Hoffman Challenge - Entry FAQ

	Notification and Return of Item
	Construction Questions
	Finding Fabric
	Judging
	Traveling Items and Selection
	Shipping and Insurance


Q.	When will my 2009 entry be returned?
A.	All Paisley challenge items will be returned by the end of October.

Q.	When will I be notified if I don't win and my entry is not a part of a traveling collection?
A.	When your entry is returned. Place winners will be posted on the website by the second week of August, and will receive email notification. Those selected to travel are notified by email and will also be posted on the site by the second week of August. If you do not receive notification within the first 2-4 weeks after the close of the Challenge then you should expect to have your entry returned. No other notifications are made. The list of traveling entries will be posted on the Hoffman Challenge website by mid- August. Official acceptance letters will go out via mail in mid-September 2010.

Q.	When will I be notified if I win?
A.	You will receive a phone call or email within two weeks of the close of the Challenge.

Q.	When will I be notified if my entry is in one of the traveling collections?
A.	You will be notified by mail or email within four weeks of the close of the Challenge. The list of traveling entries will be posted on the Hoffman Challenge website by mid- August. Official acceptance letters will go out via mail in mid-September.

Q.	How will I know if you’ve received my entry?
A.	You can enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope or postcard, and we will send it to you when we receive the entry. We will also email a notice that we've received your entry to anyone who includes their email address in the application.

Q.	Should I give up quilting if my item is returned?
A.	Absolutely not. Although we’d love to keep every single item, and have never met a quilt we didn’t enjoy, the sheer numbers entered prevent us from keeping each one to send traveling. If you’re a first time participant, we have award categories specifically for you! We do receive items of high caliber, and the challenge is displayed at the largest, most respected shows with the world’s best quilts, so the items kept to include in the traveling exhibits must exhibit quality workmanship and design. Please don’t be discouraged, as many of our talented competitors, judges, etc. have had items returned. You’re in good company. You’ve also experienced personal growth and experience from participating, and will be even more prepared to enter again next time!



Q.	Do I have to use the coordinate fabrics in my entry?
A.	No, you may use any other fabric or fabrics of your choice with the Challenge fabric.

Q.	Do I have to use only Hoffman fabrics?
A.	No, you may use any other fabric or fabrics of your choice with the Challenge fabric.

Q.	Can I use something other that fabric (paper mache, sculpy, porcelain, etc.) for the doll's body, face, hands, head etc?
A.	We recommend the doll be entirely of cloth construction, but will permit securely attached non-breakable components. Remember, it must be easily protected by a single wrapping of bubble wrap, and travel without breaking when packed with the other dolls in a trunk.

Q.	Can I embellish with beads, threads, etc.?
A.	Yes! Sulky is now a cosponsor, so be eligible for additional prizes by including their wonderful thread!

Q.	I've chosen a very heavy stand for my doll. Is this a problem?
A.	If any component of your entry would put the other dolls at risk during shipping, we will be unable to send your doll to travel. They are layered in a trunk with only a single wrapping of bubble wrap, special packing instructions can not be accommodated.

Q.	My doll requires special positioning and posing. Will the exhibitors make sure this happens?
A.	Your doll should be securely posed. Exhibitors generally will not spend extra time trying to reposition a doll.

Q.	What if I make the quilt, but it’s quilted by another person, or two of us work on a garment or other entry?
A.	We accept items like this, but only one award, ribbon, etc. will be provided per entry. This means you get to negotiate custody of the ribbon and division of the rest! Only the person entering the item will be named on the signage and website. The other will be listed on the back of the signs.

Q.	Does that mean I should not mention that another quilter worked on my entry?
A.	Anytime someone else participates in the making of any entry for this or any other event, proper and complete credit should be given.

Q.	What if a bunch of us want to make a group quilt?
A.	Unfortunately, due to a lack of participation, we no longer will be offering the group category option.

Q.	I would like to enter in two different categories, say a doll and a quilt. Do I have to fill out two forms and send two entry fees?
A.	Yes. We are welcoming multiple entries by the same maker, but do require separate paperwork and entry fees for each. You can mail them in the same box.

Q.	I’m using a design from a purchased pattern/book/magazine? Is this OK?
A.	Please give the proper written credit, and we strongly recommend you request written permission from the designer.

Q.	The Accessory category rules may limit the size of hats or other items, are there exceptions? How will these be displayed?
A.	We recognize that this may be an issue. Approximately 18-20 items travel in trunks measuring approximately 24x24x36”. Large items cannot be included. We’ll leave this open for some flexibility around the initial 12x12x12” measurement requirements. Please provide whatever item/stand/ or other needed display with your complete name and address, for example: a hat stand, proper structure to display a purse, etc.



Q.	Why don't you make sure my local shop has the full Hoffman line of fabrics?
A.	We curate the exhibit, but are not housed in or involved with Hoffman's manufacturing or sales crew, so must refer you to them for issues beyond the challenge.

Q.	Where can I find the fabric?
A.	After checking with your local quilt shop, contact us for the fabric (see www.jukeboxquilts.com), or see your favorite internet fabric supplier or catalog source. Only a limited amount of the fabric is manufactured, so some sources may run out of it early in the challenge year.



Q.	What do the judges look for in the winners?
A.	Integral and creative use of a recognizable amount of the selected Challenge fabric, as well as the visual impact and workmanship of the piece. It’s impossible to predict what will appeal to the judge, so we can’t give you specifics. See our CD’s or the website for the previous winners for ideas about what appealed to judges, but recognize that each judge has very individualized tastes, and that they have a very difficult job choosing from a large number of really wonderful items.

