There is a tremendous amount of work that has to happen in the three days before the doors open. In the weeks leading up to Intake Day, the committee have prepared collated all the information for each registered quilt and created lists of all the quilts in each category, labels for every quilt with information about the quilt maker and their artist statement artist statement all in preparation for the quilts to come in.
Tuesday – Intake Day
Volunteers are standing by and as each quilt comes in, it is checked off on the master list, the quilt number assigned to the quilt is pinned on the front and the entry information printed on a label that goes on the back of the quilt so we can make sure it’s picked up by the right person at the end of the show. Once each quilt is ready, they’re carried to the staging area and grouped by category in preparation for judging. Intake ran from 12:00 – 5:30 pm and our crew of volunteers checked in 333 quilts — a new record for us!
Wednesday – Judging
This year, we were fortunate to have two judges to reviews: Kate Eelkma, a certified judge who has judged our show for many years and Colleen Carlson, a newly minted certified judge who has served as Kate’s assistant for the last three shows we hosted. This was Lynette’s first year at our show. She’s in the process of becoming a certified judge and is apprenticing. We’re glad to welcome her.
The judges assess all quilts in a category at once. First, a volunteer bring over the stack of quilts and unfolds them so they are all in a stack for easy handling. The judge asks the volunteer (The Folder and Holder) to hold up the top quilt so they can view the quilt as a wholel: the overall impact of the quilt, the effectiveness of color and fabric choices, and the creativity of the overall design.
Next, the judge gets up close and personal reviewing the workmanship of the piecing or applique, the design of the quilting and the workmanship of the quilting on its own. They look at both the front and the back of the quilt to assess thread tension, stitch length consistency, and the stops and starts of the quilting lines.
As the judges review each quilt, their comments are written down by our volunteer scribes. This is a tough job because not only do you have to write quickly and accurately, but you have to stay absolutely silent so as not to disturb the judge.
At the end of the category, the judge once more reviews all the quilts and names the first, second, and third prize winners in each category. They will also pull out some of the quilts for later consideration for special awards like Best Use Of Color and for Best of Show.
As each category is judges, the stack of quilts is carried out to the staging area to await hanging.
Here’s where we start after judging: aa very large venue awaiting the delivery of drapes and poles.
Thursday – Hanging
Clem Busik is our Master of the Hanging and has served in that capacity for many years. Before we even see a quilt, she’s created her master plan and can tell the crew exactly where all the poles go.
And by the end of the day, every quilt is in place, the ribbons are hung, signs are added, and the doors are ready to open bright and early for the first day of the show.
