That’s right – the next Festival is due to begin in just over a month! Grab a button in my sidebar, and help spread the word!
With your feedback after the last festival, I’ve updated the list of categories, and added descriptions. Take a look :
Categories –
Mini Quilt Category – Quilts in this group measure no more than 80″ around.
Small Quilt Category – Quilts in this group measure more than 80″, but no more than 240″ around.
Large Quilt Category – Quilt in this group measure over 240″ around.
Applique Quilts – Hand or machine applique is welcome.
Art Quilts – Express yourself with fabric.
Hand Quilted – Quilted by hand.
Home Machine Quilted – Quilted on a domestic machine.
Modern Quilts – Modern to you, is modern to me.
Original Design Quilts – Designed by you, not a previously published quilt pattern.
ROYGBIV Quilts – Show off your rainbow.
Scrappy Quilts – Glad to have all those scraps in one beautiful place.
ETA : Alrighty Hand Quilters! You’ve made yourself heard, now I want to see how many quilts you will enter in the Festival! I’ve decided to add the Hand Quilting category back this time around, and challenge all of you to participate — so that your category can stick around for future Blogger’s Quilt Festivals!
ETA: Each blogger can enter two quilts, however each quilt can be entered into only one category.
Also based on your feedback, I’ve changed the way the Linky will look : The links will show up randomly for each person online, meaning sometimes you will be at the top, and others at the bottom. Your name or number will not be visible, but there will be a checkmark in the corner of the quilts you visit. The number of votes will be visible after the close of the Festival.
I hope that you guys can live with the changes, I know that looking through all the categories can be cumbersome, and I really want the competition aspect of the Festival to be fair and honest. As always, I’m willing to take your feedback into account, and would love to hear from you!
I can’t wait to see all your beautiful quilts in the Festival!
Amy
PS – I’m gathering sponsor information right now too – if you are a shop, interested in participating as a sponsor, please email me for details.
Yes Mam ;) Botton grapped and put on the website. Can’t believe it’s only a month away. I’m so not ready yet…
Have fun getting ready! Can’t wait to see what you are working on :)
Can’t wait to see how this works, sounds awesome. I’m in for the hand quilting – and thank you! Glad to see hand quilters included.
So excited! I missed the last one (I was busy getting married) so I’m ready for this one!
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see your creations :)
do you not have a category for hand quilting this year – I didn’t see it on your list?
I didn’t know you could randomize the entries. That is awesome!
I love this time of year! I find some of my favorite quilts and best inspiration by looking through these links.
Thank you!!
I’ve been looking into how to improve it all for everyone, and that seemed like a fun fix! I love all the inspiration too – thanks for stopping by :)
I love your quilt festivals, can’t wait for the next one.
Have a great day.
Always, Queenie
Thank you! I’m looking forward to it too!
I’m looking forward to it – button added to my blog :-)
Yay! Thanks Christa :)
Amy, why isn’t there a category for hand quilting?!?!?!? There are SO many hand quilters around the world! I feel left out…
I know there are! I asked for feedback at the end of the last Festival – It was one of the least requested categories.
I’m also trying to streamline the process for everyone, and myself by cutting down to 10 categories instead of 15. One big point made was “it’s overwhelming”.
I know I can’t make everyone happy, but I do hope you will add your quilts to another category that it also fits into.
I guess under the size requirements would work for any hand quilted, out of the norm type quilt.
.
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No hand quilting category? I don’t think machine quilting should replace hand quilting. Both types should be represented and respected. As a hand quilter who does NOT enter contests, I still greatly value being able to see other hand quilter’s work. I enjoy seeing machine quilted work but I have zero plans to ever use a machine so it doesn’t have the same ability to inspire me.
I do respect and am always amazed by hand quilters, and their work. I asked for feedback at the end of the last Festival – It was one of the least requested categories.
I’m also trying to streamline the process for everyone, and myself by cutting down to 10 categories instead of 15. One big point made was “it’s overwhelming”.
I know I can’t make everyone happy, but I do hope you will add your quilts to another category that it also fits into.
