I always thought I was born quilting. My early memories are sitting next to my mom with the large quilt in the frame which took up most of the living room in our old farm house. So as a result I really learned to hand quilt before I taught myself the piecing. I still love the hand quilting, but realize there are other ways of getting projects finished. If I have a 'heirloom' quilt I will take it back to Iowa and have a quilting shop there arrange to have it Amish quilted. For my grandchildren's quilts I will machine quilt (or have it machine quilted) since they are laundered a great deal. Small projects I still like to hand quilt. I went through the period of making most of my own clothes, made clothes for my daughter and now only sew quilt related items: wall hangings, table toppers, table runners, placemats, etc. Sewing has indeed been good therapy for me. I can get lost in my sewing room and forget everything else. Ruby Y Campos