Q.	Can I get comments about my quilt?
A.	Starting in 2004, we can provide judges’ comments for an additional $10. As in most large shows who offer this, this usually consists of 3-5 short comments about the strengths of your quilt, and the same number of areas that may need further attention or improvement. These are objective observations made by trained individuals with experience judging shows professionally. We hope that by offering this, those of you interested can learn of areas for future growth, as well as have the strengths of your piece identified. These comments will be returned with your fabric and pin if the item travels, or with your entry if it is not selected. The comments will not be provided by the final judges choosing award winners because of the large number of items they must judge in a short time.



Q.	Every year one of the quilt exhibits visits my home town. Can you make sure my quilt is in that exhibit?
A.	We’re very sorry, but no. As much as we’d like to do this, it would mean we’d lose what very little sanity the curator and crew has left. We strive very hard to create equally strong exhibits, and this would be an extra factor too difficult to accommodate for the 350+ items that travel.

Q.	How many entries are received?
A.	It varies from year to year, but usually between 500-1000 total.

Q.	How do you separate the finalists for exhibition?
A.	The traveling exhibitions are grouped to include a good assortment of the finalists, plus a balanced number of the winning quilts. Quilt Group A, for instance, is no better or different than Quilt Group B – we just had to name them differently to identify them!



Q.	Where should I ship my entry?
A.	Shipping Instructions: Our shipping address is a UPS Store. If you are shipping to UPS, even though this is one of their own stores, their system will not recognize or process the shipping information if you include the PO Box number. Be sure to leave out the PMB number, or it will be returned to you. So, if shipping UPS, Fed Ex or DHL, ship to: Julie Breidt, Curator, Hoffman Challenge 1281 East Magnolia, Unit D Fort Collins, CO 80524 If shipping United States Postal Services (including any letters), ship to: Julie Breidt, Curator, Hoffman Challenge 1281 East Magnolia, Unit D PMB #130 Fort Collins, CO 80524

Q.	Will you unpack my doll quickly so it can breathe?
A.	Yes.

Q.	Should I insure my quilt? What if something happens to it?
A.	Yes. We attempt to make sure the items are carefully packed and tracked, but loss or damage may occur that is beyond our control. Check with your homeowner’s insurance agent for coverage.

Q.	If I have a special box made with custom miniature packing peanuts numbering in the millions, will my entry be returned in the same packing?
	With the exception of cigarette odor, the most guaranteed way of making our whole team twitchy is to pack your item with peanuts. We recognize this as a good cushioning substance, but get very tired of chasing them around the studio, neighborhood, etc. Please use bubble wrap. The boxes we receive fill several trailer loads, and therefore cannot be stored. Any packing materials are sent for recycling prior to the competition. Please don’t send lovingly made bags or complicated, bulky cushioning systems you expect to remain with your item during its 20+ displays. We’d send the bags home (we’re not heartless), but are already bulging at the seams, so can’t store the padding and boxes!

Q.	I’m a smoker. What was that about cigarette odor?
A.	Both Hoffman and your curator’s team are concerned about maintaining good health. The curator is also a nurse. All of us focus on healthy lifestyles, yes, some of us even surf. We want you to enter Challenges for the next 50 years or more, so please stop smoking. If an entry arrives with a strong smoke odor, it transfers to the other entries during competition and storage; therefore we may disqualify and return it.

Selecting the fabrics for the annual Hoffman Challenge is a challenge in itself! Although all of the Hoffman Fabrics are famously inspirational, we must narrow the selection.

Some of the criteria used are:

A.	None of the famous Hoffman batiks can be chosen for the primary challenge fabric, as these fabrics are handmade by individual artists, and no two yards are exactly the same. Since these fabrics are manufactured in other countries, weather and shipping issues can make availability somewhat unpredictable, so even though we love 'em, at this point we can't use them as our primary challenge fabric. We do, however, encourage you to use them in your entry!
B.	The fabric has to be newly designed, never seen, and specifically released for the challenge.
C.	We review the fabrics used in past challenges, and attempt to choose a totally new style and look. Because Hoffman is famous for its very high quality multiple colored fabrics, chances are the challenge fabric will have numerous rich colors and shades, providing endless opportunities for all involved to choose coordinates and companion fabrics. To see all of the past challenge fabrics, Click Here.
D.	Potential uses of the fabric are discussed. This is a challenge, remember? We consider how the fabric will look when it's cut and incorporated with other fabrics in clothing, quilts, dolls and accessories. We think about use of both little bitty pieces, and large sections of the fabric. When the entries begin to arrive, we never cease to be amazed how the challenge items use the fabrics in wonderful ways we could never have imagined!
E.	A highly sophisticated selection process takes place over sandwiches and chocolate, and when the preliminary designs look just right on paper, sample "strike offs" are made to see how the design looks on actual fabric. If these are as beautiful as we expect, the fabric is announced to all in late August.
F.	The selected fabric is then released with applications to shops around the world. Even though the process of selection was highly scientific, everyone feels obligated to put in their two cents! The opinions and advice are carefully weighed, but like we said, this is a challenge! It’s impossible to please everyone, but since the challenge uses Hoffman fabrics, you know that no matter what fabric is selected, it’s one of the best!

Send mail to Julie@hoffmanchallenge.com with questions or comments
about this website, or call (970) 690-6715