Hi Amy,
I can understand that it is overwhelming and there are a lot of categories. But how come THE quilting category that started it all = handquilting is´being left out. Honestly that is like noodle soup without noodles.
Greetings from a sad german girl.
Hmm, I guess us hand quilters need to be more vocal about our likes. I totally appreciate the magnificence of many of the machine quilters abilities, but still have such a love of hand quilting. I hope you will bring it into your fold!
Everyone seems plenty vocal now :) I will see what can be done for future BQF’s – based on the survey I didn’t foresee upset quilters.
fyi the request for feedback was in this post : http://www.amyscreativeside.com/2013/11/08/bloggers-quilt-festival-winners-6/
The work you have done is amazing. I think you are trying to be fair, others may be annoyed, but so what. You are giving people a chance to show off their work. I really think that some people are just taking themselves too seriously. I just hope everyone enjoys the opportunity you have given them. I will view some of the quilts since they will be randomly distributed and I will go back to commenting. I lost the ability to keep up over the last few of your BQFs. I will enjoy the opportunity to see beautiful quilts and get great ideas.
no hand quilted
no hand pieced??????????????????????????
It is such a shame that hand-quilting is seen as old-fashioned by some people. I belong to a group that has over 4,000 members and grows bigger everyday. Hand-quilting is not a dying art, it is alive and well and deserves to have it’s own category. Just saying.
I would enjoy a hand quilted category very much. I think that is just as important as any of the ones you have chosen. Even so, I am looking forward to this festival.
WHAT????
No hand quilting category? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND????
Hi …new to your blog but just wondering where is the hand quilting category ?
Please don’t be overwhelmed by the requests for a hand quilting category. We are not upset! But you did mention based on feedback this was the least requested category, so please do consider this feedback for next year. I think what you’re doing is great. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of it and it was published in a hand quilting group. So keep up the good work and here’s to next year including hand quilters!
I’m shocked that you won’t have a hand quilting category this year. My mouth fell open when I saw that. I have been entering hand-quilted quilts for at least the last 6 contests, probably longer, since before it was a contest, anyway.
And though I have finished at the top, of the competition, several times, I don’t think it is fair, to the machine quilters, to have to compete against us hand-quilters.
I always came to be inspired and to hopefully inspire others, but I will have to rethink that this year.
What no hand quilting? Why
Thanks very much looking forward
I love the new “original design” category! I always look forward to the Bloggers Quilt Festival!!! Thanks so much for all your efforts!
So sorry to see that there is no category for hand quilted items of any size. Did you know there are over 4,000 hand quilters in Facebook’s Celebrate Hand Quilting group? There are a LOT of us out there, and we buy nearly all the things your sponsors offer, with the possible exception of long arm machines! We all use fabrics, patterns, stencils, thread, needles, scissors and rotary cutters – and many of us use sewing machines to piece our tops. So, won’t you reconsider and give us AT LEAST one hand quilted category – even if it’s only one – Hand Quilted – any size!
Very well said, Pat in Oregon. We hand quilters DO purchase patterns, magazines, fabrics, thread, needles, pins, rotary cutting supplies, batting ……
Thank you for responding. I honestly had never heard of your blog before and just came across it. I appreciate that it is hard to cater to everyone and if hand quilters aren’t speaking up and saying “Hey! We still exist!” it is hard to include us. I hope in the future we do a little bit better job of being vocal. It is hard because at some point it becomes Machine vs Hand which I don’t like AT ALL. Many paths to artistic beauty. :)
This is the first year I have been aware of the “Quilt Festival”, and I am looking forward to seeing it. I would be more excited if there were a category for hand quilting, but I understand the explanations. Perhaps, after this year’s feedback, categories can be adjusted again.
I was just made aware of your blog today, and I am saddened that there is no category for hand quilting in your Festival. There are so many hand quilters out here in the universe, but we have been pushed aside by our “instant gratification society” that must have everything at the snap of a finger. Yes, hand quilting takes considerably longer than machine quilting does (in most cases), but for those of us who actually DO take the time to hand quilt, we should not be judged against machine quilted pieces, imho. Because, seriously, we really do matter, don’t we?
