Dare Ya!

"Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you."
~ David McCullough Jr. (emphasis is mine)

This quote sums up my foray into the CQA Quilt Judge Certification Programme. It's not that I want to be 'important', or that I think I'm anyone special. It's not about me at all, really. It's about learning, and seeing a different view of the quilting world.

Detail, "Parrot's Island", by Claudia Pfeil

I want to understand why a particular quilt rises to the top in a competition. What attributes must it have? How do judges determine the best of the best? What is the process? What are the challenges, and how are they handled? 

The best way to answer these questions (and more) is to enter the world of judging. Even if I were to decide it's not the place for me (or if I don't make the cut - eek!), I will learn a ton by doing the preliminary work and taking the first workshop.

Detail, "Parrot's Island", by Claudia Pfeil
Coincidentally, FIVE of Claudia Pfeil's AWARD WINNING quilts are hanging at Sparrow Studioz. Of course they are A-MAY-ZING. They are HUGE, loaded with stitches and assorted bling, and bursting with colour and imagination!

"Parrot's Island", by Claudia Pfeil


Detail, "Parrot's Island"
Looking UP at the quilt - the colour is not accurate, but look at that quilting!!!


"Magical Mermaid's Castle", by Claudia Pfeil

Detail, "Magical Mermaid's Castle"


Detail, "Magical Mermaid's Castle"
"Cordoba", by Claudia Pfeil

Back of "Cordoba"

Detail, "Cordoba"

"Time to Catch a Dream", by Claudia Pfeil

Detail, "Time to Catch a Dream"


Detail, "Time to Catch a Dream"


Detail, "Time to Catch a Dream"

"Fire and Ice", by Claudia Pfeil

Detail, "Fire and Ice"


Detail, "Fire and Ice"


Detail, "Fire and Ice"
I feel very lucky to have been "up close and personal" with these beauties. So inspiring!!!



There's much to be done before Part I of the certification programme, but I'm excited to be starting this journey!

Is there a mountain in your life begging to be climbed? 

I double-dog dare ya to take the first steps!


"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."
~ Earl Nightingale (again, emphasis is mine)

Linking up with:
Whoop Whoop Friday, at Confessions of a Fabric Addict  
(speaking of never giving up...read about bringing Nathanael home. Sarah's family is MOVING mountains, not climbing them!) 
Fabric Frenzy Friday, at Fort Worth Fabric Studio

Try, Learn, Grow!
Carole 
Comments are welcome and will be answered by email where possible. Thanks for looking around!

Comments

  1. Congratulations on starting the journey. One step at a time, right? It will be interesting to learn more about the process and anything you can share about what you learn. I'm taking steps to write patterns. Fun! :)

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  2. Wow! How amazing to see these in person. I'm excited for you. Right now I'm climbing the farmer's wife mountain, but doing it my way.

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  3. WOW, thanks for sharing, both the quilts and the beginning of this new adventure for you!

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  4. Best of the best in your new venture Carole! You can do it! Yes you can!!

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  5. How exciting, Carol! I hope you will share as you go on this journey - SO interesting! And oh my! Those quilts are stunning!! How cool to see them up close and in person! Thank you so much for sharing!

    I am going to be a pattern tester for the first time. . . !! I know, me! Here's what I was thinking, if a pattern designer can keep me interested and marching on to the next step without deviating (read scrapping and doing something completely different LOL) - said designer has a major winner on their hands! ;)

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  6. I love your first quote in particular, and those quilts are amazing. Not sure about mountains at the moment, think they may need to wait a bit. Good luck with your judging journey, I often think that's such a tough job, quilts in competitions always seem to be brilliant and so hard to choose between.

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  7. Impressive quilts. Have fun!

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  8. Hi Carole! I'm stopping in from the GYB event and sure am glad I did as I'm your newest blogloving follower and I added your blog to my blogroll under: Friends who long arm too! I hope ya stop by and if ya like what ya see, follow too as I think we have a lot in common! Val from myplvl.blogspot.com

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