Entering quilts in national shows?

[Tammy G.]

It has been very strongly suggested by some of my fellow guild members that I try to put a quilt or two in a national quilt show. Have any of you done this? Do you have any tips or suggestions? I'm not even sure where to start.
I've entered a couple quilts in local shows and done surprisingly well, I just don't feel I 'stack up' to so many of the show quilters. The one lady in guild actually has a quilt in the AQS museum and has taught some classes at Paducah. She very strongly recommended I get started on the show circuit somewhere.
So, how do you get started? Are there special rules you need to follow? What is the best way to pack and ship quilts? How much insurance do you put on them? I'm sure there will be lots more questions, but that's all for now.
Thanks so much!
Tammy

[Gloria H.]

I looked at your profile, Tammy, and I second your guild's encouragement. Cooked My Goose is gorgeous and rivaled anything I've seen at shows. What I don't know is how to go about entering but being TQS you are bound to get loads of info. Gloria

[Karen M.]

Tammy the book "Quilting for Show" by Karen McTavish is a great one with all kinds of information to get you started on the road to showing your great quilts (I took a peek at your profile and they are awesome quilts)

[Karen M.]

Your quilts are beautiful!

Go to the American Quilter's Society website, http://www.aqs.com
They have lots of annual quilt shows & full rules & entry forms.

You could probably google "quilt show" or "quilt contest" and come up with a bunch.

And there's always the local shows to enter & get your courage up!

Let us know what you decide to do! We're rooting for you!

Kathy B.

[Barbara B.]

Tammy, each show has its' own rules and it is imperative that you follow them to the letter, especially regarding dates and the category rules. If there is something you don't understand, there is always a contact person you can call who is happy to answer your questions.

First, you'll determine if the show you are interested in is a "juried" show. That means you submit photos, following directions precisely, and entries are selected by the Jury for admission to the show. Then you ship your quilt, after it's been accepted. Shipping info should be on the website or in the acceptance letter you get.

If the show is "open", meaning anyone can enter, be sure to follow the rules carefully to be sure you enter the correct category.

Good luck--you can't win if you don't enter and just getting accepted into the big shows is really an honor!

Barbara

[Barbara B.]

One suggestion: I entered the AQS show a few years ago and needed photos of my quilt. I work at a state university which has a visual production center, and I had my quilt photographed there. It only cost $14 and the pictures were superb. I would recommend that you check with a local college or university to see if they have this service available. By the way, my quilt was accepted.

[Tammy G.]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be sure to look at the AQS site. I noticed that there are no quilt entry forms for Chicago or Houston, I wonder how quilts are entered there? Cooked My Goose would be the first one I would enter in a national show, it's the one I worked hardest on. I'm also going to start another paper pieced quilt in January, I'm still searching for just the right fabrics... but it may be show worthy as well. Thanks again for the help!
Tammy

[Eileen K.]

For the show in Houston, the rules state you must be a member of IQA. So if you're considering it, make sure you join ahead of time.
eileenkny

[Ann P.]

Actually you can send your membership to IQA in the same envelope with the entry form. They are set up to handle it that way.

Another venue for starting in the quilt show world would be the Mancuso shows (Pacific International, Mid Atlantic, Denver National, Pennsylvania National, etc.). It is easier to get a quilt accepted to these shows than Houston or Paducah and a good way to get judges feedback on your quilts. Their web site is http://www.quiltfest.com.

The third large national show after Houston & Paducah is National Quilters Association. The advantage here is that this show is not juried. They take first come first served till the show is filled. They do not hand out prize money but it is a very prestigious award and the returned judging forms are informative.
Hope this helps!

[Eileen K.]

Wow, Ann!! Thanks for the information. I didn't know that about the NQA show. Do you have to be a member?
eileenkny

[Ann P.]

Yes, you do have to be a member of NQA but you can send in the membership at the same time you send your entry. You get a magazine with membership - maybe it comes out quarterly? NQA is the organization that certifies most quilt show judges.
Ann

[Tammy G.]

Hi everybody! Well, I did it, I registered my quilt for a national show, and it got juried in!!! I decided I'd go straight to what I consider the grand-daddy of quilt shows- Paducah. I heard a couple of weeks ago that it's in!! So exciting! Now I'm trying to figure out how to get there, not to mention how I'm going to pay for it... Thanks so much for all the tips and encouragement, it really helped.
What also helped was that I was somehow able to get some really good pictures taken to send in. I must have taken a hundred, but evidently I chose the right ones to include with my application. Woohoo! I'll let you know if it wins anything, but in all honesty, to be included in the show is the honor!

[Ann P.]

Congratulations!
By all means GO, stand there and just enjoy the sight of your quilt hanging in that wonderful place. You may even win something, but in any case it will be a thrill and well deserved, too. I have a quilt accepted there this time, too, but I won't be able to get there this year.
You go girl!
Ann

[Robin G.]

Tammy and Ann, Congratulations to you both!!! Be sure to keep posting information about your experiences! Maybe TQS should do a segment on members who are juried into major shows. Best wishes and good luck!
Robin

[Hannelore N.]

Congratulations, Tammy and Ann! You never know, your quilts may hang next to eachother!

Lorchen