I am a decidedly much more modern quilter than many quilters in my local area. That is *not* to say that there aren’t modern quilters around, but we are much fewer and further between. I have been entering my quilts into my local fair since 2014, and this year I decided I would enter as many quilts as I could (while following the submission guidelines) so that hopefully others will see a more modern aesthetic and submit their work in upcoming years. Or who knows, maybe seeing more modern quilts instead of the one or two that I entered previously, someone’s interest might be piqued! I entered 10 quilted items and yesterday I took 9 of them to be dropped off pretty much for the month of August (Oh Happy Day was shipped to Houston to be in the Modern Quilt Guild Showcase at Quilt Festival instead).
AV Fair 2017 – Pile of Quilts
I spent yesterday morning with some tape (to cover up my labels and identifying marks on the backs of my quilts) and a lint roller getting these 9 items ready to go. For the quilts that have a “top” and “bottom”, I also tried to place a piece of tape with a bold “TOP” written in black Sharpie so that they *might* be hung in the correct orientation. In years past I have seen quilts with hanging sleeves hanging upside down on display, so I figured I would do my best to label and it will be what it will be.
AV Fair 2017 – Heavy Stack!!!
Of the 9 quilts / quilted items that are going to be on display, I have shared 7 of them with you on the blog so far. The quilts are listed below, starting at the bottom and working the way up the stack in the images:
- Digital Wave
- Spring Growth
- Freefall
- Downstream
- Rin Pillow (Green)
- Rin Pillow (Blue)
- Spiraling Petals
- Single Burst (mini quilt sample I made for my filming of Fresh Quilting)*
- Cross Check (mini quilt sample I made for my filming of Fresh Quilting)*
*I will share more details about Single Burst and Cross Check soon!
AV Fair 2017 – Time to Drop Off!
There is a reason my husband and I live in our small town. The high yesterday at home was in the mid-80s. When I dropped off the quilts for the fair (when the photo above was taken), it was over 100°F outside. The fairgrounds are about an hour drive from our town. I’ll definitely be planning on an evening visit to the fair to see the quilts on display, check out the cute baby animals, and enjoy a snowcone.
Did you enter quilts into a local fair this year?
A super selection, and I hope that they are all successful. You have been so busy, and getting each one lint-free, labels done, either added or covered, and then the delivery, all behind the scenes that the viewers and others do not realise.
Fairs take place much later in South Carolina, but I need ot remember to enter! Good luck with all of your entries!
So far I haven’t entered any quilts in my local fair maybe this year.
Good for you!! I have been pushing our local fair quilt competition superintendent to create a modern category, as the local judges just don’t understand that aesthetic. I’ve been entering the Mountain Regional State Fair for 8 years, and I have a blast seeing my work displayed during the event. Although, I am a more traditional quilter, I think those who enjoy the modern look should have their work shown, and the opportunity win ribbons. Good luck!!
Can’t wait to hear how your modern quilts fare (ha!). Only one of mine will go to the fair in a couple of weeks, and I’m not too sure how well it will go over. We’ll see.
I will be entering quilts in our fair in September! For ours, you are only allowed to enter three items per category, so I can only enter three quilts. I have won ribbons every year, so I need to start deciding what I should take!
I am most likely dropping off a fair entry today.
I haven’t entered any quilts at our fair yet, but I think I might next year. I did, however, enter a block for a competition at the fair and won an honorable mention ribbon. So now I think I’ll give some quilts a go!
I meant to, but I missed the deadline. Too much other stuff taking over my brainspace. Maybe next year. I absolutely LOVE that first picture of you with all your quilts! You look beautiful!!
This is so great! I try to get members of our local MQG to enter quilts in our fair and a local quilt show every year for the same reasons you mentioned. I hope your quilts do well at the fair they are beautiful! I enter what I can in the fair too but have had mix reception. One quilt, which hung at Quiltcon, was folded on half and hung in the rafters, big bummer, but so many quilters just don’t even want to see/understand modern quilting. I’m hoping like you that the more entries our guild can do the more understanding there will be.
Our Allentown (PA) fair is the week before Labor Day. I used to go to the fair and wonder why there weren’t loads of quilts since there a loads of quilters here. Then I thought “Wait, I shouldn’t complain because I had never entered a quilt.” So four years ago I started, and have won a ribbon ever since. We are only allowed to enter one quilt in each category, so I couldn’t enter a pile, but a large quilt, a crib quilt and a tablerunner are my usual entries. Could I ask you to send me the link to your fair’s categories? Maybe I can get our’s to update their categories and entry requirements. Thanks, and good luck!! I’ve loved local fairs ever since I entered my 4-H sewing garments back in the 1960s.
