Monday 18 August 2008

The meaning of excellence??



I know this is a can of worms that I probably shouldnt even open....but I cant help it (what can I say? I dont like keeping secrets!), reading quilt appraisals is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Now, don't get me wrong, I often disagree....(I mostly disagree)...more often than not, I feel that I dont get frank or informative feedback from judges....but no matter what, when a judge's statement comes through the door, I'm all over it, reading every line. This is a good and a bad thing - for me, I want to know what the judges honest (good or bad!) opinion is, because I think it helps me improve. I look back on quilts from a few years ago...and their comments....and remember not agreeing at the time, but in hindsight, I can now see a bit more clearly and actually agree on where there was room for improvements. This is a good thing.

On the other hand, my daughter hates judges appraisals, she says theyre a waste of time and tells me off for reading them. "Who cares what someone's opinion is?" she asks (well, demands....) And I can see her point, but I dont think I'll change, I really love (and need) critical feedback. I think a lot of quilter's wait for these sheets with anticipation.....or is it just me?

Above is my most recent judges sheet....its a glowing report...and its the first one that is...I've also posted a sheet with my most favourite judges opinion of all from a few years back. The (translation is : "COURAGEOUS QUILTING") ??

It only took me an hour to decipher that....and I'm still working on the bottom comment - I have no idea what it says, if you can read it, let me know please!

6 comments:

  1. well done on Houston.

    is it "outer flange width should be consistent"?

    What's a flange on a quilt?

    American judge or is it the scribe?

    hugz,

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Fran,

    thank you for your detective skills, I have a husband with mysterious handwriting and YET I couldnt work out what this sheet said!

    Yes, flange does make sense. But I dont know what a flange is. Also, I've measured all the borders and they are all consistently straight...

    Yes, it's an American judge who wrote her own comments.....

    Thanks !

    ReplyDelete
  3. ??ter (outer?) flange width should be consistant - maybe? Did this quilt HAVE an outer flange??

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Esther,

    My translation was "later flange width should be consistent", but "outer" makes more sense. A flange, as far as I know, is the flat bit that you see on the outside edge of some cushions/large decorative pillow cases/commercial bed quilts - usually about 2" wide and flat, where there's then a row of stitching(2ish" in) and the pillow or wadding or quilt sits against that stitching line. Hope I haven't mangled the description too much and that makes sense - look at a bedding linen catalogue and you'll see flanges on some of the pillows.

    Maybe it refers to a set in little bit of folded fabric inside the binding i.e. between the binding and the border.

    Conratulations on your Houston entry!

    Hugs,
    Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  5. I thought that was what it said, too. A flange is a very narrow border (usually a flap, where a narrow strip of fabric is folded in half, right sides together, and added between two borders, with the fold sticking out the front of the quilt; it is often pressed to one side). Could that be it?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Is the batting all the way up to the edges inside the binding? Maybe that's what she was getting at about flange width consistency?
    Geez, if you don't even know what "flange" she's talking about, I think the comment is useless. I love the "courageous quilting" comment.

    ReplyDelete

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