Judging Lace:
Purpose: To educate the lace maker in the process of judging, for the production of more and better lace in competition. To set a standard for lace judges and a guideline for judging laces.
One of the questions I hear from lace makers who enter competitions is: "What are the judges looking for?" And occasionally, "What were they thinking?" "Why does that piece merit higher marks than this one?" "What are the criteria for judging?" As a judge in my fields of lace, I would like to shed some light on what those judges might be looking for.
What makes a qualified judge? The qualifications to judge in lace competitions may vary from region to region. It is my opinion, a judge must be knowledgeable and current in all the fine nuances of their field or fields they judge. Can a judge fairly assess a piece of lace for correctness, complexity of form, and technique if they are not a lace maker in that field? Would they know what the set standard is regarding the lace they judge? Judgment by definition is to compare to a set standard.
A good judge is aware of new techniques as well as old techniques of that particular field of lace. Usually, judges have taught and published in their field. Many have attained a ‘master’ or professional status and achieved the maximum number of ribbons in that field locally and/or nationally. Judges should be chosen for their expertise of techniques, as well as an intuitive eye for elements of color and design.
In some venues, such as ceramics, judges must attend ‘judge certification’ classes to judge ceramics in any local or national event or competition. As a competent lace maker, you may be qualified to become a judge in your field of lacemaking. There are few qualified judges throughout the states that have the experience of lacemaking in current techniques as you do.
A judge must also have integrity. The judge must be able to put aside personal feelings and preferences in the judging process. For example, a judge who is partial to pink, should not score pink higher than other colors of lace in competition. In variably, the judge may recognize a hand or design. In large lacing communities or small communities this may be unavoidable. Regardless, of systems used in judging, partialities must be put aside and the lace must be judged on a set standard and criteria. Remember that judging is not about personal preferences, likes or dislikes. It is about the lace and its execution.
Tools of a judge. The tools of a judge are just as important as the expertise and experience the judge brings to the process. Each piece of lace will be closely viewed under a lighted magnifying glass. Looking at the overall piece under the magnifying glass may show any tail ends not well hidden, or if buttons or findings were attached appropriately. These things might be missed using the naked eye. The lighted magnifying glass will show, for example, if sewing (bobbin lace) and joins (tatting or crochet) are properly done.
The judge might also have a pair of tweezers to determine if foreign fibers are worked into the piece or merely surface fiber or dust from poor handling of the lace. Some threads are a lower quality and will have fibers exposed and rough. Overworked threads will also show fiber stress and appear fuzzed. A good judge should be aware of the different threads available in the region and can recommend better threads for competition pieces in the comments area of the score card.
A tape measure is a great aid in judging the dimension, tension, and blocking of lace. If a piece of lace has multiple like motives, checking the size of several motives randomly will give you key information regarding tension and overall blocking.
Take time to make your work surface clean. Each piece of lace you judge is a treasured work of art and represents many hours of work. Have clean hands or wear cotton gloves if necessary. Keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you to keep your hands clean and free of dirt.
What a judge looks for. A piece of lace entered at the fair or other competition should fit all criteria stated in the Premiums manual or similar publication for that competition. What are the judges looking for?
Cleanness/ neatness in appearance.
Is it displayed properly? Presentation.
Does it have any pet hairs or extraneous fibers?
Does it fit the appropriate categories?
The judge wants to see the best efforts of the lace maker and their willingness to follow the set criteria in competition.
There are different judging systems used in each fair program. The most common methods are the Danish and American judging systems. Both systems use a set standard for basing their awards.
The Danish system of judging will compare each exhibit on its own merit against a scorecard or recognized standard and award as many first, second and third places as are merited.
The American system of judging will rank exhibits against one another and award one first place, one second place, etc.
Cleanness and neatness. Take measures to keep the piece clean and free of foreign and external fibers, such as pet hairs. Block the piece appropriately. Look the piece over thoroughly with a magnifying glass. The judge will be looking at your piece under a magnifying glass too. It may be wise to have a second set of eyes look at the lace before entry.
Preparing the lace for transportation can also be key in its presentation in competition. Placing the lace in plastic to avoid unwanted soiling is a good idea. Larger pieces might require being rolled in muslin material or tissue paper to prevent soiling and unwanted creasing in the transportation. This shows the judge how much time and care you took to present the lace for competition. If the piece is to be mounted on poster board, pre-drill the holes to attach the lace. Use a matching or invisible thread. Allow a section of the lace to be viewed on the backside. As a judge, I will gently pull the lace away from the board to check for any hidden ends or errors.