As I said, I was just made aware of your blog (and, by extension, your Quilt Festival) today, so I was unable to comment following last year’s event. Please reconsider and add a category for hand-quilted pieces. If not for this year, then for next year. OUR ART IS NOT DYING, it lives on. We just have fewer practitioners who truly love what we do.
I have not done anything on the internet, does this mean I take a pic of my quilt and put it in the category? How does this work?
Amy,
I am the “mother hen” of the Celebrate hand Quilting blog and Facebook group. You have many requests from our members all around the world to consider adding a hand quilting category on your quilt festival. I hope you will give it some consideration, if not now, perhaps in the future. I became aware of the resurgence in hand quilting a few years ago. There are many more hand quilters out there than people know about! And the interest in hand quilting is really growing in leaps and bounds.
Thank you for what you do every year with your “Bloggers Quilt Festivals.” I have participated on a regular basis, and will continue to do so. On behalf of all the hand quilters everywhere, I want to remind you and others that we are here… we are active… we are quilting our little fingers off.
What? No hand quilted category? Count me out.
Amy,
Thanks for adding back the hand quilting category!!! I’m really looking forward to your festival.
Thank you!!
Shanon
I always look forward to the festival! I have had my quilt picked out, and it is hand pieced and hand quilted. I totally enjoy seeing all the entries and visiting blogs :)
Thank you SO MUCH for adding a category for hand quilted quilts. Hand quilting is not a lost art … it’s alive and well and thriving … thank you for your contribution to ensuring that it will continue to thrive!
As a newbie to your blog, I’m not familiar with this festival … but I certainly hope that I can participate … if not this year (I don’t know what the requirements for participation are), certainly next year. ;-)
Thank you for putting the hand quilting category back. That is the one that inspires me the most, and I’m a former longarm quilter, as well as hand quilter. I appreciate your being flexible and hope there are many quilts in this category. I don’t have anything current, or I would enter myself.
Thank you Amy! We do appreciate your kindness in adding back the hand quilting category, and everything else you do to make this festival a huge success!
thank you Amy – I hope we can get a lot to participate!
Sorry to display my ignorance – but what is a ROYGBIV Quilt? I’ve tried and tried but I can’t work out what that acronym stands for!
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet….or Rainbow, for short :) And don’t worry, it would have become self explanatory with the pictures of everyone’s quilts :)
Ah – Thank you! I’d never have guessed! All becomes clear…
LOVE that the links will be randomized this year! Looking forward to the festival as always.:)
I am very old-fashioned. I use scissors for cutting the pieces I mark with a template and I piece, applique, and quilt by hand. The only big challenge is using the computer. I hope I can manage to join in with my limited computer skills.
(I do belong to the “Celebrate Hand Quilting” group.
Thanks for adding the hand quilted category!
I’m curious how to enter. I’m in the hand quilter category.
I take it the quilts have to be completed before we can enter,right? I have a rainbow quilt I’m working on but won’t be done for about 3 more months with the hand quilting.
But, I do have a hand quilted grandmothers flower garden and one of my own design that I might get the gumption up to enter.
Is there a link to the rules and how we make an entry? Thanks, Jenia
Info and rules can be found on the BQF page here : http://www.amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/
Check out past festivals too!
Hi Amy and thank you again for this Super exciting quilt festival! This has grewn so big event that I understand there has to be lots of categories but I have always difficulty to choose. I guess I need to join the ‘hand quilters’ as they speak here so ‘loudly’. Have a lovely day! x Teje
Just wondering where are the rules for the blogger quilt festival as I have just recently found this blog and heard about the festival.
Info and rules can be found on the BQF page here : http://www.amyscreativeside.com/bloggers-quilt-festival/
Check out past festivals too!
Button grabbed and posted…let’s start spreading the news!
Hi Amy is there a long arm category this year???
So excited for the festival! Are we just doing 1 post and 1 quilt this time?