WOW.....What an insult. I think I would declare THAT discrimination. Maybe the judges should consider a category that would "fit" a more than amateur crafter. BYW, tell her that it is remarkably beautiful. And congratulations for her accomplishment!

It's lovely, of course, and looks as if it's perfectly done.

However.... I wonder.... You say she 'knitted' this to enter into the 'quilt' competition. Could she possibly have tried to put it in the wrong category? and they were trying not to hurt her feelings? It's not knitted, it's crocheted, and it's not a quilt--which would be pieced fabric, hand or machine stitched through batting and a backing.

If she tried to enter it in the appropriate category and they said that? Well, if it were me, I'd pull out the rules, reread them, and as long as there was nothing in there that specified that only haphazard, poorly made pieces were welcome, I'd have stood there, refusing to move, until they accepted my entry.

You are absolutely correct that it is crocheted rather than knitted, but what do I know...LOL

On the other hand, it is a quilt.

Although most ppl are only familiar with sewn fabric quilts, there are a number of other quilting techniques as well.

By definition a quilt will fit a bed and quilts can be made by sewing fabric, crocheting, hooking or fabric weaving and in the competition they have a separate category for each type.

Mother makes quilts using all the techniques and she has been competing at the fair since she was 14 yrs old so I am sure she knows which category to enter.

My Greatgrandmother use to scour the neighborhood collecting discarded silk hose that had runners in them. She would then dye the silk into different colors then cut the hose in 1" wide strips and use the silk strips to make hooked quilts on a burlap backing. (For the backing she used to take new burlap feed sacks from the barn and wash them three or four times to remove the loose lint and soften the fabric.)

That's very pretty but strange how she was treated. Around here we have a junior class and an adult class. She would have been allowed to enter this in the adult class here.

It's lovely.

But that is an afghan. (From the same source I linked below) Afghan: a soft woolen blanket, crocheted or knitted, usually in a geometric pattern.

A quilt, by definition, is two layers of woven cloth, pieced or not, with a filler (batting), stitched together (quilted) in a pattern.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quilt defined.

A cross stitcher was once turned away at our county fair because her stitches "were going the wrong way". WHAT? She was left handed so her top stitch was lower left to upper right. As long as they are all going the same direction it doesn't matter how the stitches lay. I was livid when I heard that!! There are classes for child, junior, adult and senior at our fair, and professional and amateur.

Looks like a Afghan NOT a quilt to me.

My mom made a crocheted Afghan that looked almost exactly the same. I can't understand why she couldn't enter, either you know how to crochet or your don't. Yes it's done nicely but it doesn't look any different than any other stitches done correctly. That makes no sense whatsoever. What is it supposed to be all botched up to enter? HA!

Whatever the case, I'd like to say the blanket is very beautiful and your dear mother is too!

That ain't right.

Do they tell the most gifted gymnasts that they can't compete in the Olympics because they're so much better than everybody else?

Nope.

As long as they aren't professionals (people who have been paid for their performance), they get to participate.

She might want to file a complaint to the entity responsible for the fair.

It is lovely & remarkable that she can accomplish this in only 4 months.

I am a quilter myself. No quilter that I know would consider this masterpiece a quilt. It would not be entered in my quilt guild's show, nor at our county fair as a quilt, because it is considered a crocheted piece... an afghan. The fact that it fits a bed has nothing to do with the definition of a quilt. Quilts can be as small as the size of your palm... they are in the category of "miniature quilts". So I can totally understand that they rejected her entry, altho' the reason she was given doesn't sound genuine.

Nevertheless, she should definitely be quite proud of her beautiful afghan. A lot of love went into it.

I agree with the others; it's definitely not a quilt. I think the Fair officials recognized the afghan's beauty and the time and skill that went into making it, and said what they did to honor that, knowing it could not be entered in the quilt category.

However, I'm surprised they didn't tell your mom she could enter it in their afghan category. Surely they had one?

In the official entry rules they have a category for croceted quilts and another for afgans...The officials all agreed that the piece mother was submitting indeed was a crocheted quilt and they would be proud to display it as such at the fair,,,, she just could not enter it in the competition.

another who says the powers that be are crazy! she should have been allowed to enter it...and get a blue ribbon!

It's a treasure!

It's just beautiful. I say it's an afghan but if the judges say it's a crocheted quilt I'll accept that. What I cannot accept, is the judges saying it's too good to be entered. I never heard such a thing and it's outrageous!!

Pleas give Mom lots of hugs and tell her her "JURY" here gave her FIVE stars and the Blue Ribbon and the GOLD Medal
I crochet too and would like the pattern.

Sometimes the rules don't match what the judges or admitting people think they should. I cannot say if it is a quilt or ??? but I think they should have had a mini meeting and suggest where she could enter it.If they said it was a quilt, then not allowing this beautiful piece to be entered is discrimination. Please, put a complaint to the fair board now!!! Don't let them get away with this. It was their choice to say it is a quilt.
It is really a great piece. Just give her a great big hug, and tell her thanks.

that is outrageous! With their way of thinking, nobody could enter, becasue somebody's quilt will always be better than anothers. what a joke!

Yes, please contact the fair board for your Mom, like Marie suggested. NO reason not to, doesn't hurt to try.
Your Mom would be thrilled. Please do it! Please!

I wonder if it is considered a quilt because it was pieced and not stitched all at once?

please do this for you Mom, Lazy

just reread Kats reply and sign my name to it...Minnie's too...HOW DARE THEY not accept this beautiful piece...whatever you want to call it from an 84 year old woman who handcrafted this in under four months...I think that powers that be who are running the fair competition missed the whole idea behind the competition...may the best woman win and your mother should have won hands down!! It's absolutely beautiful and the fact that she can even see/have a steady enough hand to do this is remarkable...give her a big hug from me and how lucky you are to still have her!!

It's a beautiful Granny Square afghan, it should have been entered in the crochet category. Your mom does lovely work.

The fact that they exhibited it was a compliment, though.