Meet the Judge!

I am very excited to introduce you to Christine N. Brown who we’ve asked to judge Quilting Daily’s inaugural quilt competition, Pieces of the Past. She is a quilt judge certified by the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges and the National Quilting Association. Christine is also qualified to judge nominated Masterpiece Quilts.

A quilter for over 35 years and a quilt judge for 24 years, she most recently served as editor-in-chief of American Quilter magazine, published by the American Quilter’s Society, Paducah, KY. Christine lives in Castle Pines, CO and continues to write articles, design patterns, and judge quilt shows while volunteering her time and expertise to quilting organizations. Her own quilts have won awards in national and regional competitions, and many have been published in magazines and books. In 2017 the Colorado Quilting Council republished The CQC Competition Handbook, a comprehensive booklet on quilt judging aimed at show entrants and organizers, which Christine authored for CQC previously. You can follow her blog on Facebook by searching, “Christine Brown, Certified Quilt Judge.”

Her quilt judging philosophy is thoughtful and her evaluation thorough. In her own words: “Because I answer the call to both innovative and traditional styles in my own work, I have appreciation for the myriad techniques and designs being used by today’s fiber artists. I believe a well-qualified quilt judge should provide helpful feedback to show entrants—via written and oral commentary—on both workmanship and design.

When evaluating quilts, I first observe and study each one to find the maker’s message or the main idea. I consider all aspects of design: pattern, color, fabric, quilting stitches, border treatment, imagery, and embellishments. Workmanship is also evaluated but does not necessarily outweigh design.

Today’s quilters have raised the bar exponentially in the art of quilting. To competently judge competitions both large and small, I keep abreast of new techniques and attend classes, seminars, and lectures on art and quiltmaking whenever possible. I have many opportunities throughout the year to attend quilt shows and talk with quilters, from beginners to best-of-show winners. I believe this broad perspective serves me well as a quilt judge.”

I can’t wait to work with Christine to hear her thoughts on the quilts in the Pieces of the Past competition. We’d love to have you enter your quilt into our competition – you still have time! It can be one that you’ve already made or maybe you’ll be inspired to create something new. Click here to read more and to enter!