I think you can be expert or advanced in some aspects of quilting, but not in others. It seems to me that there is so much to quilt making that it would be hard for anyone (even those folks who win at the big shows) to be expert in all aspects of this wonderful art form.
I consider myself to be: a. pretty good at de-constructing a quilt and figuring out how to make it, b. terrible at following someone else's directions-- the most recent example being my convergence quilt mangle LOL-- so I generally design my own rather than use other people's patterns c. I can get the job done with most piecing, but it takes me a lot longer and more tries to get perfect alignment than it would for someone who has precision piecing skills, d. I'm okay at paper piecing on easy patterns, (think Peggy Martin's quick strip paper piecing) e. very adventuresome when it comes to improvisational piecing and quilting,--these are my strong points. f. very adventuresome when it comes to experimenting with materials and free motion quilting- another strong point. g. absolutely not interested in hand quilting (I don't like doing any hand work, though I do hand sew the binding to the back if a quilt is meant for a show). So, how does any of this stack up in terms of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Expert? I haven't a clue, but I do actively pursue new skills and challenges which keeps me happy
Rob