Quilt Judging

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As accredited quilt judges with the Quilters’ Guild, we are, first and foremost, enthusiastic quilters ourselves. We may work with cotton, silk, linen, wool or plastic. We may stitch by hand, by machine, with long-arm machines or with tacks and staples. We love bright colours, subdued colours, transparency. We may make huge quilts or tiny ones, bed quilts, bags or objects. We are soothed and satisfied by our sewing and also swear at it sometimes. In other words, we are just the same as you - we have no special talents, we are not the 'quilt police' and we won't count your stitches.

We are all, however, committed to maintaining public interest in quilt making and helping to keep standards as high as they are. We want to encourage all quilt makers to do as well as they can to improve their work and we want to raise the profile of quilt making as a textile art. Most of us have completed the QGBI training course. A small number are judges because of their expertise as teachers.

Nearly half of us are from outside the UK, as very few countries yet run their own training courses.

As well as at Festival of Quilts, we judge at other shows up and down the country, or abroad. We love to look at your quilts, wherever they are.

Many of us also give talks to groups and are happy to talk about what judges look for and to answer your questions.

Quilt Judging Course: two year self-directed learning

In 2003 the Quilt Judging Course was established by the Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles (QGBI) to provide professional Quilt Judges and to ensure fair and consistent standards of judging for competition quilts and juried exhibitions. The course has successfully grown to include learners worldwide and it is internationally recognised.

The Quilt Judging Course has caught the attention of the quilting world, attracting successful participating students from areas within and outside Europe. We now have accredited judges in the UK, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and even Australia, making this a truly international venture.

The Quilt Judging Course offers full training for quilters to become Quilt Judges. After completion, we offer continuing professional development opportunities to maintain the level of skill and knowledge.

All of the learners who have qualified have said how much they enjoyed the course and how much they gained from taking part. The course encourages a wide appreciation of Art and Craft; you will be looking more widely than just textiles and quilts in order, to develop a critical awareness.

This course aims to:

provide a challenging, structured programme of study, equivalent to Level 4 (i.e. equivalent to first year of a bachelor’s degree).
enable learners to develop skills and acquire experience in communication, assessment and evaluation, and apply them to quilt jurying and judging.
encourage learners to extend their knowledge of design principles and construction techniques in the wider culture of patchwork and quilting.
provide learners with the opportunity to develop their critical evaluative skills when jurying and judging quilts.
provide learners with the opportunity to develop their report writing skills to achieve learning outcomes.
provide learners with access to an accredited Quilt Judge Course Leader who will work with a group of learners to support them as needed, and assess the evidence submitted.

What does the Quilt Judging Course involve?

This is a self-directed course of study comprised of six modules designed to develop essential critical evaluative skills in preparation for jurying and judging quilts. This structured course covers work relating to design and construction within patchwork, quilting and related creative textiles. Learners work independently and within a given time scale to provide evidence for a set of tasks for each module.

Divided into six modules you will cover a diverse range of subjects including art, design, construction techniques, jurying and judging with practical exercises. You will set and execute your own learning strategy, submit six written reports and evaluate your own learning outcomes. Most learners find they spend 10-15 hours per week, on average, on the course work.

Visiting quilt shows and museums is seen as an integral part of the course and learners are actively encouraged to keep a journal throughout the course. You will complete evidence-based written reports for each module (each about 10,000 words) and submit them for assessment by your Course Leader. The course begins with an introductory zoom session, where students will meet their course leader and take part in a variety of activities related to the course. Similar sessions are run at the beginning of each module.

Course Fees

The course fee is £1800 which covers support and assessment for Modules 1 - 6 and entry to The Festival of Quilts for one day during Year 2 only (Module 6's Judging practical exercise). Following a non-refundable deposit of £300, the balance is payable in three equal instalments. The fee does not include the cost of travel to course-related events or exhibitions or any incidental expenses required to complete the course (such as materials, exhibition entrance etc).

The course is open to Guild members only, so why not join now so that you can reap the benefits of membership until the course starts. You will be required to join anyway as a condition of enrolling on the course!

Qualification

Successful learners will be accredited as Quilt Judges by The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles. A certificate and badge are provided and newly qualified judges will be named at the Quilters’ Guild AGM in the following year, and listed in ‘The Quilter’ magazine.

Accredited judges are encouraged to take part in the online continuous professional development opportunities (CPD) organised by The Quilters’ Guild, to keep their knowledge current. CPD for all accredited quilt judges in the Guild is run throughout the year. Contact the Judges’ CPD Coordinator at [email protected] for more information.

What are the requirements in order to join the course?

Essential:

Learners are expected to be able to converse and write in English
Be a Quilters’ Guild member (or become a member prior to applying - you can join here)
Be an experienced quilter, keen to take their knowledge in a different direction

Due to the nature of the course, learners are required to be able to use the following IT tools:

a word processing package (e.g. Microsoft Word or Apple Pages)
a spreadsheet (e.g. Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers)
a cloud storage system (e.g. Google MyDrive or Microsoft OneDrive)
a file transfer system (e.g. WeTransfer.com)
Zoom

Desirable:

Have exhibited a quilt at either a local or national quilt show/exhibition
Have a wide appreciation of patchwork and quilting techniques and styles
Eager to serve the wider quilting community
Keen to encourage other quilt makers

Applications from international learners are welcomed alongside those from the UK. All applicants whose first language is not English should be aware that the course requires the ability to express good verbal and written English.

How can I apply to join the course?

Register your interest at any time to receive further details, or simply to check your eligibility, by contacting the Judging Committee Administrator at [email protected]

The next course begins on 6th November 2026.

Registration opens on 1st May 2026 and closes on 18th October 2026.

Quilt Judging FAQ

Can I book judges for a local exhibition?

Head Office at York holds an up-to-date list of quilt judges where you can find out if there are judges in your area. You can also find out which judges are available for your event from the chair of the judging committee

How are quilts judged?

Erica Johnston, the Festival of Quilts Judging Organiser, has prepared a useful guide on how quilt judges do their job at Festival of Quilts.