catrancher

I think there will always be hand-quilters in the same way people will always hand embroider, even though there are now machines for that too. I recently took an online hand quilting class. Here is the link to my finished piece. I enjoyed doing it and would do it again on the right quilt.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...g-t164427.html

I think machine quilting and hand quilting are different, and I don't see one as being in competition with the other. I like the look of machine quilting for some quilts, but think hand quilting is preferable for others, and vice versa. Just as food processors will never make knives obsolete, quilting machines will never replace hand quilting. Each has its place.

Hinterland

Granted, there aren't that many hand quilted quilts being entered in shows, but there are some quilters who do enter and win. Look at the quilts of Linda Roy - she's won multiple times at Paducah and Houston. Her hand quilting is beautiful.

You don't need to do lots of microstippling to win. The quilting needs to be well designed and appropriate to the top, but those are the same criteria that machine quilting should be judged by - more doesn't mean better. I would gladly compete against longarm quilters in local shows.

Janet

olgaflowers

I also am a hand quilter !! it is therapy for Me
I can just lose myself, and be thrill I have made something with my Hands, to be proud of
Happy hand quilter in Texas

mayday

What a GHASTLY thought, dreadful over machined quilts only,a total nightmare, NEVER with me. UGH!

geeblay627e120

My sister and I both took shorthand in school and I used mine for years and still do once in a while. But it was funny this subject came up because just Thursday, she and I were discussing Christmas lists and who had who's name (with lots of nosy kids around!) She asked me, "How's your shorthand?" I answered, "No idea, let's see." She wrote out her list in shorthand and I was able to read it perfectly. And the kids just stood there with mouth's open! Like the old aunts knew some kind of secret code! Very cool!
I'm working on my very first quilt and intend to do it by hand. I don't know yet if I will enjoy it or will be good at it, but I plan to give it a shot!

auntiehenno

I still perfer to hand quilt. Love my machines, but I will never be a long armer. However, I do appreciate those who do LA.

Wings

I hand quilt, though have only met one or two others who do in my area. I love the relaxation of it and though arthritis now annoys me I still do it. I feel a real sense of accomplishment as the stitches grow. I cannot get the hang of quilting with rocking the needle with my right hand, so am a stab stitcher. The way the light plays across the quilting lines and gives them character is beautiful and machine quilting does not do that the same way.

mim

knitting didn't fade away with machine knitting. It only made hand done items more special and valuable. It is tempting to rush to make tops, I have a whole pile of imagined ones, but hand made is an act of love poured into the finished piece.

I do appreciate many of the machine quilted things I see here and I have sent several to Charisma who is a real artist.
Mim

gigi10

My humble opinion is no. There are still those who prefer hand piecing, quilting. I keep one going all the time. I love it. my Mother is 81 and it helps her to survive a limited income.

Carol Wilson

I find hand quilting most relaxing, I have a friend who tells me she would not waste her time "Quilting" she always has to make some not so nice comment on what I do, this same person brags about her machine embroidery, after she proudly showed us her latest effort of an embroidered dragon my better half said"Isn't that where you just thread the machine with the right color press a few numbers and walk away".
Machine quilting has stunning results and some of the quilts on this site are amazing too but I think hand quilting gives a quilt soul but is very time consuming so lets do both and enjoy, that is what quilting is about..