Originally Posted by MistyMarie
After reading the first issue of "Quilter's Home" with Mark Lipinski's perspective on entering a quilt into a quilt show, I became so discouraged about my own ability and how others would perceive my quilts. I now absolutely dread giving away my quilts or showing them at quilt guild meetings because I see all my flaws and feel that others will judge my work too critically. I worry that they are not good enough because I am such a perfectionist when it comes to quilting and I know others are too. However, I am only an intermediate quilter, so I know I am going to have small "errors" here and there in all my quilts. It is hard when I try so hard to grow as a quilter and others make me feel like I am barely a quilter because I am not up to their skill levels. After reading that article, I doubt I would ever feel "good enough" to enter a quilt show or contest. He totally shredded beginner/intermediate quilters as living in denial of their own ability to create a worthwhile quilt for a quilt show.
Don't let anyone discourage you, every quilt is beautiful in it's own way. Some of the Big Name quilters are just a little bit full of themselves, they forget that all us underlings are the ones who put money in their pockets by buying their products. When I make a quilt for someone it isn't perfect but no-one to this day has ever said 'look at all these mistakes' or tried to give it back. Quilting is supposed to be fun not a contest, even at the Guild meetings.