I don't know how old the gentleman is, but I would venture to say he was elderly. If so, I can well understand his comments, though I certainly do not agree. How often did we hear these words growing up, "In my day we...." His day is gone for the most part, but I do know that there are those that still do it that way because that is all they have.
Your quilt is stunning and the quilting is awesome.
Everyone sees things differently and I would venture to say that it was the perfect opportunity to ask about those quilts his mom made and get some history. He might have enjoyed telling you about those quilts. I think he missed an opportunity to learn more about how it is done nowadays as well.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful, beautiful quilt.