I am fairly new soooo I have only made one quilt from a pattern. I seem to like to make up my own patterns. I machine stitch the top and send the quilting out to a machine quilter... expensive but I really don't have the time to hand quilt. New grandbabies have taken my time. I have one at the quilters and two waiting to go. I also just completed a "soccer" quilt for my great nephew...very simple and I tied it with embroidry thread.