North Texas Quilt Festival

July 30, 31, and August 1, 2026

This year's theme is "God Bless America"

The Contest deadline is May 31, 2026.

 

The contest entry form will be available here in February

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Judged Quilt Contest & Show

Treat yourself to aisles and aisles of breathtaking quilts brimming with artistry and creativity, competing for thousands in cash prize awards from accredited judges. Supported in part by: Bear Creek Quilt Guild, Fort Worth Modern Quilt Guild, Fort Worth Quilt Guild, Irving Quilt Guild, MidCities Modern Quilters, Quilters' Guild of Arlington, Quilter's Guild of Dallas, and Trinity Valley Quilters' Guild.

 

Contest Rules & Instructions

 

Prizes

Top prizes include $1,000 for Best in Show, two $700 Merit Quilted awards, $300 awards: Judges' Choices, Viewer's Choice, and Hand Quilting, Cash awards and ribbons for first and second place in each category, honorable mention ribbons, and the Director's Choice ribbons.

 

Judges

 

Mary Wolter

Mary Wolter has been quilting since 1976, making her first quilt as a teenager from instructions given in a McCall's magazine during the Bicentennial. But it wasn't until the 1990's that her hobby/obsession really took off. She attended her first national quilt show in Paducah, KY with a friend in 1996 and has since taken numerous classes over the years to refine her skills. She's won many awards in local and regional quilt shows in southeastern Wisconsin and belongs to several quilt guilds. Quality feedback from quilt show judges on her own work went a long way to motivate continuous improvement and inspired her to pursue certification as a judge after retirement from WEC Energy Group in 2021. Mary is Treasurer of the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, WI, where she enjoys viewing each new exhibit and getting inspiration from each artist's work. She is also an avid collector of quilts from the 1930's-1960's and is a member of the American Quilt Study Group.

 

Lois Kindley

I am a veteran fiber artist and have a passion for quiltmaking. I have been sharing the love of quilting for over 40 years. I've been active in the quilting world, lecturing, designing patterns, and teaching children, adults, even inmates quilting. After a considerable amount of success, I have become a highly awarded quilter, having pieces exhibited in national shows and longarming for others who have competed at that level as well. My heart longs to positively encourage quilters! I desire to share my love of quilting and see others succeed. I know entrants have worked very hard to complete their tops and are willing to have them judged. I aim to inspire you to continue creating and entering quilts into competitions. After all, it's a great way to spark the creativity of others!

 

Sandy Gard

Sandy is a self-taught seamstress and quilter. At the age of six, she was cutting and sewing clothes for her dolls by hand. At the age of eight, she had her first experience at hand quilting. All the neighbors gathered at her grandmother’s farmhouse in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and they lowered the quilting frame from the living room ceiling. They all sat around the quilt, quilting and visiting. The love of quilting began. It has been a lifelong love affair.
Sandy has had a home-based sewing business for 21 years. In 2007, she purchased a Gammill longarm quilting machine and has been successfully quilting for customers. Since then, Sandy has quilted over 1,000 customer quilts and counting.
In 2014, Sandy entered the NQA Judging program. She has spent four years working with certified judges and judging quilt shows. She received her NACQJ certification in 2019. She holds positions on four local quilt guild boards and is the judging coordinator for one.

 

PLUS...

Hundreds of additional quilts on display in the traveling gallery, lectures and hands-on workshops, free presentations and trunk shows, super prize drawings and more!