Conditions of Entry for Quilt Showcase 2024
All entries will be via the website. No paper entries will be accepted.
1. Eligibility to Exhibit
Quilts entered must be completed within the previous 2 years of Quilt Showcase 2024. ie: 1st June 2022 to 1st June 2024 & be in excellent condition.
Quilt makers who are individual members of Victorian Quilters Inc. are eligible to exhibit & have their quilts judged. Membership of Victorian Quilters Inc. MUST be current.
Please Note:- The quilt MUST NOT have won a prize in a State judged Quilt Exhibition. The quilt may be entered and displayed but will not be judged. If the quilt won an Award(s) the ribbon(s) may be displayed on the quilt.
Any person who is a member of a Member Group, but not an individual member of Victorian Quilters Inc., may be sponsored by the Member Group to exhibit at Quilt Showcase.
This individual must: :
- not have been a previous member of Victorian Quilters Inc..
- be an Amateur; and
- not have been previously sponsored by this or another Member Group.
Refer to Condition No 16 for more information.
Students, up to & including year 12, may exhibit in the Student Section of Quilt Showcase. Refer to Condition No 17 for more information.
Any quilts entered in a “two-person” category, both parties must be current individual members of Victorian Quilters Inc.. Refer to Condition No 8 for more information.
The Sub-Committee reserves the right to reject any entry, including those that fail to follow the Conditions of Entry.
An email accepting the entry will be sent three to four weeks prior to Quilt Showcase. Acceptance of an entry does not automatically guarantee display.
3. Quilt Definitions and sizes
The quilt must be comprised of three layers & be visibly quilted through all layers. QUILTS MUST BE A SINGLE UNIT & NOT FRAMED WITH WOOD, METAL OR PLASTIC ETC. However, Triptych style or similar is allowable as long as they are connected by the hanging sleeve.
The maximum size of any quilt is 280cm x 280cm. SIZE LIMITS APPLY TO EACH CATEGORY – check these carefully.
Quilts submitted that do not comply with the category size limits will be moved to another category or rejected for judging. Incorrectly measured quilts may not be judged.
2. Number of Entries and Entry Fee
A maximum of three entries, may be submitted by an individual member or a member group, with ONE ENTRY PER CATEGORY. Any subsequent entry will be accepted for display only in Category 0).
Please ensure you nominate your entries into the correct category.
A non-refundable entry fee of $15 per quilt is required when submitting your entry.
Available space may dictate the number of quilts that can be exhibited. Please indicate your hanging preference order for exhibiting.
Challenge 2024 Entry – An individual member may enter a Challenge Quilt as their only entry OR in addition to the up to 3 entries allowed. It will not be counted in the 3 entries allowed. There is a non-refundable entry fee of $15 required when submitting a Challenge entry.
4. Submission of Entry
A separate entry must be completed and submitted for each quilt entered in the exhibition.
Member: Login with your user name or member ID. Complete the entry form, check that the details are correct and pay the entry fee. You may only enter three quilts.
Non Member being sponsored by a Member Group. Register your details and then complete the entry form. You will need to include the name of the Member Group sponsoring you. Check that the details are correct and pay the entry fee. As a sponsored entrant you can only enter one quilt.
Student: Register your details and then complete entry form. Check that the details are correct and submit the entry. No payment required.
NOTE: You may partially complete & save your entry if required.
As part of the entry an image of the completed quilt is required. Challenge Entries are asked to also include a photograph of textiles used in making the quilt. Maximum upload file size is 2MB. Advice on how to improve your quilt photographs can be found by searching for ‘photographing quilts’ on the internet.
5. Categories (Please choose carefully)
Only quilts that comply with category criteria will be exhibited. Please click here to see the list of categories. The Sub-Committee reserves the right to move to another category, a quilt for which it deems the category chosen to be inappropriate.
All non judged quilts MUST be marked as Category 0 irrespective of technique or size
6. Judging
Quilt Showcase is a judged exhibition, however, exhibitors have the right to not have their quilts judged. This must be indicated when submitting your entry.
If your entry was quilted by someone else it may be eligible for the Long-Arm Quilting Machine Award. This award will go to the quilter. You must indicate on the Entry if you agree to your quilt being included in the judging for this award.
The Committee reserves the right to withdraw a quilt from judging and exhibiting if they deem it necessary.
THE JUDGE’S DECISIONS ARE FINAL & NO CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE ENTERED INTO.
Committee members will not discuss the Judge’s decisions.
7. Status
Victorian Quilters Inc. regard quilters as having either Amateur or Professional status.
A Professional Quilter is defined as someone who satisfies one or more of the following conditions:
- has won Best of Show or 2 or more Blue Ribbons/Excellence Awards in a major judged competition, excluding Viewer’s choice; OR
- has financial involvement, teaches or publishes in any medium related to quilting; OR
- sells, designs or participates in any aspect of making quilts for financial gain. Financial Gain is any amount above the cost of creating the quilt, including design and fabrics, making teaching aids including samples, notes & travel expenses.
A major judged exhibition is a:
- ‘State or Territory guild’ judged exhibition or competition;
- a national or international judged exhibition or competition
Verification of awards may be required.
Having exhibited as a professional in any major judged exhibition, amateur status cannot be resumed.
Any person entering a winning quilt as an Amateur & who is found to be of Professional Status will forfeit their Award and Prize, even after the event.
8. Collaborative Quilts / Two Person Quilts / Group Quilts
A Collaborative Quilt is where two quilters have equally been involved in the making of the quilt and no payments for work have been made. Both persons must be individual members of Victorian Quilters Inc..
A Two Person quilt is where the quilter has received payment for service from the quilt maker (entrant): both persons must be individual members of Victorian Quilters Inc.
