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Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival
Wearable Art Competition 2026
IMPORTANT: This is a national competition open only to residents of the United States.
Wearable Art Competition Rules
1. Open to all, but must be the work of the person or group applying to the competition. Limit of 2 entries per person or group. Family members and /or permanent employees of Show Management or sponsors are not eligible. Garment(s) must be constructed by the person or persons named on the entry form.
2. Full ensembles or individual articles of wearable art (a vest, jacket, or coat) may be entered in the competition. No items constructed from kits are allowed. Entries may not include craft glitter due to transfer issues.
3. Category definitions: Individual Article - a vest, jacket, or coat. Full Ensemble - a garment or group of garments that need no other items to make it ready to wear in public. Examples: Suit Ensemble, Dress, Evening Gown, or Pants Outfit.
4. Garments winning Best of Show at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival or the Pacific International Quilt Festival are not eligible to be judged.
5. Entries must have been finished in 2024, 2025, or 2026 and be in excellent condition.
6. Entry must have a cloth label (on each piece of a full ensemble) with the entry’s title, name, address, and telephone number of the entrant securely sewn to the inside.
7. Ship the entry in a secure carton. We suggest placing the item in a sturdy plastic bag. DO NOT use styrofoam or cellulose products. Because of the difficulty in handling oddly shaped boxes, we encourage you to try to avoid using tubes and elongated boxes. NOTE: If you need to ship your garment in a tube or elongated/oversized box please enclose a check in the amount of $20.00 made out to Mancuso Show Management, Inc. Cost of return shipping and insurance in return transit will be the responsibility of Show Management. The original carton will be used to return the item via UPS or another promoter-designated carrier. Please remove all old shipping labels from the carton prior to shipping.
8. Entries must be available for display at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, February 26 - March 1, 2026, at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, VA.
9. If an entry is to be hand-delivered to the festival and/or picked up from the festival, Show Management must be notified using the drop-off/pick-up form, enclosed with the competition acceptance letter, before February 3, 2026.
10. If accepted, submitted images become the property of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival for publicity and/or publication use.
11. Prize winners will be notified and receive awards within thirty (30) business days of the close of the event. Viewer’s Choice will be announced on quiltfest.com.
12. Judges reserve the right to not award a prize in a category if there are insufficient entries in a specific category.
13. The awarding of any prize makes the entry ineligible for any lesser prize. Viewer’s Choice award is exempt from this rule.
14. Filing of your signed application signifies agreement with these conditions.
Garment Return
Garments will be returned via MAQF designated carrier only and shipped within 5 days of the close of the Festival. The cost of shipping will be paid by MAQF.
Contest Calendar
January 20, 2026
Online entry submission for each item entered must be received no later than January 20, 2026.
ENTRY FEE: $40.00 includes domestic return shipping and required staff for hand drop-off and pick-up of entries. Garments shipped in tubes/elongated/oversized boxes require an additional $20.00 return shipping fee.
January 23, 2026
Notification of jurors' decision and instructions for garment shipment will be mailed to entrants on January 23, 2026.
January 28 - February 11, 2026
Accepted entries must be shipped/delivered to MAQF's designated delivery location for judging and exhibition. Shipped entries are not to arrive before Wednesday, January 28, nor later than Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Entry of the above item means that I will abide by the rules and decisions of the judges. I / We acknowledge that Mancuso Show Management, Inc. will take every precaution to protect this garment, but understand that Show Management cannot be responsible for acts of nature, casualty, war, government regulation, civil disorder, terrorism, disaster, strikes, or any other cause of emergency beyond their control.
INSURANCE: Garments are not covered for floods and earthquakes. Any entry valued at more than $500 up to a maximum of $1500 for insurance coverage, must be accompanied by an acceptable insurance appraisal with the entry form. If a written appraisal is not enclosed, your garment will be insured for $500.
PHOTOGRAPHY/IMAGES: As an entrant my signature grants the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival and its designated sponsors the right to photograph my garment for publication, advertising, or promotional use. Images of accepted garments become the property of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival.