I think those of us who sew and quilt will see the imperfections in quilts because we're used to judging our own work. People who don't quilt have no idea of the time and effort that go into our projects, but they also don't usually notice mistakes or poor quality work.
If you're like me, I tell myself I'm going to live by the "man on a galloping horse" rule, but I actually live by the "woman with a magnifying glass" rule. I'm much harder on myself than anyone else ever could be!