Quilt Show
Quilt Show Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
In this game, you are a quilter. You will collect fabric cards which can be exchanged for block tiles. As you amass block tiles, you will combine them into one or more quilts. You will use your creative skills to mix block tiles of a single color or a single pattern to make beautiful quilts. Three times during the game, you and your fellow quilters will enter your quilts in quilt shows and try to win prestigious awards for the most prize money. At game's end the quilter with the most money wins!
Contents
- 96 Fabric Cards – 7 each of 6 different single colors, 7 each of 6 dual colors, 12 dye goods
- 108 Quilt Block Tiles – 1 each of 6 different blocks in 6 colors and 3 point values
- 12 Quilting Chips – 3 each for 4 players, values of 1, 2, and 3 points
- 12 Quilt Show Prize Markers – one each in values of $4,000-$15,000
- 28 Time Markers – 27 small and 1 large
- Game Money in 3 denominations – 30 @ $1,000, 15 @ $5,000, and 12 @ $10,000
- 4 Player Screens
(4 spare blank fabric cards and 1 spare small time marker are included.)
Game Variables by Player Count
| # Players | # Small Time Markers | # Block Types | # Prize Markers per Show | Prizes Removed | Game Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 16 | 4 | 3 | $4,000, $5,000, $14,000, $15,000 | 30–45 minutes |
| 3 | 22 | 5 | 5 | $4,000, $15,000 | 45–60 minutes |
| 4 | 27 | 6 | 6 | — | 60–75 minutes |
Preparation
Shuffle all three types of fabric cards together and deal 4 to each player. Then turn 6 fabric cards face-up and put them in the middle of the table. Place the remaining fabric cards face-down next to the upturned cards.
At the beginning of play each player receives:
- 4 random Fabric Cards
- 3 Quilting Chips (one of each value: 1, 2, 3 points)
- 1 Player Screen which serves as her sewing room. Here she arranges blocks to form quilts
Separate the block tiles into 6 stacks, one for each pattern type. That is, place all the "Boston Beauty" blocks in one stack and all the "Apron Strings" blocks in another. A stack will have blocks in all colors. Shuffle each stack separately. Referring to the Game Variables chart, place the listed number of stacks face-down in the middle of the table. Turn the top block tile from each stack face up.
Count out the appropriate number of small time markers, as indicated by the Game Variables chart, and place them, along with the large time marker, within easy reach of all players.
After removing the prize markers as indicated by the Game Variables chart, shuffle the remaining prize markers and set them aside until the first quilt show.
Set aside the prize money until the first quilt show.
The 6 pattern types used to sort the block tile stacks are: Boston Beauty, Spring Valley Log Cabin, Apron Strings, Diamonds Are Forever, Snake River Log Cabin, and Lakeshore Log Cabin.
Playing the Game
Starting Player
Randomly select a starting player. Play will proceed clockwise (to the left).
Turn Overview
On her turn the player performs 1 action. She may EITHER
A) add fabric cards to the fabric stash in her hand, OR
B) use some of her fabric stash to make one or more blocks which she keeps in her sewing room.
Adding to the Stash
The player draws 3 fabric cards into her hand. These 3 cards may be from the 6 face-up cards, from the draw pile, or in some combination from each. The player takes the cards one at a time, and when she takes a face-up card, she replaces it from the deck before taking the next card.
Optionally, the player may choose one face-up dye goods card along with 1 (and only 1) additional fabric card. In this instance the player may not take a second face-up dye goods card. If the player draws the second card from the draw pile and gets a second dye goods card, that is okay.
When the fabric card deck runs out, shuffle and reuse the discarded fabric cards.
When 3 dye goods cards appear at one time among the 6 face-up cards, immediately discard all 6 face-up cards and lay out 6 new cards in their place.
Fabric Cards
The player may satisfy the fabric requirement for a block tile by using any combination of these: single-color fabric cards of the needed color, dual-color fabric cards that include the needed color, or dye goods cards which can be dyed any color. Single-color fabric cards may be used only to make a block of the matching color. Dual-color fabric cards may be used to make a block of either color shown on the fabric card. For example, a blue-green fabric card may be used to make either a blue block or a green block. A dye goods card may be used to make a block of any color. Each type of fabric card counts as one fabric when exchanging for block tiles.
There are three kinds of fabric card: a single-color fabric card (use it when making a block having a matching color icon), a dual-color fabric card (use it when making a block having either of the two color icons shown on it), and a dye goods card (use it when making a block of any color).
Making Quilt Blocks
Making quilt blocks takes fabric and time. Block tiles of different values have different fabric card costs. Use the chart below to determine the fabric requirement based on the block tile's point value (listed in one corner of the tile).
To make a quilt block the player discards the appropriate color and number of fabric cards from her hand and takes the corresponding block tile from among the exposed block tiles. The player adds the block tile to her sewing room (the area behind her screen). The player may make multiple blocks in a turn if she has the necessary fabric cards.
