Hey Ruth,
I would be distressed to hear that also. My opinion is what ever the quilt is going to be used for--dictates whether or not it is machine stitched or hand stitched. Keep practicing on hand quilting and have fun with whatever you are doing.
ritzy

I am a new quilter. I machine piece and quilt because I can. I still have to learn the skills of hand work. However, I was most distressed at a small local quilt show to hear an elderly lady comment, "Oh, that's just a bed spread, not a quilt, see, it's done on a machine." There is a place in this world for both, and both are egually beautiful when done well.

Mandy, when I started thinking about getting my longarm, I also got the "glare" from hand quilters. Now, they bring their tops to me to machine quilt for them.

bravo mandy!!!!!
this is america...we're free to think and do as we please.

I have done both hand peicing and hand quilting as well as machine peicing and quilting. I have found FOR ME that machine peicing and hand quilting are my favorite ways to do it, but I do machine quilt from a lot because it does save time. Hand peicing - well I just haven't quite got it yet, but someday I will I am sure.

Now I have experienced somethign I don't think I saw anyone say here - I once was talking to a friend about wanting a long arm machine some day. She looked at me and began reading me the riot act becaue "real quilters don't use machines". Now this was early in my career, and it really set me back for a bit. I began second guessing everything I had been doing to that point because I had not yet learned to hand quilt at all. I felt like somehow everything I had done to that point was not good enough. It took another person who was an avid hand worker to give me a two thumbs up on my machine work to pull me out of the dumps. We need to learn to accept the work of other quilters no matter how it is done. Machine quilting has its place, as does hand. I personally marvel at hand work, and I LOVE to hand quilt. Lets end... what would you call it... workmanshipism??? in quilting. We all use needles, just some run on electric and others on caffene and sugar

I too enjoy both hand and machine work. Thank God we can all find a place of contentment within the quilting world. Enjoying the process, whatever it is, is most important.
Our guild, Friendship Knot Quilter's Guild of Sarasota, had our show this last week-end and our theme this year was "Celebrate the Spirit of Sisterhood - A Common Thread" Our diversity and our commonality were both evident. For the first time, we had an art instructor from Ringling School of Design judge our Art Catagories purely from an artistic standpoint. The same quilts were also judge with all other catagories using the AQS judging criteria. It was very interesting to compare the comments. We also gave special recognition awards to our best hand quilters. I take great pride in the fact that there is a home here for all quilters to share in the joy of creation. Betty Ann

Lin-Sue, just sit back and enjoy it! Ginny's book is wonderful!

I'm new to quilting & started with a new machine my husband bought me last year. (been a sewer for years) I find I just don't like all the time sitting at the sewing machine & the problems (normal size machine) with the quilting.

I've started reading Ginny's book & saw her on a "Simply Quilts" yesterday. I have decided to start hand quilting & piecing thinking it'll be more portable & rewarding.

I agree with all of you who say that both hand and machine quilting, when done well, are beautiful. Done poorly it looks equally bad either way.

I had some quilts that my greatgrandmother made-one was machine pieced and quilted the other was was done totally by hand. Both have been well "loved" (in other words used a lot). The hand pieced and quilted one stood the test of time better although that may have been a function of how often washed etc.

I do hand embroidery and hand beading. I would be very insulted if someone tried to tell me that I should do those by machine because it would be faster. Faster is not the reason I machine quilt. I machine quilt because I do not have the patience to hand quilt and I do not like the results when I try to do it.

Why do I have the patience for hand embroidery and hand beading and not for hand quilting? I think it would probably take a psychotherapist to find the answer but do I care? NOOOO I'LL JUST BE ME----YOU JUST BE YOU AND VIVA LA DIFFERENCE!!!!!

Maureen, just smile serenely at them and remind them that life is a journey, not a destination! We've become such an instant-gratification society that people lose sight of the process.

Personally, I've never had the patience or accuracy for the work you do. I do other hadwork, like knit, crochet and 3-D felting. But I can certainly admire and appreciate hand piecing and quilting. I am in awe.

I am a long arm quilter, I love what I do, however...I also hand piece.

I would NEVER tell a hand quilter they should have their quilts machine pieced, it's up to that persons decision to decide if they want to hand piece or have it machine quilter.

Personally, I love hand quilted quilts, and I love machine quilted quilts.

Something to think about too, I recently had a friend piece a top, I quilted it, completely custom work. That quilt was donated for an auction, a man working for the electric company was burned, and lost his leg, all the money went for his family.

Anyway, a quilt that was hand pieced and hand quilted went for a little over $1000.00, where the quilt that I had machine quilted went for just under $1000.00. What I'm trying to say here, is that people value the art of hand piecing and hand quilting over machine pieced and machine quilting. Was I upset that our quilt didn't go over the cost of the hand quilting...NO, I was not surprised. I would also pay more for handquilting.

Ah, this makes it sound like I don't value my work and or my business as a machine quilter, I do. I just have an awesome amount of respect for those that do have the patience to work by hand.

Gosh, I hope that made sense.

Phyllis

I've been thinking a lot about going back to hand piecing my blocks. I watched Jenny Beyer hand sew and it's inspiring and what she says about hand piecing makes a lot of sense. No block of time needed to sit at the machine, easy to carry and have it available to work on and the pieces line up perfectly. I won't give up my machine piecing but to say one is better than the other is silly isn't it?

My very good quilter friend in Texas is a hand quilter, even with arthritis in her fingers. She absolutely refuses to machine quilt, and By Golly, she recently upped her prescription for Celebrex and has completed a Mariner's Compass and Stacked Bricks quilts that she had in the works. I'm so proud and happy for her. At a recent quilt show, I met an elderly lady that was in the same boat as my friend, and longingly looked at the hand quilting. I told her about the Celebrex, so hopefully, she'll be able to continue her craft.
It's a shame to have reached the age when you have the time to dedicate to hand stitching, but to have Mother Nature rob you of your nimble fingers!

One benefit of hand piecing and quilting...it can be done anywhere.
It is generally portable. I don't machine quilt but I do machine or hand piece and hand quilt. I don't have any lofty goals as to the number of quilts I make. I just enjoy the process.
Besides using less electricity reduces my carbon footprint...

FW