was hoping I wouldn't win it'. I was not pleased, though it was a remark typical of that particular lady! However her husband said he wanted it anyway and as he is currently very sick I am pleased he had it.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Michelle C. wrote:

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:51:59 -0500, Polly Esther wrote (in article ):

Teach me too! Me too! Our local show is in March.

Maureen

Excellent! We may have enough demand for "The Look - 101" to hold a class. :-)

Sherry

Howdy!

I'd believe that "many" quilts of that era were machine-quilted, but not "most". My mom's aunts & their mothers quilted by hand, having little interest in dragging the machines around for their "bees" or when "setting down at the end of the day" to do a few more stitches after supper. The treadles took a lot of work, and many were noisy. So much of rural America didn't have electricity until the 1930s or thereafter, so the treadle or hand was the common way to sew, and that was no "fad". Fewer machine-quilted pieces are found in antique stores & museums; hand=quilted predominates, in my experience. Harriet Hargrave has achieved a good reputation and built a good business in her part of the quilting world. Many of us used Hobbs Heirloom batting before they put Harriet's name on the pkg , and many of us did, do, will handquilt, because we like to handquilt. As for those who make ignorant remarks at the quilt show: "Where's your ribbon?" It's like this at any show. It's funny that this discussion of ribbon-winning always brings several "I don't quilt for competition" exclamations. Okay, that's fine. Thank goodness many quilters do compete, and enter shows, so the rest of us can see, and make comments. ;-)

Cheers! Ragm> That's awful. Such rudeness at a quilt show! I guess I think of quilting

Howdy!

Congrats on finishing the quilt, T. Can we see it? ;-)

R/Sandy

Taria: What a lovely note! I feel the same way about my quilting. I've been off line for weeks, and need to mark "all read" but I am glad I happened to read your report. Pat in Virginia