If the lace is attached to a garment or accessory, it should be neatly and appropriately attached. Take time to learn the blind hem stitch or other needle techniques for attaching lace to hankies or garments. It would be a shame to loose points here when so much work was done on the lace.
What the score card may look like for the Lace Arts. This card may look very generalized but can cover each lace art form as well as each judging system. Total points are 100 for a perfect score. 95-100 blue, 94-85 red, 84-75, white, 74-65 fourth, etc.
If the American Judging system is used, there can only be one first and one second, etc. Score each lace according to the set standard for that field of lace using the score card. Take the highest score of the first place section (95-100 points) and award the first place ribbon. The second highest score, the second place ribbon, etc. In the case of a tie, the WOW factor may apply to choose a clear winner. If there were no entries receiving a first place score as set in the standard, then first place should not be awarded.
If the Danish Judging system is used, each entry judged according to the set standard and using the score card within the first place category (95-100 points) will receive a first place ribbon. The same is true for the second and third place ribbons. All ribbons given are based on a set criteria and standard for that field of lace.
The score card is divided into 4 categories and comments section. Workmanship carries 40 points with four subcategories, Degree of Difficulty carries 20 points with three subcategories, Design Compatibility carries 20 points , and Presentation carries 20 points with two subcategories out of 100 possible points as outlined below.
Workmanship:
Let’s break this down further. When we look for workmanship we are looking
for an even hand in the stitches and even tension of stitches. Are the ends
properly finished? Are there any thread ends showing that should not be? If the
piece is attached to something, i.e. a garment, is it attached properly and
neatly or is it sloppy and shoddy? Does the piece have extra things added to it
for embellishments, i.e., buttons and beads? Are those attached properly? Does the
piece fit the category it is entered in? Is the piece suitable for its purpose?
Does the piece have a front and back by design, as in tatting?
1. Workmanship
a. Even stitches/tension. 10pt
b. No tag ends showing. 10pt
c. Buttons, zippers, snaps, velcro,
etc.
Are they
properly attached? 10pt
d. Suitability 10pt
Degree of Difficulty:
This is where you look at the overall piece for balance. Does the piece have
symmetry? This might require you to interpret what the participant is trying to
convey in the piece being judged. Balance does not necessarily mean a literal
evenness in design through out the piece. Some pieces of lace will not be
exactly symmetrical by design. You will, however, look for uniformity of
stitches and tension. Does the piece have differing dye lots? Colors used must
be well suited for each piece. Not all laces are done in white. If an entry uses
multiple colors, or a variegated thread, see if the colors enhance the lace.
Does the use of these colors detract from the designed pattern?
Are colors well suited for each other in the piece?
Next look for complexity. If the piece required multiple sewing, or complex stitches, i.e., split rings and chains, non-traditional or unusual mediums used to create the lace, can all be considered in this section. Look also at the execution of these difficult/complex stitches or techniques. In your expert opinion, is this a difficult lace to create? The finer the fiber the more difficult it might be to hide ends properly, for example.
2. Degree of Difficulty
a. Balance of all
components. 5pt
b. Complexity. 10pt
c. Correct dye lots. 5pt
Design Compatibility:
This is where you decide whether the piece has used the appropriate medium or
extraneous embellishments (beads, buttons, etc.) that fit the design. Is the
gimp appropriately proportioned to the rest of the lace? If the beads or buttons
are too large in relation to the threads used in the piece, it could look heavy
and out of balance. The heavy beads or buttons can distort the lace as it is
examined.
3. Design compatibility. 20pt
Presentation: the WOW factor.
This is where the judge studies the overall look of the lace. Is the piece
blocked and mounted properly? How is the overall finish of the piece? Is the
piece attractive to the eye? What is the WOW factor? That is to say how does the
piece strike you? This factor may vary from judge to judge. Presentation is just
as important as the expertise in technique.
4. Presentation
a. Blocking, mounting, framing,
finishing. 10pt
b. Attractive to the eye.
10pt
Comments: Positive and Corrective
All these things the judge will take into consideration for each class and
category. The judge must also be able to make some constructive positive and
corrective/improvement remarks for the participant. Many fairs would prefer you
made more positive comments when pointing out the errors or improvements of the
piece. For that matter, so would the participant receiving the comments. Be
helpful, be precise, and be kind. Remember the exhibitors worked very hard on their
pieces and the judge must respect the workmanship and treat the pieces as if
they were priceless.
Summary: Every competition will have an outline or list of what is expected in competition. Take the time to look for those criteria and using these given to create ribbon winning lace. When selecting a judge for lace competition look at these standards outlined to choose a competent, experienced and fair judge. These two elements will make the judging process both satisfying and exciting for the lace maker and judge alike. They will encourage and increase competition entries and help promote lace making as a whole.