State Fair Quilt Entry Deadlines Are Landing Now

The Colorado State Fair, running August 28 through September 7, 2026, opened quilt entry registration on June 15 and closes the entry form and fee window on July 22 — just days away. Entries drop off August 2 and 3, with judging results posted August 31. The fair’s quilt division covers everything from full-size quilts to clothing, pillows, and purses, entered solo or as a duet.

Other major fairs are close behind. The Minnesota State Fair runs August 27 through Labor Day (September 7) with dedicated needlecraft classes for quilting alongside cross-stitch and crochet. The Maryland State Fair spans three weekends, August 27 through September 13, with quilts among dozens of competition categories. The California State Fair awards a Golden Bear Trophy and $100 for Best of Show in quilting, with $50 and rosettes for division winners.

Why Traditional and Reproduction Prints Still Win Ribbons

Fair judges have long rewarded historically accurate piecing and coordinated, well-researched palettes like categories where Civil War reproduction and primitive-style quilts consistently place. Small-scale prints, muted antique color stories, and traditional block patterns read as intentional and well-crafted next to more experimental modern entries, which is part of why reproduction fabric lines from designers like Jo Morton have stayed fixtures in fair-winning quilts for years.

Getting a Bundle Ready in Time

With entry and drop-off dates this tight, starting from a coordinated bundle rather than shopping fabric piece by piece can be the difference between finishing in time or missing the window. A pre-cut set like the Madison Manor Jo Morton fat quarter bundle with 32 coordinating Civil War reproduction prints already matched in antique red, olive, cream, and gold removes the fabric-hunting step entirely, which matters when the calendar is this unforgiving.

Quilters weighing a fair entry this year should check their state fair’s specific deadline soon: several, including Colorado’s, close within days, not weeks. If you miss this year’s state fair quilt entry deadlines, there is always next year.

The post State Fair Quilt Entry Deadlines Are Closing This Month appeared first on Kimberly's Fabric Stash.

Why blending fabric matters in scrap quilts.

When dozens of unrelated prints sit next to each other, the eye needs somewhere to rest. A consistent neutral — used in sashing, cornerstones, or alternating blocks — gives that visual breathing room and keeps the whole quilt from reading as noise.

Pick a neutral with a warm or cool lean that matches your scraps. If most of your scrap pile leans warm (rust, mustard, olive, brown), a cool gray blender will fight it. Creams, tans, and soft browns tend to sit comfortably next to warm-toned scraps without clashing — which is exactly why this combination shows up so often as blending fabric for scrappy quilts.

Buy enough for repetition, not just one block. Blending fabric works because it repeats throughout the quilt. A single fat quarter is rarely enough for a full-size scrap quilt’s sashing — half-yard cuts hold up better for repeated use across many blocks.

Test before cutting your whole stash. Lay a swatch of your candidate blending fabric next to your busiest, most-varied scraps. If it still looks calm next to the loudest print in your pile, it’ll work everywhere else too.

The Primitive Warm Neutrals Quilting Fabric Bundle was built with this kind of project in mind — a coordinated set of creams, tans, and soft browns meant for blending, sashing, and borders rather than standing out as a feature print. It’s offered as fat quarters or half yards, so you can scale the cut to the amount of sashing or repeated blending you actually need.

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If your scrap pile needs a unifying neutral, this warm neutrals bundle is sized for exactly that. Order half yards if you’re sashing a full quilt, or fat quarters for smaller projects.

The post Blending Fabric for Scrappy Quilts: Where to Find the Right Neutral appeared first on Kimberly's Fabric Stash.