Prizes & Categories
The quilts in the following show challenge categories will be judged and awarded 1st Place ($2000), 2nd Place ($500), and 3rd Place ($200) prizes. Full details about these challenges are announced in May, in the Modern Monday emails.
Windham Fabrics Handloom 2027 Challenge
Steph Skardal, our featured speaker for QuiltCon 2027, has selected six beautiful Handloom by Windham Fabrics for you to work with in this year’s fabric challenge! Quilts must use at least 3 of the 6 challenge fabrics. The challenge is open to individuals or groups.
Pick-A-Color Scrappy Challenge
For QuiltCon 2027, the MQG and American Patchwork & Quilting want to see your take on single-hued scrappy in modern quilts. Dig out your color wheel, pick your color, and start scrapping. These quilts must feature a minimum of 10 different fabrics, with the colors all in one area of the color wheel. The challenge is open to individuals or groups.
The quilts in the following show categories will be judged and awarded 1st Place ($1,000), 2nd Place ($500), and 3rd Place ($200) prizes.
Appliqué
The quilt includes either machine or hand layering of fabric where the quilt’s primary focus is appliqué.
Foundation Piecing *new!*
The quilt is constructed using a paper or fabric foundation for piecing, such as English paper piecing, freezer paper piecing, foundation paper piecing, etc.
Group or Bee Quilts
Quilts in this category must be made by three or more people.
Handwork
The quilt includes at least one element of handwork that is the focus of the quilt, including, but not limited to: hand piecing, hand quilting, embroidery, redwork, cross-stitch, crewel, etc. Hand-stitched binding alone does not qualify as handwork.
Improvisation
The majority of the piecing in the quilt top is done improvisationally, without the use of a defined pattern or templates.
Minimalist Design
The design of the quilt emphasizes extreme simplification of content and form to achieve maximum visual impact.
Modern Traditionalism
The quilt design incorporates traditional aesthetics in a modern quilt, either by modernizing quilt blocks or quilt patterns, or by using elements of traditional motifs.
Piecing
The quilt incorporates skilled and/or creative use of piecing as a primary focus of the quilt.
Small Quilts
Any modern quilt with a total perimeter of 119" or less. The quilt can be any shape as long as it does not exceed the size limit.
Use of Negative Space
Quilts must incorporate a creative or significant use of negative space.
Youth
Entrants must be 18 years or younger at the time of entry. The majority of the work (70% or more) on quilts in this category must be completed by youth makers, this includes groups of youth makers working together. There is no minimum size, and the quilt must not have a total perimeter more than 360″ and no single side longer than 90″. (Quilter may be excluded from the age requirement.)