I would encourage you to enter shows. I began quilting in the fall of 2001 and entered a show the very first year. I thought I had won a ribbon, but as I got closer to my quilt hanging, I realized it said "Participant". This did not discourage me. The second year, I scribed for the judges and this was an incredible learning experience. The 3rd year I won 2 Blue Ribbons. The 5th year, I was juried into the Houston Show and in 2010, I had 2 quilts accepted into Paducah. I have scribed for a total of 5 different judges to date and in my experience they are very careful about not letting their personal preferences influence the judging process. The main reason good quilts do not win ribbons in any specific category is the competition in that category. I feel my growth as a quilter was accelerated by entering shows. Hope this helps.