April 14, 2022
It was our first hybrid meeting! It was great to reconnect with people in person and continue to offer a virtual option as well. Thanks to everyone for your patience as we learned how to navigate the technology.
Marian shared an update on the postcard swap. The guild in Texas is still recruiting participants. Anticipate more info about the swap in late May or early June.
Project Linus is looking for a new coordinator. There have been 92,000 blankets donated!
Block Lotto: Elaine wins the blue and yellow blocks! Please send blocks to Elaine Morrison if you didn’t bring them to the meeting (get the address from Block Lotto coordinator Ellen Sweeney). Ellen has already posted the block for May, a tulip block.
Our program was a panel of guild members sharing their experiences with entering and exhibiting at quilt shows.
Laura: Recommended paying attention to the type of show, how people get in, and what the objectives are. She got started by participating in guild shows.
Misty: Reminded us to think about our own goals. Do we want to win a ribbon or a cash prize? Or are we entering just for the experience? Are you trying to promote yourself and sell your work? Local and county fairs are an option, but the display of the quilts isn’t always ideal. Research jurors to see what kind of work they make. It’s important to know how to photograph your quilts. The show will be reviewing your entry based on the quality of the image you submit. Try not to take rejections personally. Keep records & stay organized. Write the sizes of your quilt on the quilt label. Add labels of which shows a quilt has been in to the back of the quilt.
Cathay: Shared the Cherrywood Challenge rules and how she thought through the process of clarifying the rules with show organizers.
Rebekah: Talked about the challenge of working on a deadline and reacting to judge feedback. Keep in mind that the judges may not say very much; they don’t have a lot of time to write comments.
Bridget: Bridget showed examples of her work and encouraged people to enter no matter how advanced you are. She entered her very first quilt in a show and it won a first place prize! She also reminded us to consider art shows, because quilts can be art pieces too.
Brianna: Keep a spreadsheet to track which shows each quilt has been in. Before photographing your quilts, steam, press, or lay out a quilt to relax creases from storage.
Charli: Charli shared a variety of reasons why someone may enter a show. (To show your work, to get a critique, to build your quilting resume). She recommended building a quilting resume, especially if you want to teach or if you want to enhance the value of your quilts when they get appraised. She also mentioned that if you volunteer as a scribe at a quilt show, you get to follow along with the judge and write down their comments. It’s an opportunity to get insight into the judging process.
Here are some places to find calls for entry into quilt shows:
https://www.entrythingy.com/forartists_calls