This looks like so much fun! Good luck with your entries and I’m sure because of your good work more and more modern quilts will start showing up in your local fair.
Curious why you taped over your identifying labels? Is that one of the criteria for entry? tvonzalez at gmail.com
I hope to make a competition quilt someday. I’ve got about 3 years quilting experience under my belt.
I am shooting for a modern quilt entry when the Pantone color of the year is announced in 2018.
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Love that photo of you holding your quilts. They can be heavy and you look like it was no big deal. We don’t have a local fair or state fair anymore. So I go to shows to see quilts….some of those shows are on-line.
Great job! Your a very industrious young woman. 🙂
Yes! I entered my county fair for the first time last year for the same reasons. To show more of the modern aesthetic to people. I entered as many as a could per the guidelines, 10, and even got the “most items entered” gift card award. I was surprised to win best miniature and best use of color too! You never know what the judge will think. This Sunday I entered this year and had 12, I will find out tomorrow how they did! I had been trying to encourage my modern guild members to enter too.
Hello Yvonne. Great job in entering your quilts and in trying to encourage other Modern Quilters to do the same! I have not entered any of my quilts into the fair here, mainly because our town is never sure until a week or two before the official opening of the fair if they actually going to have the fair. Local politics that I just do not get into and support. But when I am able to go, very often it is over 100 at that time here also and hubby can not take the heat or all of the walking. Thanks for sharing! Have a great day!
We don’t have a lot of fairs like yours in France… but I want to enter a quilt for the great exhibit in september 2018…
I love your thought process here and I bet lots of people will love to see your quilts, especially if they haven’t come across much ‘modern’ quilting before. We don’t have local quilt fairs the way you do, but I really wish we did.
Sounds like a great plan to improve more modern submissions. I didn’t enter the fair this year, but have in the past.
This was the first year I entered into our WI State fair. I found it interesting that only WI and MT state fairs let you watch the judging. Isn’t it helpful to hear what is right and not so “right” with your quilt? Only one quilt per category and only three of nearly 50 categories can be quilted by someone else. There is a modern category and I’m glad to say that blue ribbon hangs on my quilt:)
Beautiful stack of quilts! I think that you are going to bring home some ribbons from the fair. I have entered quilts into local quilt shows but never a fair, I need to look into that.
That’s an impressive number of quilts Yvonne! Good luck with them and may you make some converts! I hate hot weather and I look at you guys suffering in the heat while I’m enjoying our (admittedly mild) winter with sympathy. In 6 months the tables will have turned and I’m already seeing butterflies and the first blossom for the coming of spring.
Good luck with all your entries! I entered 5 or 6 things in our fair and placed in each one. We had a potholder category this year and I got first in the pieced section, kind of funny as I make lots of them for my guild to sell at local events!
I never heard of quilts showed in local fairs here in Switzerland. Probably because quilting is not part of our culture. I’ll take part in a local quilt exhibition next September. We are a small group of 10 people, with mostly traditional quilters, and I hope to interest visitors with my more modern aesthetic … Love your pictures with the stack of quilts !
We don’t have a culture of local fairs here. The days of church fetes are sadly over . There is however one big agricultural show for the whole of N Ireland . The Woman’s Institute often has a textile exhibition but I rarely see anything inspirational
I’ve never even thought about entering a quilt {or anything I’ve made} into the the fair. Even though our fair is small, I know they have an area for that, it just never occurred to me that I could enter one. Definitely something to check into! Good luck with your entries!
I’m curious why you had to cover the label and identifying marks?
I think because they are judged
I wish you lots of luck at the fair this year!
I love that picture of you holding the stack of quilts! I wouldn’t fare well with that heat, either, whew! Way too hot for this Newfoundlander 🙂 I love your reasoning for entering as many quilts as you can and hopefully it will spark someone’s interest. Unfortunately, fairs aren’t a thing around here, so there are no such opportunities for me.
They hang them upside-down even when they have a hanging sleeve? How is that possible!?
The heat sounds just like our summer.
I think it is great you are entering so many. I love seeing stacks of colorful quilts.
I should have done that while living in Columbia–huge quilt room at the state fair. However, I truly dislike the fair, the food, the crowds and the rides, so I haven’t traditionally gone! Then I started working the “pre-fair” with the Baptist Association, and found I love the fair while it is being set up! We feed the carnies while they are putting everything together. It is so much fun! They come from all over the world!