For each block a player makes, she also takes a time marker and places it in front of the screen. A player may make no more blocks than there are remaining time markers.
Do not reveal new block tiles until the player completes her turn.
When a block tile stack runs out, do not reuse previously discarded block tiles.
Block Tile Point Values & Fabric Card Requirements
| Point Value on Block Tile | # Fabric Cards Required |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 5 | 3 |
Suggestions for Making Blocks: A player should concentrate on collecting block tiles for one or two quilts (pattern types or colors) for each quilt show. However, a player may have legitimate reasons for collecting one or two blocks that do not match the pattern or color of the quilts she is making. For instance, she may be trying to end the round before other players can improve their quilts, or she may want to prevent another player from getting a particular block.
Making block tiles with the highest point value is the most efficient use of a player's fabric resources.
Making more than one block on a turn is the most efficient use of a player's game turn. A player should not delay, however, if she needs a particular block tile and has the necessary fabric cards to get just the one block tile. It may not be there when her next turn comes around!
Time Markers
The large time marker is the last to be taken (see "Setting Up a Quilt Show"). This ends the player's turn immediately, even if she has the fabric and desire to make more blocks.
Note: It is important that the player who takes the large time marker keeps it in front of her until the start of the next round. It will serve to remind everyone that she had the last turn in the round just ended and that the player to her left will take the first turn of the next round.
Using Blocks to Make a Quilt
When deciding which blocks to make, a player should remember the reason she is making blocks is so she can combine them to make quilts for the quilt show. A quilt can be as little as three block tiles, though it might not be worth many points. The player whose quilt has the highest sum of points wins the best prize in the quilt show.
Quilt Requirements
A quilt must contain at least 3 blocks and be either rectangular or square in shape with no gaps.
The 5 permitted quilt sizes are:
- 1 x 3 blocks: table runner
- 2 x 2 blocks: wall quilt
- 2 x 3 blocks: lap quilt
- 3 x 3 blocks: queen quilt
- 3 x 4 blocks: king quilt
Quilts must be one of two styles: scrap quilts or sampler quilts. In a scrap quilt every block tile is of a single pattern type but in any color. In a sampler quilt every block tile is of a single color but of any pattern type. Most quilts made in the game will be scrap quilts as it is easier to amass fabric in a variety of colors than it is to collect fabric in a single color.
- Scrap quilt: all one pattern, any number of colors (colors may repeat or not)
- Sampler quilt: all one color, any number of patterns (patterns may repeat or not)
Setting Up a Quilt Show
When a player takes the final time marker, the large one, it is time to prepare for a quilt show.
Shuffle the quilt show prize markers and lay out the appropriate number, referring to the Game Variables chart. (Some prize markers are removed in a 2- or 3-player game.)
Lay out the prize markers in order from largest to smallest. Prize markers in the game range from $4,000 to $15,000 in $1,000 increments, with one of each amount. The range of prizes will differ from one quilt show to the next, and a crafty player may decide she can earn more money by holding a quilt back until the next quilt show.
Entering Quilts in the Quilt Show
Each player retreats to the privacy of her sewing room (behind her screen) and secretly decides which quilt or quilts, if any, to enter in the quilt show.
Suggestions for Making Quilts and Entering Shows: A player does not need to use all of her acquired block tiles in the first two shows. She may save some or all for use in a later quilt show. Sometimes it is better to keep working on a quilt and enter it in the next show. But be careful! If all the players decide to hold back quilts, someone may miss a golden opportunity to win multiple prizes!
Because quilt show prize markers used in a show always outnumber players, a player may win multiple prizes in a show, often winning one of them with a low-value quilt. A player may want to split a large number of blocks of a single quilt type into two quilts. Sometimes winning two lesser prizes is better than winning only one big prize.
In the third (final) quilt show, be sure to enter every quilt in the show.
Using Quilting Chips
A player may improve the value of any quilt by placing one, and only one, quilting chip on it. If she wants to add a quilting chip, she must do so before revealing her quilts in the quilt show. A player may not enter a quilting chip unless it is attached to a quilt. If the quilt with a quilting chip on it wins a prize, then discard the quilting chip along with the block tiles (for more information see "Scoring the Quilts in the Show").
A player may add one, and only one, quilting chip to a specific quilt when she enters it in a quilt show. Place the quilting chip on top of the quilt.
If the quilt wins a prize, discard the quilting chip along with the block tiles. A quilter may use more than one quilting chip in the same quilt show, as long as they are applied to different quilts.
Scoring the Quilts in the Show
When all players have decided which quilts to enter in the quilt show, each player reveals her quilts. Players score the quilts and award prizes based on each quilt's point value.
Determine the value of each quilt separately. Add up the point values on each block tile in the quilt, as well as the point value of the quilting chip (if any).
The highest-scoring quilt earns the prize money listed on the best quilt show prize marker. The second-highest scoring quilt takes the second-highest cash award. Continue awarding prize money until there are no more quilt show prize markers or there are no more quilts, whichever happens first. Some quilts may not win prizes or some prizes may go unclaimed if the number of quilts and prizes is not equal.
