2027 QUILT SHOW Category Descriptions

For printer-friendly version: Quilt Show Category Descriptions -  Category Description 2027.pdf

General information about selecting the category for your quilt prior to and during registration:

General information:

Please note that a quilt may fit into more than one of the categories listed below. The entrant should select the category that best fits the quilt. In addition to the category that is most appropriate for the construction of the quilt, the registration committee will divide categories by size based upon the information provided with the registration form. Should a category have too few entries to fill that particular category, Quilt Show Chairs, in their sole discretion, reserve the right to move those entries to another category and eliminate the underutilized category. Should a category have too many entries, Quilt Show Chairs, in their sole discretion, reserve the right to split that category into two or more categories.

Quilt Top Construction:

Pieced: Piecing is the primary design element of the quilt, accounting for 75% or more of the design.

Applique’: Applique is the primary design element of the quilt, accounting for 75% or more of the design.

Mixed Technique: Applique and piecing are equally important design elements in the quilt.

Art Quilts: Quilt of original design and composition. No commercial patterns are allowed to be used when making quilts for this category.

Kits/BOM: Quilts made from a purchased pattern with pre-selected fabric or where the majority of the fabric is pre-selected or pre-fused. 

Modern: Quilts with high contrast, bold colors, simple shapes, increased use of solid fabrics with neutrals as background; may contain re-interpreted traditional blocks, alternative block structures, or a lack of visible block structure; inspired by modern art and architecture, frequently uses improvisational quilting; embraces minimalism and simplicity.

Special Quilt Techniques: This category may include quilts that are not quilted or have three layers. It includes quilts that do not fit into any other category such as whole cloth quilts, yo-yo quilts, crazy quilts, cathedral windows, wool applique quilts, machine or hand-embroidered quilts etc. The quilts may include innovative techniques such as flower pounding, rusting, embellishments, embroidery, painted surfaces, silk screening, photo transfers or digitized designs/machine embroidery.

Panel Quilts: The front of the quilt must include at least one panel used in its entirety. This category  includes quilts using One-Block-Wonder or other  kaleidoscope techniques where the panel is not apparent.

Newbie Quilts: (New category for 2027 Quilt Show!) The quilt is constructed, using any technique, by a quilter with less than two years of quilt-making experience.

Hand Piecing: Quilts constructed entirely with hand piecing; including English Paper Piecing or other Millefiori techniques.

Group (3+ people): Three (3) or more persons created the quilt.

Miniatures: Width no more than 24"; length no more than 24". All aspects of the quilt are reduced in scale.  A true miniature uses a 1/12” scale, where a 12” block in a regular quilt would finish at 1” in a miniature quilt. 

Theme: "Pieces of America". To be considered a theme quilt for the 2027 quilt show, the quilt must identifiably represent a place, state or region in America; or an important event in American history. In addition, the quilt must be scrappy with a minimum of 20 fabrics used in the quilt top. The theme quilts are judged initially in their respective categories (see above), then pulled for judging a second time as a theme quilt.

Quilting Technique:

Hand quilting:  the quilting design is more than 51% hand quilted

Fixed Arm: the quilting was performed on a machine where the quilt was moved under a fixed needle.

Moveable Arm: the quilting was performed on a machine where the machine needle was moved over the surface of the quilt.

Computerized/Digital: more than 51% of the quilting design was performed where the computer moves the machine or the fabric to complete the design. (such as an embroidery machine, Statler stitcher or Intelliquilter).

Size:

Generally, quilts will be considered:

Small Up to 30” wide and long perimeter less than 120”

Medium 31–56” wide and up to 72” long perimeter 124”-256”

Large 57-84” wide and up to 96” long perimeter 228”-360”

X-Large over 85” wide and up to 120” long perimeter 360+ inches

Perimeter is used as the final decision for categorizing the size of a quilt. Odd-shaped or round quilts may be assigned to size categories after individual consideration by the registration committee which has discretion to assign size categories to each quilt.