A group quilt is where three or more quilters have been involved in the making of the quilt. For quilts entered in the ‘Group Quilts’ category, the majority of the quilt is to have been made either by an individual member of Victorian Quilters Inc. or members of a VQ Member Group, or a VQ Member’s Friendship Group. (Round Robin project). For a ‘Round Robin’ activity the quilt must be entered by the VQ member. All participants in the group entry MUST be listed on the entry form.
9. Prizes
Prizes are awarded for the quilt judged best in each category. At the discretion of the judging panel, prizes may also be awarded to the Runner-up in each category.
Highly Commended awards may also be presented, dependent on number of entries and sponsors available.
Other individual prizes are also awarded at the discretion of the judging panel & the committee, eg Best of Show, Best Amateur Hand Quilting – The Narelle Grieve Award, (from 2018 this award may only be won once), Best Professional Hand Quilting, Best Contemporary Quilt, Best Use of Colour, etc.
The prize is awarded to the person who enters the quilt into the exhibition, except for the Long Arm Quilting Machine award. It is expected that the person who enters the quilt has had the most input in the making of the quilt. Prizes are awarded at the discretion of the judging panel and may be varied or not awarded as they see fit.
Judges reserve the right not to award a prize if the standard is deemed not high enough.
It is the responsibility of the prize winner to arrange collection (or pay for delivery) of prizes (products) from the Exhibition Centre during the exhibition. This will need to be arranged with the Sponsorship Co-ordinator.
The Quilt Collector volunteer is not required to deliver your prize with the return of your quilt, unless it is in the form of a Gift Voucher
All prize money will be paid via direct debit to the entrant’s nominated bank account.
10. Presentation of Quilts for Exhibition
Quilts MUST be provided with a hanging sleeve (with a finished depth of at least 10 cm) on the back to facilitate hanging. The collector will check that a sleeve is visible but is not expected to add one if the entrant has forgotten to do so.
Click here for a link to attaching a hanging sleeve.
A label stating the name and address of the exhibitor must be securely sewn to the back of the quilt (in the LEFT HAND CORNER when looking at the back) and the same name and address must be clearly marked on the bag in which the quilt is sent.
Each quilt is to be supplied with its own LABELLED QUILT BAG. Click here for a pattern to make a quilt bag.
It is highly recommended that Quilt Tote Bags be used where possible. Quilts will not be accepted in boxes, plastic bags or tubing.
Please be aware we are a family exhibition and no full frontal nudity or crude language will be accepted.
Quilts must be clean and devoid of animal fur, dust and must not include any material that may contaminate another quilt (e.g glitter).
11. Delivery prior to the Exhibition and Collection after the Exhibition
Delivery and return instructions will be advised by Victorian Quilters Inc. on acceptance of entry. DEADLINE FOR DELIVERIES MUST BE ADHERED TO. Failure to do so will result in the entry not being judged but accepted for display only.
Quilts will not be made available for collection at the closure of the exhibition from the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
If quilts are delivered & are to be returned by post, the quilt maker is responsible for all postage costs.
Unless prior arrangements have been made, your quilt must be collected from your nominated collection person no later than 15th August 2024. If the quilt is not collected, arrangements will be made to courier the quilt to you at your cost.
12. Insurance and Appraisal
All quilters are advised that they should consider insuring their quilts under their household contents policy. VQ Appraisal assessment is available to assist in this documentation. All care will be taken to ensure that quilts receive the proper care while in the collector’s care & the exhibition space.
Click here for further information regarding Appraisal
13. Copyright
Copyright is taken seriously by Victorian Quilters Inc.
All entrants MUST list the pattern designer and the name of their quilter in their entry form where requested on the form. It is the responsibility of the entrant to acknowledge the source of inspiration, the designer or teacher, for any quilt that is not their own original design, (changing colour, moving blocks, adding or deleting a few flowers, does not constitute an original design) or is not based on blocks that are regarded as in the public domain. It is the responsibility of entrants to obtain permission and to pay any fees regarding the use of copyrighted material. Such permission must be included with the Entry Form where applicable.
Logos, military emblems and indigenous design elements are subject to varying degrees of Copyright. All entrants are encouraged to read additional Copyright information found here.
By signing the Entry Form declaration, entrants are giving written permission for Victorian Quilters Inc. to publicly display and publish their quilt in printed or digital form.
14. Kit Quilts and Block of the Month Quilts
Quilts that have been made from kits where all the fabric has been provided with the pattern may be exhibited but will NOT be judged.
Quilts made through a ‘Block of the Month’ program may only be judged when all the fabric choices have been made by the quilt maker. In both these instances the designer and source of purchase MUST be indicated on the Entry.
15. Entries through a Member Group
Quilters who are not individual members of Victorian Quilters Inc. but who are financial members of a member group, and who wish to exhibit through that Member Group shall be able to do so for one year’s exhibition only.
Only 3 entries are permitted to be sponsored by a Member Group in any one year. These entries must be for three separate quilt makers. The sponsored quilter MUST be an amateur. It is expected that the quilter will join Victoria Quilters Inc. as an individual member before a subsequent entry to exhibit is considered.
Non Member being sponsored by a Member Group. Register your details and then complete the entry form. You will need to include the name of the Member Group sponsoring you. Check that the details are correct and pay the entry fee. As a sponsored entrant you can only enter one quilt.
16. School Students
Students are only those enrolled in Year 12 or less.
Students do not need to be members of Victorian Quilters Inc.
No entry fee is payable for student entries
A group of students may enter a single quilt in this category as long as they comply with the above clauses.
Student: Register your details and then complete the entry form. Check that the details are correct and submit the entry. No payment required.