If the quilt show has more prizes than quilts, award no money for the leftover quilt show prize markers.
If the quilt show has more quilts entered than prizes available, some quilts will not win a prize. Keep such a quilt face up on the table in front of the screen of the player who made it. These quilts are automatically entered in subsequent quilt shows. They are considered complete and may not be altered by adding or removing tiles or quilting chips.
Dealing with Ties
Prizes are awarded in descending order of point value/prize value. When ties in point value occur, add together the prize amounts for the number of quilts that are tied. Divide this sum by the number of tied quilts, and round down to the nearest $1,000 if the answer is not in a $1,000 increment.
For example, three quilts have the same value, and the next three prize awards are $8,000, $6,000, and $5,000. Add the prizes to get $19,000 and divide by 3 (the number of tied quilts). The answer in this example is $6,333, which rounds down to $6,000. Each quilt earns $6,000 in prize money.
If players tie for the last prize or prizes, there may be fewer awards than quilts. In that case, add the remaining awards and divide by the number of tied quilts.
For example, if two quilts are tied for the $4,000 last prize, each quilt receives $2,000 in prize money.
Remember that the number of tied quilts – not the number of tied players – determines the number of shares awarded. One player will get two-thirds of the prize money if she has two quilts that tie with another player's single quilt.
Preparing for the Next Round
The game proceeds through three rounds of quilt shows. After the first and second quilt shows, do the following in preparation for the next round:
Set aside the quilt show prize markers. Discard all the block tiles and quilting chips for quilts that won prize money in the quilt show. (These are purchase awards.) Return all the time markers to the middle of the table, noting which player had the large time marker. The player to her left begins the next round.
Game End
The game ends after the third and final quilt show.
After the final quilt show, sell any quilt that failed to win a prize to the bank for $1,000. Each player adds up her money. The player with the most money wins and is declared a Master Quilt Maker!
In the event of a tie for first place, the tied player with the most fabric cards still in her hand wins the game. If the tied players hold the same number of fabric cards, they proudly share victory.
Game Variants
Block-Swapping Variant
In the quilting world, quilt makers sometimes organize a block or fabric swap with other quilters. For a slightly more social game, try this variation for 3 or 4 players: during a player's turn, in addition to her two usual choices of action, she has a third choice. She may take one of the following three actions:
A) take 3 fabric cards or
B) discard fabric cards and take block tiles or
C) initiate a swap with one other player.
The swap may consist of one or more block tiles in her sewing room and/or fabric cards in her hand. Both players must agree to the deal. If desired, players may sweeten the deal with prize money, though prize money is the basis for winning the game and should not be traded lightly. The swap is in lieu of the initiating player's usual turn options. The other player involved in the swap takes her turn as usual.
Large Quilt Variant
Play the game by the standard rules except for scoring the quilts. In this variant each quilt earns 1 extra point for every block in the quilt. For example, a 3-block table runner is worth the sum of the points on the block tiles plus the value of the quilting chip (if played on the quilt) plus 3 points for the 3 blocks in the quilt. A 4-block wall quilt is worth 4 extra points, and so on. This variant puts a premium on making larger quilts and offers a good tension between entering multiple smaller quilts in a show versus entering one large quilt.
Color-Sorting Variant
Instead of sorting the available block tiles by pattern type, sort them by color. This will give the game a slightly different flavor. When sorting by color, all stacks remain in the game, even with just 2 players.
If, during the game, a stack of one color runs out, the single-color fabric cards of that color become useless for the rest of the game. Remove from the game and replace from the draw deck any such useless cards as they appear. A player may trade in any useless fabric cards in her hand for the same number of cards from the draw deck. Dual-color fabric cards representing the now-unavailable color remain in play as long as the other color on the card is still valid. However, if both colors on a dual-color fabric card are useless, these cards are useless and removed from the game as detailed above.
Time-Saving Variant
If time is an issue, limit the game to two quilt shows. Remember, though, it is harder for a player to recover from a bad first show when she only has one more opportunity to win prizes.
Tension-Reducing Variant
If players prefer a game with less competition for quilt blocks, play the 2- or 3-player game without eliminating any of the block types. Use all six stacks of block tiles, as if for a 4-player game. Use the number of time markers and prize cards indicated for the number of players in the game.
Definition of Quilting Terms
Stash, or Fabric Stash The collection of fabric that a quilter has on hand.
Pattern The geometric design created by shapes that the quilt maker sews together to make a block.
Blocks, or Quilt Blocks Repeating design and construction units that the quilt maker joins to make a quilt top.
Quilt Two joined layers of fabric – the decorative quilt top and the backing – filled with batting.
Quilting The stitching that holds together all three layers of a quilt (the best quilting is made of tiny, uniform stitches and forms intricate patterns across the quilt).
Quilt Show A public display of quilts staged by a national organization or an area quilt guild, and usually offering awards for the best and most popular quilts.