Part 2
Submitted by Alicia Springfield
It has been a little over a week since I took the PFDE and I’m still thinking about it. I had a feeling of peace when I entered the PFDE room. Years of competing in Designer of the Year competitions helped me there, but I had to keep reminding myself that the PFDE is not a competition. You’re only competing against yourself, and racing against the clock. I think that helped me, but did it help enough?
Leading up to the PFDE, I had a few challenges. A medical issue cropped up. It didn’t stop me from participating, but it may have slowed me down. As the only full-time designer in a very small shop, I had to take extra care to make sure things went smoothly in my absence. And then there was the flight delay. Southwest Airlines had a rough time that week! I eventually got to Orlando and enjoyed about four hours of sleep before the PFDE. Eeek!
On PFDE day, most candidates checked in and went back to their rooms for a bit. I was staying off site, so I made myself comfortable in the lobby. I had bought a nifty clear plastic makeup bag to store my tools, but we were given a clear pencil pouch that we had to use. Since I wasn’t staying in the host hotel, I stashed my makeup bag in a plant in the lobby and wrote a reminder to collect it later. If this gives you a clue about how put together I am, that bag is still in the plant! I hope it’s cozy. Anyway, after check-in, we had a briefing to go over the rules and learn about the designs we were to create. This was our last chance to ask any questions.
After the briefing, we were escorted into the design room. That’s where the magic happens. And by magic, I mean art and anxiety. My fellow candidates and I took every minute of our allotted four hours to create five designs. A sympathy piece featuring a ceramic urn, a design for an art gallery opening, a cascade bridal bouquet featuring a strong focal area and sheltering, a shoulder corsage for a prom, and a designer’s choice piece. If you’re a future candidate, be sure to read the instructions carefully, because they might tell you to use certain elements or containers in specific designs.
In a non-pandemic year, PFDE would be followed by a week of AIFD Symposium festivities. This year has been special, we are still in UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, as the commercials tell us, so we enjoyed a single day summit, filled with education and capped off by a nice dinner. It was a great networking opportunity and I walked away with a few new tricks and techniques.
Just a few more weeks until I get my results. Until then, I’ll try to hold onto my feeling of peace. I’m proud of my work. Well, most of my work. While I loved my art gallery piece and sympathy, my bridal and flowers to wear could have been slightly more artistic. My designer’s choice piece was a circlet that I didn’t execute as well as I’d like. My wire work was sloppy, and it may keep me from getting the AIFD invitation that I crave. If I need to retest, I’ll be sure to arrive earlier, stay in the host hotel, get more sleep the night before, and practice, practice, practice. Stay tuned for Part 3; The Results!
