Quilt Entry notes -- 2016 Wine Country Quilt Show

April 10, 2016

This is my first year of being fully responsible for quilt entry.  2015 I performed this job with Joanne and in 2014 I shadowed her. 

The cut off for the show was April 8th.  The week before the dead line there was about 150 or half of the quilts needed.  I was nervous as this was the first year I am solely responsible for quilt entry.  What seemed to get things going was the email blast with the actual number of quilts NEEDED.  A couple of people told me that got the spurred on.  Just asking for quilts did not provide visibility into how big was the need.

At the last meeting before the deadline I had a lot people turning in forms and having me take pictures.  I need to remember to slow down and stay focused.  I have a photo of 1 quilt but don't know who's it is.  I'll make a print out and ask Joanne to ask around at the next meeting since I can't attend it.

Doing the show layout in PowerPoint seems to be working well.  It is a bit tedious and error prone to label each pic in PPT.  It is the ID that gets me mixed up the most and I find that I use the same ID over when quilts come in at different times from people.  Will think on a different approach for the unique identifier.  I'd love to discuss with other shows how they do entry and layout.

This is the first year with the quilt release on the quilt paper and online form.  I hope that speeds up drop off.  Also the collection from Pointless Sister called Abstract is coming in on Friday so that issue of last year when 1 person checked in 20+ quilts won't happen.

This is the first year we are "selling" quilts that hang in the show.  We got 50 entries to be sold.  Not bad.

We seem to have more quilts then room for so I pulled some of my and mom's quilts.  I'm going to see if I can  develop a measure using the linear inches and/or total square inches.

May 2, 2016

Had a total of 331 entries.  The layout team is having some issues with placing them.  Several email blasts and the May newsletter asked for pulls and they are coming in.  I pulled several on mine and mom's to help out.  I'll just put them in the boutique.  Going to work on some ways to determine when we are filling up space so we won't have this issue again next year. Presently I'm thinking of a three metrics, number of quilts, linear feet and square inches.  I'll work out the "baseline" from this years show.  Hope I have the spreadsheet from last year to sanity check the baseline.

Layout team has put booths on the stage in the main room for MQSC project/classes like the Helen Frost class, Roosters, cat cuddles and community quilts ....

June

Total Entries = 352 (includes Pointless Sisters Abstract {26} & Featured Artist {22})

Entries made by date (not including Featured Artist)
Sept – 7 entries
Oct – 1 entry
Nov- 0
Dec-1 entry
Jan-1 entry
Feb – 13 entries
Mar – 151 entries
Apr – 156 entries (deadline was April 8)

# of quilt hung in show 267 + 26 Pointless Sisters Abstract + 22 Featured Artist = 315 displayed 

Sold 13 quilts that were hanging in the show.

Things to change for next year:

1) add field "inspired by (book, pattern, class, etc..) for entries

2) don't request quilt entries until January

3) stick to last in first our when no more room

4) add quilt size to for sale signs 

5) Consider another unique identifier schema