Computer aided long arm quilting entered in shows

[Diane F.]

I just got home from a real nice show in Rochester, NY and it got me thinking. There were some gorgeous professionally quilted quilts which were obviously done with digital designs or computer systems. I am interested in hearing from others about whether you feel it's fair for these to be entered in shows. I see nothing wrong with a long-armer using these systems for thier customers, but I'm not sure it's fair for those quilts to be entered in shows. Personally, I can recognize when something is TOO perfect and I don't care for it. I am a new long-arm quilter and I don't mind that my leaves are not all identical or my feathers might be a bit wonky. The quilt labels all gave credit to the quilter but not all mentioned that they were done digitally or with a computer system. Anyone have an opinion about this?

[Diane F.]

I was just looking at an older AQS magazine (about 3 issues back) and they had a category for computer aided quilting. I don't think I could compete against one quilted by long-arm or digitally enhanced programs.

[E.M. T.]

They are surely wonderful and require lots of work even though they use extreme technology...And they
should compete among themselves in their own category !! :!: My not so humble opinion !!

[Nancy R.]

As Ritzy says, some shows have separate categories for hand-guided vs machine-guided quilting. There are different skills involved in both types of quilting. Computer-aided quilting is not necessarily easier. Certainly pantographs and all-over designs are easier with the computer, but, from my understanding, lining things up for custom is not easy. Also digitizing your own designs is an art. Experienced judges are looking for more than just perfect lines in your quilting. They are looking for things like originality and the composition of the quilting. We went through these same types of arguments when machine quilting itself started to become popular and be accepted into shows. You could also say that DSM quilting and long-arm quilting should be in different categories. How about sit-down longarms? I guess I would just say -- enjoy the quilts that you see in the shows and enter your quilts so that others can enjoy them, too. (BTW, I'm a DSM quilter who's happy to learn from and compete with the long-armers.)

[Annis C.]

Well said, Nancy. I would also like to see a separate category for original designs, but most shows don't have enough entries for that many categories. I've seen some amazing work using free motion quilting. And I've seen some big ribbons go to those who copy someone else's designs. I agree that computer-aided quilting isn't as easy as it looks. You have to do everything a traditional quilter does except the stitch-out which is also difficult because of the challenge of telling the computer exactly where you want to stitch. Whatever method you use, just do the best that you can, and as Nancy says, enjoy the quilts that are made in so many different ways.

[Susan B.]

Well said to both Nancy and Annis. I believe in the bigger shows there is a clear distinction between the categories.